I'm very excited; my employers are sponsoring Tracy Chevalier as a headline author at a local literary festival later this month. As part of our involvement, the firm's book club (run by yours truly) get a meet and greet session with her and an opportunity to discuss her latest release! But I promise you, I'm reviewing this book in good faith and I genuinely do think it deserves the full five star treatment.

I did go into this book feeling a little apprehensive; the fact that it isn't my usual fare and I wouldn't necessarily have picked it up by choice alone was anxiety inducing! But, as with 'Girl with a Pearl Earring', I read the book in record time (less than 24 hours from start to finish) and found myself utterly transported, this time to Venice and the island of Mureno, and the story of Orsola Rosso and her glassmaking family. It is a beautifully written piece, juxtaposing the coarseness of family unafraid to speak their minds and stand their ground with the idyll of their little corner of the world, the wonder of the City of Water and the skill and dedication to which they offer their chosen craft. 

The first couple of paragraphs did throw me a bit; the author essentially breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to her reader, talking about time as a stone skimming across the Venitian water and how it flows differently there. The writing then reverts to third person and Orsola's story begins. It's only at the start of the second chapter, where it happens again, and then the third, where it happens again, that it becomes clear the author meant what she said. Orsola and those dear to her experience the passing of time differently; while a hundred years may pass on terrafirma, only a few years pass for them, and so somehow she and her family experience six centuries of history, right up to the present day. The world moves forward, as do they, but far more slowly - it's a gorgeous reflection of how traditional workmanship and the skills passed down through the generations is a way of keeping that history alive. 

There are incidental brushes with 'real' history - no spoilers, but you may be able to guess at least one of the cameo stars based purely on the setting. However, while they are entertaining and give the reader a touchstone to place themselves in time, they are just that; cameos. In this instance, I was glad the author stuck with her own character's story - while it may not be action-packed or full of suspense, it absolutely stands up for itself and I would have been disappointed if Orsola's story had been subsumed into the world of someone famous. In general terms I do like my books with a bit more going on in them, but I appreciate that this is the author's style and it definitely works.

Even the darker moments of plague, war and loss are beautifully rendered; the writing just fills every crevice of your soul whether you are following en event in great detail, or something is only touched upon briefly. It's not always comfortable; the shift in family dynamic when new spouses join the household isn't always the smoothest transition, either for the character or the reader, but simply because of that it feels grounded and reflective of reality. 

And oh, my goodness, the ending! If I cried at books I'd probably be bawling. It's certainly not the ending I was hoping for, but nevertheless it is totally inkeeping with the rest of the story, the premise and the emotiveness of the writing as a whole. 

I still can't say that I would be automatically drawn to this type of book moving forward, but after two pleasantly surprising experiences I'm certainly going to add more of Tracy Chevalier's books to my TBR pile. If you want a transporting and heartfelt read, seriously give this book a try.