Status
Available
Local notes
PB Hem
Collection
Publication
Ember (2013), Edition: Reprint, 160 pages
Description
Romance. Historical Fiction. Young Adult Fiction. Young Adult Literature. HTML: 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..… (more)
Awards
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — Poetry — 2015)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
160 p.; 6.99 inches
User reviews
LibraryThing member JanaRose1
As the younger daughter of a Venetian glassmaker, Maria was supposed to be sent to the convent. Instead her father insisted that she be married to a senator, even though Giovanna, her elder sister was prepared for that role. As her mom prepares her to be a lady, Maria comes to resent her position,
I thought this book had a very odd writing style. At times it seemed to be written in prose. The dialogue was more sing-songy than believable. Further the majority of sentences were short and chopping. The book skipped from scene to scene, at times going into great details and at others skimming over important events. I'm not quite sure how I felt about this book. The writing style left a lot to be desired, but it had an interesting plot line and lovable characters.
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wishing that she could blow glass and work in the family business.I thought this book had a very odd writing style. At times it seemed to be written in prose. The dialogue was more sing-songy than believable. Further the majority of sentences were short and chopping. The book skipped from scene to scene, at times going into great details and at others skimming over important events. I'm not quite sure how I felt about this book. The writing style left a lot to be desired, but it had an interesting plot line and lovable characters.
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LibraryThing member ahandfulofconfetti
Thank you to Random House Children's Books and Alfred A. Knopf BFYR (via NetGalley) for the e-galley of Sisters of Glass.
Maria is the youngest daughter of a glass-blowing family on the island of Murano. Per her father's will, she's supposed to marry into the nobility, even though her older sister,
When I first read the synopsis for this book, I was really intrigued. I thought we'd get a lot of atmospheric prose about the art of glassblowing and the island of Murano, and I wanted to know how things would work out for Maria, and if she'd get to follow her heart or have to submit to her family's wishes. But reading this was just sort of an indifferent experience for me; while there were some really great phrases used to describe Luca's glassblowing ability and Maria's feelings for the art form, there was no atmospheric prose regarding the surroundings, and I never really connected to Maria. I found that the story was just kind of flat, and it got to the point where I was only reading to finish the book (which is not very long), rather than because I was enjoying the story and wanted to see how things ended. While I liked the resolution, I sort of felt like all the problems could have been figured out well before they were, without the unnecessary heartache and stress Maria goes through. I don't know. This just wasn't that great of a story for me personally.
Also, this is touted as being written in verse, but it's really not. Instead it was like the author took actual sentences and broke them up into chunks, so you'd get short phrases. For me personally, the "verse" format wasn't useful here at all; she could have easily just written actual paragraphs and sentences and achieved the same effect.
Sisters of Glass will be released in North America on March 27th, 2012.
Maria is the youngest daughter of a glass-blowing family on the island of Murano. Per her father's will, she's supposed to marry into the nobility, even though her older sister,
Show More
Giovanna, should be the one to do so. Her life is further complicated when her family hires a glassblower, Luca, to help them, for Maria finds herself drawn to Luca in a way that definitely goes against her father's wishes. She becomes torn between performing her duty and going after her own heart.When I first read the synopsis for this book, I was really intrigued. I thought we'd get a lot of atmospheric prose about the art of glassblowing and the island of Murano, and I wanted to know how things would work out for Maria, and if she'd get to follow her heart or have to submit to her family's wishes. But reading this was just sort of an indifferent experience for me; while there were some really great phrases used to describe Luca's glassblowing ability and Maria's feelings for the art form, there was no atmospheric prose regarding the surroundings, and I never really connected to Maria. I found that the story was just kind of flat, and it got to the point where I was only reading to finish the book (which is not very long), rather than because I was enjoying the story and wanted to see how things ended. While I liked the resolution, I sort of felt like all the problems could have been figured out well before they were, without the unnecessary heartache and stress Maria goes through. I don't know. This just wasn't that great of a story for me personally.
Also, this is touted as being written in verse, but it's really not. Instead it was like the author took actual sentences and broke them up into chunks, so you'd get short phrases. For me personally, the "verse" format wasn't useful here at all; she could have easily just written actual paragraphs and sentences and achieved the same effect.
Sisters of Glass will be released in North America on March 27th, 2012.
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LibraryThing member dpchapman
Sisters of the Glass is a quick and unusual read. It is historical fiction story written in verse. I couldn’t wait to start it because it sounded different from what I usually read.
I was a bit disappointed in it. The way it was written, in verse, made it difficult for me to get into the story
I was a bit disappointed in it. The way it was written, in verse, made it difficult for me to get into the story
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line. If it had been written like a normal novel I think I would have enjoyed it so much more. Unfortunately by the time I was done reading it I had a bit of a headache. Show Less
LibraryThing member abbylibrarian
Beautiful prose poems tell the story of sisters on the glass-making island of Murano, near Venice, in the 15th century. This would make a great readalike for Stravagazna: City of Masks or The Falconer's Knot, both by Mary Hoffman.
LibraryThing member yearningtoread
Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill
Pages: 160
Release Date: March 27th, 2012
DNF date: 2012, January 17th
Received: ARC via NetGalley
SUMMARY -
(From Goodreads)
Maria is the younger daughter of an esteemed family on the island of Murano, the traditional home for Venetian glassmakers. Though she longs
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 THOUGHTS -
I was very, very excited about this book when I first heard about it. Italy? Romance? Glass blowers? Magical, right?
Notsomuch.
I wishwishwish I'd been able to get into this book. From page, say, 5? I was lost. Where is this going? Why can't I get into it? Why do I not care? Why?!
It was a frustrating experience.
Here are my reasons for DNF-ing this book:
1. The verses themselves. They felt very complicated, too complicated. Almost like they didn't hit the right description or conversations, just flailed around uselessly.
2. Characters. Ummm...who? Who is this book about? Seriously. So flat, so unrealistic. So...not even there...
3. The romance. Or lack thereof. I skimmed ahead some when I got bored out of my mind and saw that the romance didn't come around this much too late in the book...well, to catch my interest. I was looking for some awesome love story, based on the description and what I'd read about it, but Sisters of Glass did not deliver.
So, while this could have been a great book, it was more of a chore than anything. I hope others find it fascinating, but I cannot say I recommend it.
*This ARC copy was provided by NetGalley (thanks a million!!) in return for an honest review. I was in no way compensated; all thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.*
Pages: 160
Release Date: March 27th, 2012
DNF date: 2012, January 17th
Received: ARC via NetGalley
SUMMARY -
(From Goodreads)
Maria is the younger daughter of an esteemed family on the island of Murano, the traditional home for Venetian glassmakers. Though she longs
Show More
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 THOUGHTS -
I was very, very excited about this book when I first heard about it. Italy? Romance? Glass blowers? Magical, right?
Notsomuch.
I wishwishwish I'd been able to get into this book. From page, say, 5? I was lost. Where is this going? Why can't I get into it? Why do I not care? Why?!
It was a frustrating experience.
Here are my reasons for DNF-ing this book:
1. The verses themselves. They felt very complicated, too complicated. Almost like they didn't hit the right description or conversations, just flailed around uselessly.
2. Characters. Ummm...who? Who is this book about? Seriously. So flat, so unrealistic. So...not even there...
3. The romance. Or lack thereof. I skimmed ahead some when I got bored out of my mind and saw that the romance didn't come around this much too late in the book...well, to catch my interest. I was looking for some awesome love story, based on the description and what I'd read about it, but Sisters of Glass did not deliver.
So, while this could have been a great book, it was more of a chore than anything. I hope others find it fascinating, but I cannot say I recommend it.
*This ARC copy was provided by NetGalley (thanks a million!!) in return for an honest review. I was in no way compensated; all thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.*
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LibraryThing member BornBookish
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
“ 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.
Maria and Giovanna live on the island of Murano, famous for it’s glassmaking. Maria grew up helping the
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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.
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LibraryThing member RivkaBelle
Review also published on my blog: AWordsWorth.blogspot.com
eARC received from publisher for review
I confess to being captured by the cover of this one. Well, the cover and the fact it is about a family of Venetian glassblowers. (I love Venetian glass, and stories of Italy in general in general, but
The story is simple: Maria, the youngest daughter, has been selected to marry into the nobility instead of her older (and the expected and socially accepted choice) sister Giovanna. Maria's love is the fornica, she loves the entire process of her family's glassblowing business and takes great pride in mixing the recipes to perfection. Giovanna on the other hand is perfectly suited to life among the nobility, and finds it very difficult to adjust to her sister taking her place. The family dynamics and sisterly love-and-tension are beautifully depicted, and it's easy to get a sense of the state of things. And then, the family hires a new glassblower to assist them in the fornicas. Luca is rough and sometimes rude, an orphan with no idea of his family, and incredibly gifted. Without realizing it, Maria falls for him -- just as her family arranges for a nobleman to marry her. What happens next is a testament to the bond of sisterhood, and proof that "love conquers all."
A note about the format of the book: the verses are not very structured. It actually took me a bit to realize that it was actually written in verse, as opposed to strange formatting on my Kindle. They're free verse, which I pretty much expect of a verse novel, but a bit prose-y at times. Some of them are fractured, or seem random out-of-the-sky, but it does work within the larger context of the novel. It helps build a contextual depth that would be missing otherwise: glimpses and tidbits of the family dynamics and Maria's personal struggles to balance who she really is with who her family expects her to be. It won't work for everyone, but it is a sweet story. And now I really want to be back at a fornica myself ...
eARC received from publisher for review
I confess to being captured by the cover of this one. Well, the cover and the fact it is about a family of Venetian glassblowers. (I love Venetian glass, and stories of Italy in general in general, but
Show More
especially glassblowing - ever since I took a glassblowing workshop a few summers ago. Fell. In. Love! I digress...) What I didn't realize when I requested the book on NetGalley was that it's a novel in verse -- talk about a happy surprise.The story is simple: Maria, the youngest daughter, has been selected to marry into the nobility instead of her older (and the expected and socially accepted choice) sister Giovanna. Maria's love is the fornica, she loves the entire process of her family's glassblowing business and takes great pride in mixing the recipes to perfection. Giovanna on the other hand is perfectly suited to life among the nobility, and finds it very difficult to adjust to her sister taking her place. The family dynamics and sisterly love-and-tension are beautifully depicted, and it's easy to get a sense of the state of things. And then, the family hires a new glassblower to assist them in the fornicas. Luca is rough and sometimes rude, an orphan with no idea of his family, and incredibly gifted. Without realizing it, Maria falls for him -- just as her family arranges for a nobleman to marry her. What happens next is a testament to the bond of sisterhood, and proof that "love conquers all."
A note about the format of the book: the verses are not very structured. It actually took me a bit to realize that it was actually written in verse, as opposed to strange formatting on my Kindle. They're free verse, which I pretty much expect of a verse novel, but a bit prose-y at times. Some of them are fractured, or seem random out-of-the-sky, but it does work within the larger context of the novel. It helps build a contextual depth that would be missing otherwise: glimpses and tidbits of the family dynamics and Maria's personal struggles to balance who she really is with who her family expects her to be. It won't work for everyone, but it is a sweet story. And now I really want to be back at a fornica myself ...
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LibraryThing member A_Reader_of_Fictions
Having actually been to Murano, I was super excited to read this book. There's nothing better than getting to remember the awesome places I've been! What I did not know going into this book was that it was written in verse. At first, I assumed it was my lack of attention, but it's not in the
Ordinarily, this would have been a revelation of tragic proportions, since I'm not typically a big fan of poetry, but I just read and enjoyed Love & Leftovers, so I went into this with an open mind. Besides, the first sentence, while not quite arresting, is pleasant. I like the comparison of the polishing, which implies that the girl is an object like the mirror.
However, the verse really didn't work for me in this one. Maria doesn't really seem like she would think/speak/write in verse; she's an artist, not a linguist. The language did not seem, to me, to flow very naturally from her. Additionally, the lines do not read like verse to me; most of the time, they feel like prose that has been hacked up into smaller lines. Of course, I'm not well-versed in verse, so take that for what its worth.
Also, I totally don't get why Maria's sister Giovanna is so rude about her father having decided to marry off the younger daughter first. Even if she doesn't like that she was passed over, it's not like Maria asked for the honor to be bartered to the highest bidder. That totally made me angry.
The story I liked, although it wasn't especially original; it had a very Shakespearean comedy type feel to it. If you like quick, cute stories, you might like Sisters of Glass.
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description anywhere, so go forward with this knowledge as my gift to you.Ordinarily, this would have been a revelation of tragic proportions, since I'm not typically a big fan of poetry, but I just read and enjoyed Love & Leftovers, so I went into this with an open mind. Besides, the first sentence, while not quite arresting, is pleasant. I like the comparison of the polishing, which implies that the girl is an object like the mirror.
However, the verse really didn't work for me in this one. Maria doesn't really seem like she would think/speak/write in verse; she's an artist, not a linguist. The language did not seem, to me, to flow very naturally from her. Additionally, the lines do not read like verse to me; most of the time, they feel like prose that has been hacked up into smaller lines. Of course, I'm not well-versed in verse, so take that for what its worth.
Also, I totally don't get why Maria's sister Giovanna is so rude about her father having decided to marry off the younger daughter first. Even if she doesn't like that she was passed over, it's not like Maria asked for the honor to be bartered to the highest bidder. That totally made me angry.
The story I liked, although it wasn't especially original; it had a very Shakespearean comedy type feel to it. If you like quick, cute stories, you might like Sisters of Glass.
Show Less
Similar in this library
Lexile
L
Pages
160