The Glassmaker

A Novel

By: Tracy Chevalier

Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan

A Parade and Christian Science Monitor Best Book of June

“This charming fable is at once a love story that skips through six centuries, and also a love song to the timeless craft of glassmaking. Chevalier probes the fierce rivalries and enduring loyalties of Murano's glass dynasties, capturing the roar of the furnace, the sweat on the skin, and the glittering beauty of Venetian glass.”–Geraldine Brooks, author of Horse

From the bestselling historical novelist, a rich, transporting story that follows a family of glassmakers from the height of Renaissance-era Italy to the present day.

It is 1486 and Venice is a wealthy, opulent center for trade. Orsola Rosso is the eldest daughter in a family of glassblowers on Murano, the island revered for the craft. As a woman, she is not meant to work with glass—but she has the hands for it, the heart, and a vision. When her father dies, she teaches herself to make glass beads in secret, and her work supports the Rosso family fortunes.

Skipping like a stone through the centuries, in a Venice where time moves as slowly as molten glass, we follow Orsola and her family as they live through creative triumph and heartbreaking loss, from a plague devastating Venice to Continental soldiers stripping its palazzos bare, from the domination of Murano and its maestros to the transformation of the city of trade into a city of tourists. In every era, the Rosso women ensure that their work, and their bonds, endure.

Chevalier is a master of her own craft, and The Glassmaker is as inventive as it is spellbinding: a mesmerizing portrait of a woman, a family, and a city as everlasting as their glass.

©2024 Tracy Chevalier (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

A Parade Best New Book

“Travel across seven centuries with novelist Tracy Chevalier and a remarkable Glassmaker ... The Glassmaker conveys a vivid history lesson about a fascinating place and industry, animated through the lives and emotions of compelling characters.”–Star Tribune

“[An] exceptional novel ... Chevalier’s descriptive prose on glassmaking artistry, together with her delightful characters, creates an entrancing tale.”–Christian Science Monitor

“There is an immediate richness to the historical fiction of Tracy Chevalier, one that goes beyond carefully researched details and evocative prose, and into deep emotion. . . . The Glassmaker becomes a study not just of history, but of what endures history. That makes it a potent, bewitching bright spot in a stellar career.”–Bookpage (starred review)

Wonderfully done history of glassmaking and Venetian culture through the eyes of one woman

Only thing a little hard to follow was the timeline, how it jumped ahead by a stone thrown across the canal…yet the family didn’t age the same amount.

Great story that draws one into the history of Murano

This book so cleverly shows someone why Murano is the wonderful place it is today through what has happened to create it throughout history. The book makes the reader very aware of the importance of the true beauty on and in the glass of Murano. Rather than what most of the world now sees in the glass objects we use every day. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves learning history or is thinking of ever traveling to Venice.

The love of glass & family

As a lampworker myself of 24 years, I really enjoyed the story. Having been to Murano & Venice a couple of times I felt as though I was there again looking at the entire lagoon differently. Just a lovely well told story with the correct history woven in. Time is truly slower on Murano than anywhere else I have been to.

Fascinating "time-travel" concept

Have read most of Chevalier's work. This one captured the history of Venice, Murano, and glassmaking in a thorough and fascinating way - up to my expectations. Not so as far as narration goes, unfortunately: An exaggerated and some times just wrong "Italian" pronunciation (e.g. weight on wrong syllables), and a tendency to read women as little girls instead of mature characters detracted from the listening experiences.

Glass artistry and commerce

I was excited to read this because I am a glass artist (warm glass) so hearing all about the hot glass techniques, including lampwork, was exciting. And I loved the characters. But stretching the story over 500 years with the same people in it barely aging (like a skipping stone, “a la Veneziana”) was completely unbelievable and very distracting. I’m all for magical realism when done well; this was not.

Lovely story

I have really enjoyed all of Tracy Chevalier's books. This is the first one I have "read" on Audible though. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, but I admittedly got lost with the time jumps. That was really confusing to me. And I hated that there was never any closure with Orsola and Antonio. Oh well..all in all I enjoyed it. I was fascinated by the glass makers! It also makes me want to go to Venice.

Historical journey of a glass family

Everything! Wonderful story interlinked with historical events, love, family and touching moments of each time period.

Interesting way to share Venetian history and the art of glass

Solid read with excellent narrator. I couldn’t really get behind the timeline jumps with the same exact characters.

A beautiful and well written tale building the ongoing human history of Glass in Venice and on Murano.

The author wrote beautifully about glasswork and about the island of Murano. While reading, I wanted to head to the studio and hop on the torch! She wrote Murano and Venice well enough that I could picture the places and experience the stone skipping through time. Lovely.

The writing, the storytelling, and the authentic history!

This was a beautiful story painted rather than written. And the narrator did an amazing job, switching between English and an occasional Italian phrase. It was enthralling, and I absolutely loved it!