Glass Harmonica [Library Binding]

Louise Marley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

Eilish Eam is an orphan and street musician, living in 1761, London. She survives on pennies and applause, and nothing more. Until the night Benjamin Franklin stops to listen, awe-struck by her gift-and with plans for her future...Erin Rushton is a classical musician living in 2018, Seattle. She stands in the orchestra, consumed by the music-and haunted by visions of a young girl from a different time, who needs her help...

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Marley's genre-crossing tale of music and healing is built, literally, around the human bones found beneath Benjamin Franklin's London abode. Eilish Eam, an Irish orphan from Seven Dials, is saved from a life of squalor when Franklin hears her playing musical glasses on the street. Eilish is taken into Franklin's household to help tune, and then to play, his latest invention--the glass harmonica. But though Eilish is enamored of the instrument, enjoys the comfort of Franklin's house, and delights in a friendship with renowned harpsichordist Marianne Davies, she cannot divorce herself from her past or the handicapped child, Mackie, whom she left behind.

Complementing Eilish's tale is that of Erin Rushton. Erin is a musical prodigy, the greatest contemporary player of the glass harmonica--an instrument that, in 2018, has become fashionable again due to the wave of nostalgia sweeping the country. Erin's America is the product of civility laws run amok. Cities have been "reclaimed"--and very nearly turned into theme parks of the past--while the unsightly poor have been removed to vast tent cities.

Erin has recently been troubled by an apparition, first seen when she plays Franklin's original harmonica in Boston. To add to her stress, Erin's twin brother, stricken by a neurological disorder and wheelchair-bound since childhood, has recently begun an experimental and potentially dangerous therapy under the direction of Gene Berrick, a young doctor struggling to overcome the taint of his tent-city upbringing.

As the tale progresses, Eilish and Erin glimpse each other more frequently, at first fearfully, and later affectionately, as they help each other understand the healing properties of their instrument.

It's been said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture, but Marley's background as an opera singer informs the rehearsal and concert scenes with great vitality.

Marley has packed The Glass Harmonica with enough ideas for several novels. She has intriguing things to say about the relationships between music, emotion, and health, and about the seemingly unbridgeable gap between privilege and poverty; but these parts somehow fail to make up a satisfying whole, and leave many questions--particularly about Erin's world--unanswered. --Eddy Avery --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

It is rare to find a book that can fit into multiple genres and do it well. Marley's latest offering does just that. Although it is billed as science fiction, this book might just as easily fit into historical fiction as well. There also is some mystery with a little bit of romance thrown in. The Glass Harmonica tells two different but connected stories about two young girls and the music of the glass harmonica. Half of the story takes place in eighteenth-century London, as a young girl named Eilish assists Benjamin Franklin with the invention of the glass harmonica. Although Eilish was not a real person, most of the characters in her part of the story are historically accurate. The rest of the tale is set in 2018, with musical prodigy Erin. Erin and Eilish share the love of the glass harmonica and the ability to play it well. The girls also share the ability to "see" each other through time. It is clear that Eilish has information for Erin, although neither one of them knows what that is until the end of the novel. This well-written, engaging story is sure to arouse curiosity about the instrument and prompt further discussion. The possibilities for use in the classroom are endless. Public librarians would be wise to incorporate this novel into a book discussion group. Although it is not aimed directly at teens, there is nothing to discourage them from reading this book. The different periods and points of view might be too much for young readers to follow, but older teens should not have a problem keeping up with the story. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2000, Ace Books, 334p, Trade pb. Ages 13 to 18. Reviewer: Jennifer Rice VOYA, February 2001 (Vol. 23, No.6) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Library Binding
• Publisher: Bt Bound (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613363698
• ISBN-13: 978-0613363693
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,401,570 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a former concert and opera singer, now indulging my taste for the dramatic by writing fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction with a dash of the fantastic. Under my own name and my pseudonym, Toby Bishop, I've written fifteen books and compiled a short story collection, ABSALOM'S MOTHER AND OTHER STORIES. My newest novel, THE BRAHMS DECEPTION, a story of time travel, has just been published by Kensington, and is the culmination of my years of fascination with Brahms and the beautiful, enigmatic pianist Clara Schumann. I love combining music, history, and fiction!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent new work by the unsung hero of sci-fi/fantasy, September 13, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Glass Harmonica: A Novel (Paperback)

This book is an excellent, dreamy science fantasy work by a great author. She weaves two parallel story lines across two and a half centuries and creates each world wonderfully. She also integrates historical figures, such as Ben Franklin and Mozart, into the storyline deftly. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys science fiction or fantasy, and anyone who enjoys this book should enjoy all of her previous works.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet, but slight., January 11, 2003

By 

frumiousb "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Glass Harmonica (Paperback)

I would really give this three or three-and-a-half stars, but I am inclined to be generous because it is clearly well-researched and also well-written.

Marley has written a knowledgeable and sensitive book about two musicians living 250 years apart. Eilish Eam is an orphaned street player who attracts the attentions of Benjamin Franklin while Erin Rushton is a famous glass harmonica player based in Seattle of the early 20th century. Their presence somehow comforts each other across the ages and Erin learns an important lesson about her own life and the purpose of her art.

The problem with the novel is that there simply is not enough there there. While Eam's world is incredibly detailed, Erin's is only hinted at. It is obviously quite different from our world in 2003, but exactly how is never made clear. I realize that the focus was meant to be on Eam. However, since Marley chose to structure the plot around Erin, I felt that she should have also given Erin more focus. The key decisions in the book rested on Erin, but I knew very little about her motivations. As a result, the ending felt a little unearned.

That said, the book was good enough that it made me want to try other books that Marley wrote. She writes about 18th century London in a way that felt both sharp and real. I also enjoyed reading it-- it kept me going and interested. Promising signs pointing towards a writer whose other works I might enjoy more.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Harmony: Future and Past, December 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Glass Harmonica: A Novel (Paperback)

Louise Marley has proven herself again! An author who has established herself in the genres of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Marley has now added a touch of historical fiction to the mix. The Glass Harmonica combines an expertise in music and medicine with future and past worlds that are meticulously developed. The two characters, Eilish and Erin, are compelling...and the addition of real historical characters such as Ben Franklin and Mozart makes this a convincing and insistant read. Brava!