The Glassmaker: A Novel

The Glassmaker follows a family of glassmakers from Renaissance-era Italy to the present day. In 1486, Venice is a wealthy center for trade, and Murano is the island renowned for glassmaking. Orsola Rosso is the eldest daughter in a family of glassblowers on Murano. As a woman, she is not permitted to work with glass, but she has the skill and vision for it. When her father dies, she secretly teaches herself to make glass beads, and her work sustains the Rosso family's fortunes. The narrative spans centuries in a Venice where time moves slowly, following Orsola and her family through creative achievement and loss. They experience a plague that devastates Venice, Continental soldiers who strip its palazzos, the domination of Murano's master craftsmen, and the city's transformation from a center of trade into a tourist destination. In each era, the Rosso women preserve their work and their family bonds. The novel was named a Best Historical Novel of 2024 by The Sunday Times, The Independent, and BookPage.