Title: Sisters of Glass
Author: Stephanie Hemphill
# Of Pages: 160
Publisher: Knopf
Publication Date: March 27th 2012
Source: Library
Level: Young Adult
Rating: 4 Hearts
Synopsis
(From Amazon.com)
Maria is the younger
daughter of an esteemed family on the island of Murano, the traditional home
for Venetian glassmakers. Though she longs to be a glassblower herself,
glassblowing is not for daughters—that is her brother's work. Maria has only
one duty to perform for her family: before her father died, he insisted that
she be married into the nobility, even though her older sister, Giovanna,
should rightfully have that role. Not only is Giovanna older, she's prettier,
more graceful, and everyone loves her.
Maria would like
nothing more than to allow her beautiful sister, who is far more able and
willing to attract a noble husband, to take over this role for her. But they
cannot circumvent their father's wishes. And when a new young glassblower
arrives to help the family business and Maria finds herself drawn to him, the
web of conflicting emotions grows even more tangled.
My Verdict
Stephanie Hemphill writes a unique and captivating story
about a family of glassblowers in 15th Century Venice. The story
focuses on sisters Giovanna and Maria and their strained relationship.
Maria and Giovanna live on the island of Murano, famous for
it’s glassmaking. Maria grew up helping the family business by mixing batches
of glass, helping out in the furnace, and dreaming of someday becoming a
blower. Traditionally, it is the eldest daughter who marries into nobility but
Maria’s father specifically ordered that she be the one to marry into nobility
right before his death. This causes her elder sister Giovanna to become
resentful of Maria.
“ Giovanna shoots me
only a sideways
glance
as I lace into my new
green dress.
I want to scream,
‘I will trade
positions,’
that I Desire to
polish glass
and stoke the fires
and see the creation
of crystal,
like I was permitted
to do
when I was a little
girl.
But I promised Father
on his deathbed that
I would
honor his first and
greatest wish for me.
I just did not know I
would
lose my sister even
before
I lose my Murano.”
Now 15 years old, Maria is forbidden from working with the
glass she loves so much to stay indoors brushing her hair, and wearing fancy
dresses, while her family tries to find her the perfect suitor. But when a
young man comes to work for the family Maria starts to fall in love, but not
with her suitor.
“ To follow the head,
or the heart,
this is the question
that rips me apart.”
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, the writing was great,
the story interesting (I really enjoyed learning about the art of
glassblowing!) and I liked the main character, Maria, but something was missing
that kept me from loving it.
