The setting of this story, the village of Lauscha in Germany, caught my attention. Lauscha is still the glassblowing capital of Germany. This book was originally published in German in 2003 and translated into English by Samuel Willcocks.
The Glassblower begins with three sisters living with their father at the end of the nineteenth century and beginning of twentieth. When the father dies unexpectedly the sisters, Johanna, Ruth and Marie, are left to fend for themselves.
In the 1800's, glass blowing was a male occupation, so the sisters had to seek employment with another family.
As the months and years pass, each woman is challenged in her own way, and their characters and struggles are believable. I followed their sometimes tragic, sometimes predictable paths with an urgency that had me rushing to turn the page, counter-balanced by my desire to revel in the setting and the history lesson.
The conclusion to this novel was unexpected, and the author keeps the suspense tight.

Because I was at one time a dealer of antique bottles, I reveled in remembering the process of hand-blowing these creations.

My only quibble, and it's not a reason to pass this treasure by, was that it seemed like one of the sisters was not a fully-realized character. Even though she ends up being the heroine, she's quietly in the background. Although Marie was a central character, I didn't leave the book feeling attached to her in any way. Knowing there are sequels, I hope to find Marie's character embellished.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in this trilogy, The American Lady.

The story is an emotional roller coaster. From the moment the father died, I was 'screaming' at the girls, "Why can't you three become glassblowers?" The oldest sister, Johanna, kept me enthralled from the beginning, as she was the first sister to strike out on her own. What inevitably happened to her was disheartening, to say the least, but her downfall opened the door for the next sister to step up. The author's style of writing is so convincing, I felt as if I was a character in the story.

Petra Durst-Benning

Even if you don't like the thought of reading the history, the book should not be passed by. Allow yourself to become part of the girl's lives.

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Created Oct 16, 2014 at 11:22am • Submit your own review...