Author: Tracy Chevalier
Reviewed by Chloe Fuksa

As we get into the cooler fall months, I knew I wanted to cozy up with a good historical fiction read. The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier had been sitting on my shelf since its release in June of this year, tempting me each day with its beautiful cover. I finally picked it up, and excluding one large qualm that docked it a few points, what my mind kept coming back to over and over was how absolutely interesting the story was.

The Glassmaker follows the Rosso family of Murano, Italy, through the centuries, spanning from the Renaissance in the 15^th century clear up to present day. What we see is this very intriguing dynamic where the island, and the family, want to stay true to themselves and their history – making the same things, in the same way – yet facing changing demands and pressures as the outside world changes too. The family, for example, must shift from making elegant pitchers and bowls to making small beads that can be stitched into clothing and accessories or even used as currency. Change does not come easily though, especially for certain members of the family, but the Rosso women are the ones that know what must be done for the business to continue.

The one quirk of The Glassmaker is that the author takes large jumps ahead in time without the characters aging to the same degree. For example, we meet Orsola, the eldest daughter, as a young girl, but by the book’s end, over five hundred years later, she’s only in her sixties. Perhaps other readers can grasp this easily, but for me, I just couldn’t understand it. And I think that tied in to why I could never quite connect with the characters. I enjoyed the book for its sense of place and its history, not necessarily the characters. That being said though, I did like this book overall, and I learned a lot, which I always appreciate with historical fiction.

Visit us in Sunset Plaza or call 580-297-5089 to get your copy of The Glassmaker today!

Author: Isabel Ibañez
Reviewed by Chloe Fuksa

Continuing this month’s apparent theme of “Historical Fiction with a Gorgeous Cover,” I chose Isabel Ibañez’s What the River Knows as my young adult read. The book was released in October 2023, and is the start of a duology, with the sequel expected next month, in November 2024. There is a little bit of a magical element in the story, but it is primarily an enemies-to-lover romance mixed with the action and adventure of an archeological dig in 1880s Egypt.

Nineteen-year-old Inez lives in Buenos Aires, but when she learns that her parents have mysteriously died while working in Egypt, she immediately sneaks away to board the next steamship. Once she arrives in Cairo, she joins her guardian, Tío Ricardo, and his handsome right-hand man, Whit, as they continue to search for Cleopatra’s tomb, work that Inez’s parents were involved in. Tío Ricardo and Whit repeatedly try to send Inez back home, but she won’t be deterred. Even an encounter with a crocodile and a storm at sea can’t stop her from figuring out what happened to her parents. In the end though, a devastating betrayal, a tragic death, and a budding romance will leave Inez in a complicated position.

Now, this book does not have the fastest of starts – it takes it awhile to get going. I think, too, that the writing could have been a little better. If the dialogue had been sharper, if the descriptions had been less repetitive, this book’s 400 pages could have been reduced down a bit. The encouraging thing, though, is that the last quarter of the book is certainly the best part, so it does have the momentum – and a cliffhanger – to carry into the second book. I think if author Ibañez can clarify some aspects going forward, can keep the action going, and can properly tie up all the loose ends, this could be a solid duology for the young adult genre.

Visit us in Sunset Plaza or call 580-297-5089 to get your copy of What the River Knows today!