The Glassblower of Murano
In a tale of genius and tragedy, Leonora Manin is inspired to travel to Murano, Italy, from Hampstead, England, the home of her 17th-century ancestor, glass artist Corradino Manin. In Murano, Leonora hopes to find her roots, become a glass artist and heal her heart, faced instead with a mystery that casts a shadow over her life.
In the 17th century, Murano is rich with history, the exquisite art of glassblowing a carefully guarded secret, craftsmen and artists strictly governed by the powerful Council of Ten. Seduced by the promises of France’s Louis XIV and his plans for the palace at Versailles, Corradino makes a fateful decision, his secrets lost with his death. Centuries later, while Leonora discovers her own artistic talent, she learns that her future happiness is inextricably bound to the mystery surrounding Corradino’s tragic fate.
Surrounded by treachery and intrigue, Corradino pays a terrible price for his hubris, but Leonora finds her future as Fiorato transports her characters across time, their art forged by their passion for glass. Melding Venetian history with contemporary romance, this novel celebrates creativity and the flawed humans who breathe life into art.
