The Glassmaker

From the globally bestselling author of Girl with a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier’s latest novel, The Glassmaker, transports readers to the enchanting world of Venice in 1486. This spellbinding tale weaves together themes of art, ambition, and resilience through the life of Orsola Rosso, a young woman determined to master the secretive craft of glassmaking despite a society that forbids her from doing so.

The story begins on the island of Murano, famed for its glass artisans. Here, time seems to flow differently, bending like the glass at the hands of the maestros. Orsola flouts societal norms to save her family from ruin, risking everything to work in secret. Her clandestine efforts to perfect her craft are driven by the need for her creations to be flawless, as only perfection will win her acceptance in this male-dominated world. But achieving perfection may require a lifetime’s dedication.

As the narrative skips through centuries, readers follow Orsola’s journey through the turbulence of war, plague, personal tragedies, and momentous triumphs. Amidst love lost and found, and a relentless pursuit of artistic mastery, her glass beads come to adorn the necks of empresses and courtesans from Paris to Vienna. However, the question lingers: will her exceptional work ever earn her the respect of those closest to her?

Tracy Chevalier’s masterful storytelling in The Glassmaker is nothing short of a triumph. Philip Pullman praises the novel as “a brilliant idea carried out with confidence and brio and a deep love of an extraordinary city.” Elif Shafak describes it as “spellbinding…. Chevalier at her fabulous best. A rich, vivid and gently enchanting novel.”

With vivid descriptions and an inventive structure, The Glassmaker offers a virtuoso portrait of a woman, her family, and a city that, like the glass they create, is both fragile and enduring. This richly detailed novel promises to captivate readers with its artistry and the timeless tale of a woman's struggle for recognition in a world where she is not meant to succeed.