The Glassblower
The Glassblower is the first book in a trilogy telling the story of three sisters in the tiny village of Lauscha, Germany in the 19th century who are left to make their way in the world after the death of their beloved father. The eldest, Johanna, seeks her fortune working in a larger town; Ruthie, the middle daughter, believes she’ll find happiness through marriage into a prominent local family; while the baby, Marie, secretly turns her love of art into a trade forbidden to women: glassblowing. After misfortune throws the sisters back together again, they band together to survive in this renegade trade whether their neighbors approve or not.
While it’s refreshing to see historical fiction set in a new location, especially among a trade traditionally associated with Venice, the interesting premise wasn’t enough to make me be able to recommend this book. It’s not a bad story, but the first three-fourths are slow and heavy on backstory and domestic and sexual violence, all of which do little to develop the characters. Had the story started with Marie discovering her glassblowing talent, I would have been hooked. But that doesn’t come until close to the end. As a result, I don’t care enough about the characters or their lives to continue reading the series.
