In The Glassmaker, Tracy Chevalier weaves a story of resilience and artistry, beginning in 1486 Venice, where Orsola Rosso defies tradition to master the craft of glassmaking. From her secret beadwork that sustains her family, navigating plagues, wars, and the transformation of Venice itself, Orsola’s tireless devotion and honed skill ensure the Rosso legacy endures.

The island of Murano, renowned and revered for its glassmaking, becomes the epicenter of a time bubble that Chevalier likens to a stone skipping across water — touching down before slipping ahead again. Rather than anchoring the story around multiple generations, Chevalier retains the same central cast, with Murano as the constant anchor, allowing time to pass very differently within the bubble. Though the story’s stone skips from 1486 to the present day, Orsola remains the main character — spanning childhood to old age, with a bit of time to spare.

Orsola is dynamic and complex, especially as time moves slowly for her, and Chevalier allows her traits to shine through in a variety of time periods and situations. I loved the vast scope of this story — more than five hundred years pass — and yet very little changes for the family, beyond what time and circumstance impose. The brilliance here lies in not having to pause and acclimate to a new generation of characters. Instead, we witness the same familiar faces tackle the obstacles that arise across five centuries. The Rosso family and Murano serve as the calm eye of a hurricane, and while the book leans a little melodramatic at times, it remains a fantastically told story.