The Glassmaker; A Novel

The Glassmaker: A Timeless Tale of Art, Love, and Legacy

A Parade and Christian Science Monitor Best Book of June

"A love story spanning six centuries and a tribute to the enduring artistry of glassmaking... Chevalier captures the rivalries, loyalties, and shimmering beauty of Murano’s glass dynasties." — Geraldine Brooks, author of Horse

From bestselling historical novelist Tracy Chevalier comes a sweeping, immersive story following a family of glassmakers from the height of Renaissance Italy to the present day.

In 1486 Venice, a city teeming with wealth and artistry, Orsola Rosso is born into a Murano glassblowing dynasty. Though tradition forbids women from working with glass, she possesses both the talent and the vision for the craft. When her father dies, she secretly teaches herself to create exquisite glass beads, securing her family’s future with her forbidden artistry.

Like molten glass cooling into something timeless, the novel spans centuries, tracing the Rosso family’s journey through triumphs and tragedies. From plague-ravaged Venice to invading soldiers stripping its treasures, from Murano’s golden age to its reinvention in a city now defined by tourism, the Rosso women preserve their craft, their heritage, and their unbreakable bonds.

With Chevalier’s signature storytelling mastery, The Glassmaker is a mesmerizing portrait of resilience, artistry, and the enduring magic of Venetian glass.