Glass House People [Hardcover]

Kathryn Reiss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1992

Beth's mother decides to reunite the family after twenty years and drags Beth and her brother to a sleepy town in Pennsylvania, where Beth learns of her mother's tragic family history and begins to better understand herself.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-- In the first chapter, Beth is crammed into the back seat of the car on a six-day cross-country trip with her mother and brother, bitterly bemoaning the dreary summer ahead at her estranged grandparents' house. Unfortunately for readers, summer is indeed interminable, and suspense and mystery never really keep the pages turning. Beth's mother is facing the demons that made her leave home at 17--the accidental death of a man she loved, her sister's fiance. Each sister blames the other for the ``murder,'' and the plot consists of uncovering the secrets from the past. All is tied up rather cavalierly at the end, with their father--Beth's grandfather--pretending he is responsible so the sisters can quit fighting. By that time, readers will have long abandoned the story: the red herrings are pink, the characters never really come to life, and the flashbacks are clunky. However, the steamy summer heat, the atmosphere of tension in the house, and the family dynamics are well-portrayed; and the message that truth may be less important than reconciliation comes through loud and clear. Overall, though, the weaknesses outweigh the strengths. --Kathy Fritts, Jesuit High School, Portland, OR
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Reiss's first novel, Time Windows (1991), was a well-wrought time fantasy involving a mother thwarted of self-realization, a pattern later revisited on occupants of the same house. The theme here is similar: two sisters are still trapped by the acrimony generated by the death of the man they both loved 20 years ago. When Hanny arrives to summer in Philadelphia with her children--Tom, 15, and Beth, 16, an aspiring artist who provides the point of view--they find gentle old Grandad, who still favors his younger daughter; vitriolic Grandmother, who's sure that Hanny and her kids can do nothing right; and alcoholic Aunt Iris, who's been embittered ever since her fianc‚ Clifton died in a fall during a stair-top tussle after Iris found him in bed with her teenage sister. Each sister has always believed the other pushed Clifton; Tom and Beth are united in their search for the truth. Without Time Windows' fantasy element, this plot founders on its lack of motivation. The characters are too simplistic to be believable; an extraordinary change of heart from all three older women after Grandad's transparently untrue confession (unsurprisingly, nobody pushed Clifton) is only the last unlikely straw. Meanwhile, promising themes like the role of art in various lives, or Beth's parallel infatuation with an older man, just fizzle out. Disappointing, but acceptable as popular fiction. (Fiction. 12-16) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 277 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books (J); 1st Harcourt Brace paperback ed edition (April 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152310401
• ISBN-13: 978-0152310400
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,400,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Glass Housed People, November 27, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Glass House People (Hardcover)

The Glass House People - By Kathryn Reiss

The protagonist in this book is Hannah. When Hannah was fifteen she ran away from her family, and house. She did this because she felt like she was in love with her sisters to be husband. One night Hannah was talking to him in his bedroom, and Iris (Hannahs sister), walked in, and got the wrong idea. That night he was told to leave the house right away by Hannahs an Iriss parents. They were all crowded around the top of the staircase, and somehow he fell, cracked his head on the radiator, and died. Hannahs goal was to have a good relationship with her family, but mainly her sister. Since what happened, she wasnt sure if they would forgive her.
Hannahs barrier is when she brings her children, Tom, and Beth to her family at her old house, Iris is still thinking that Hannah pushed her husband . Iris refuses to forgive her sister. At the end of the book, they figure out who really pushed him.
I liked the authors writing style because she didn't go on and on, but instead she just explained what needed to be explained. When I first started to read this book, I thought that it was going to be a romance. I decided to keep reading though, and found that it was more of a mystery. Im not one who loves mysteries, but I liked this one a lot! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries, or who likes to read books that seem realistic.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An awesome book!, August 19, 2000

By 

A reader (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Glass House People (Paperback)

I just finished reading this book. It was awesome, and I couldn't put it down! The characters were very realistic, and I could picture everything. The plot was great. It was full of suspense. I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes mysteries. Here's my summary: Hannah, who left her family 20 years ago, has decided to come back home. She and her family re-encounter the tragedy that happened so many years ago. Can they finally work out their problems after such a long time trying to ignore it?

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Glass House People, May 29, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Glass House People (Paperback)

This book was a good book. It kept me want to read on and on. The only reason I gave it **** is because I got kind of confused during the middle of it. Here's my summary on the book:

A teenage girl named Beth has to go with her mom and brother to stay with her mom's family. She has to leave behind her boyfriend, Ray, with whom she works at a stained glass store. Her mom ran away from home when she was 17 and hadn't been back since then. When they get to the house, Beth meets her crazy, drunk aunt named Iris. Iris severly dislikes Beth's mom, who's name is Hannah. Beth is not really sure why. In this book, Beth finds out what truly happened the night before Hannah ran away and why she did.
This book leaves you hanging on the edge of your seat waiting to see what comes next!! Enjoy!!