The book starts in 1486: Across the lagoon from Venice lies the island Murano where time flows different. Orsola Rosso is the daughter of a glassmaker. Women are not supposed to work with glass but Orsola makes glass lamp beads. She is in love with her family’s apprentice Antonio Scaramel. But her brother Marco forbids her to marry him, and he dismisses Antonio who leaves Murano. Orsola eventually agrees to marry Stefano, the man her brother picked for her.
The story jumps through time ending in current day Venice. Orsola is fortunate enough to survive the plague and COVID-19, she meets the infamous Casanova, and is asked to create a necklace for Napoleon’s wife Josephine.
At first I was wondering whether I forgot in which historical period the story was set but then I realised that the time on Murano skips like a stone on the water. I have a few real Murano glass beads and this book gave me an insight into
Read for the ShelfReflection Reading Challenge 2025
Prompt 4: A book with an occupation in the title
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
