The Secret of the Glass

Written by Donna Russo Morin

Published by Kensington Books

408 pages

Review by Emma Harrison

Receives:

The Secret of the Glass by Donna Russo Morin is an escape to seventeenth century Venice, specifically the island of Murano. It is the story of Sophia, whose father is Zeno Fiolario, one of the most in-demand glassmakers of his day. How their beautiful glass was made was a secret the glassmakers guarded with their lives. Though it is forbidden to teach women to work the glass, Sophia’s father has taught her his skills though it could lead to imprisonment. As Zeno’s health begins to fail, Sophia takes over the business, though no one knows. She meets Galileo, who needs a special glass, which becomes his first telescopic lens. Sophia is able to make it for him. As her father becomes sicker, she is betrothed to an unlikable, arrogant man named Pasquale, of noble birth but without a noble heart. He blatantly tells her he is marrying her only for the access he would then have to the glass factory when her father dies. He also tells her, equally harshly, that when her father is gone he will send her mother and sisters to a convent. Sophia, wishing to help her family, goes along with the plan to marry Pasquale. Then she meets Teodoro, the man she falls in love with. But Teodoro is the poor son of a nobleman, which brings more problems for Sophia. She begins to plot a way out of her unwanted betrothal so she can be with the man she loves.

The historical details about Venice in the 1600s flourish here, information about everything from gondola rides, fancy parties, palazzos, even politics and famous personalities are described here. The minute details are mostly to the benefit of the story. There are many Italian words, which add to the authenticity of the setting, but since I don’t speak Italian I found them distracting. Rather than falling completely into the story, there were times when I was pulled out, thinking, “What does that mean?” But even with the occasionally over-long descriptions and unknown Italian words, I was still intrigued by Sophia. I thought this novel did a fine job showing the precarious position of women in seventeenth century Venice. The women did not have any control over their lives, but rather they depended on the generosity (or lack thereof) of the men in their lives. Sophia’s strength and determination were a large reason I enjoyed reading this story. Glassmaking has never been on my radar as a subject of interest, but I was fascinated by the glassmaking process, which Morin describes in precise detail.

Overall, I learned a lot about a time and place I was not familiar with, and I did feel like I had traveled through time to seventeenth century Venice, which is why I read historical fiction. I thought the character of Sophia was strong while being relatable to readers, and her romance with Teodoro was touching. I recommend The Secret of the Glass for readers who love historical romances, who are interested in Murano glassmaking, or who are fans of Venice. _______________________________________________________________

Emma Harrison is a writer who is starting a blog reviewing books, movies, television, and anything else that needs reviewing. Look for her blog coming soon.