Venice, 1681. Glassblowing is the lifeblood of the Republic, and Venetian mirrors are more precious than gold. Jealously guarded by the murderous Council of Ten, the glassblowers of Murano are virtually imprisoned on their island in the lagoon. But the greatest of the artists, Corradino Manin, sells his methods and his soul to the Sun King, Louis XIV of France, to protect his secret daughter. In the present day his descendant, Leonora Manin, leaves an unhappy life in London to begin a new one as a glassblower in Venice. As she finds new life and love in her adoptive city, her fate becomes inextricably linked with that of her ancestor and the treacherous secrets of his life begin to come to light.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
After the dissolution of her marriage, beautiful English artist Leonora Manin is hired as an apprentice glassblower in the Venetian suburb of Murano, in Fiorato's strong U.S. debut. Leonora's ancestor was master glassmaker Corradino Manin, and her new boss plans to exploit that connection. But centuries-old jealousies and treachery surface and the public relations campaign is suddenly canceled. A modern-day relative of Corradino's mentor resents Leonora, while a journalist who was once involved with Alessandro Bardolino, Leonora's new love, decides she wants him back. Complex connections, but nothing compared to those in Corradino's time, when draconian Venetian laws enslaved glassmakers on Murano to insure techniques would remain exclusive to Venice. The author's descriptive prose brings the beauty and danger of 17th-century Venice vividly to life, when Corradino became a traitor seeking freedom for himself and his secret daughter. Leonora's determined to investigate Corradino, but throughout, Alessandro's allegiance is suspect. Those who enjoy intrigue and European history will be easily drawn into this romantic story. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Switching between modern-day and seventeenth-century Venice, Fiorato’s novel is an intriguing mix of history, mystery, art, music, poetry, romance, and politics. Corradino Manin’s family was brutally murdered by Venice’s Council of Ten; Corradino was only saved because his patron saw in the young boy a prodigious gift for glassblowing. Corradino quickly learned to make exquisite glass mirrors and chandeliers for which the Venetian island of Murano soon became renowned. The process of making Murano glass quickly became a secret jealously guarded by the government, but when Corradino is invited to use his talents in the court of King Louis XIV, he is sorely tempted, even though it means leaving his beloved little daughter, Leonora, and endangering his life. This gripping plot is interwoven with a second, similarly intriguing story revolving around another Leonora, this one a modern-day descendent of Corradino. Leonora has come to Venice to escape an unhappy marriage, enhance her skill as a glassblower, and learn more about her mysterious ancestor. Writing with charm and authenticity, Fiorato produces a blend of historical mystery and modern romance that is thoroughly entertaining. --Emily Melton
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
If you're looking for a light relaxing read, give this one a try...,
By Flush Barrett-Browning (Tennessee Valley) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Glassblower of Murano (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Marina Fiorato's 'The Glassblower of Murano' is a story told on two interwoven levels - it the story of late seventeenth century Venetian master glassblower Corradino Manin and the story of his modern day descendant Leonora Manin who flees a broken marriage in London and tries to establish a glassblowing career in Venice.
The story is at once a romance, a history, and a mystery. Leonora's story becomes the romance when she meets a handsome Venetian, who like most Venetians, we're told, looks as though he stepped down from a Renaissance portrait. (Nora herself resembles Botticelli's 'Primavera,' while not a bad choice not an especially original one.) Nora's British husband was unfaithful, her new lover is very busy and does have that old girl friend hanging about.... The history is the history of Venice and glassblowing, which Fiorato handles well. Her understanding of both is extensive but not invasive. And the mystery primarily revolves around Corradino - was he a traitor who sold Venice's glass-making secrets to the French? I enjoyed reading 'The Glassblower of Murano.' The novel's strengths lie in the well-drawn historical background, the interesting descriptions of glassblowing techniques, the loving re-creation of Venice; the characters were well-developed and whole, their actions consistent with their characters. The mystery element worked; I wanted to know what Corradino had done and why he'd done it; the answers were unexpected. The weakest element is the romance, probably because it doesn't get as much time and lacks the originality of the other two skeins. All in all a pleasant book that I will read again. It's a light pleasant novel set in Venice utilizing the city's history of glassblowing and a little mystery and romance - for me it's four and a half stars.
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Diverting, but slightly off key,
By
This review is from: The Glassblower of Murano (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Set against the glorious backdrop of Venice, this novel tells the stories of two artists, separated by four centuries. Corradino Manin is a master glass maker on Murano, at the height of Venice's dominance of the glass making craft. The rulers of Venice ruthlessly protect their monopoly on these glass making techniques, so when he is approached by a representative of Louis XIV of France, he knows he is risking his very life.
In the present, Corradino's descendant, Leonora Manin, recently divorced and adrift, moves to Venice to pursue a career as a glassblower, and to explore her roots in this ancient city. She finds herself at the center of a storm of controversy over the legacy of her famous ancestor. Leonora's story and Corradino's are intertwined through the book. As an exploration of Venice and its history, this novel works wonderfully. It is especially effective in showing the ruthlessness with which the Republic of Venice maintained its trade advantages. However, the modern portions of this story fell a bit flat. The romance is a bit predictable, and Leonora comes off feeling far too young and immature for the role she's cast in. The story is diverting, but it just doesn't quite ring true on some level, it detracts from the overall impact of the book. Also, the inclusion of the first chapter, verbatim, later in the book is also a distraction. Having already read it, it was hard to understand how repeating it wholesale, without any new details, serves the story. Not a bad first novel, and a pleasant way to revisit a glorious setting, but certainly showing room for improvement.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you are looking for a great book to read, look no further....,
By
This review is from: The Glassblower of Murano (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Hard to believe this is the author's first book. This is an excellent and spell-binding story. The characterizations are terrific and highly believable.
The author is adept at weaving a saga across the centuries about a woman glassblower in the famed Venetian city of Murano and her ancestor who lived and died there a long, long time ago. The prose is rich, both from a historic viewpoint as well as a great tale. How exactly did Louis XIV's famous Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles come to be? Did the greatest glassmakers and mirror artisans of Venice have a hand in this famed Gallerie des Glaces? This is a wonderfully written tale. The pages turn themselves as the reader is transported into a world of long ago. Do not miss this book! Truly wonderful!
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