Sisters of Glass

by Stephanie Hemphill

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.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Poetry, Historical, Fiction, Romance, Novel In Verse

160 pages, Hardcover

First published March 27, 2012

About the author

Stephanie Hemphill's first novel in poems, Things Left Unsaid, was published by Hyperion in 2005 and was awarded the 2006 Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Excellence in Poetry by the Children's Literature Council of Southern California.

Her second novel, a verse portrait of Sylvia Plath, Your Own, Sylvia was published by Knopf in March 2007. A third novel in verse for teens, Wicked Girls, a verse story of the Salem witch trials, will come out from Hyperion in the spring of 2009.

Stephanie received an SCBWI Magazine Merit Award in Poetry and chaired the PEN Award's Children's Literature Committee. She has been writing, studying and presenting poetry for adults and children for many years at UCLA, the University of Illinois (where she received an award from The Academy of American Poets), with Writers at Work and at conferences across the country. Stephanie lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Maja (The Nocturnal Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I visited the Island of Murano twice in my life and the only word I can use to describe what I saw there is magic. It is a small place with a huge soul, so when I noticed Sisters of Glass on Netgalley and realized what it’s about, I jumped at the chance to read it. I felt that the spirit and the mentality of the place were captured exceptionally well.

Like her father before her, Maria has never left the island of Murano. She adores her family’s glassblowing business and has every intention of working with glass for the rest of her life. Her older sister Giovanna doesn’t share her interest at all, she only wants to marry a nice nobleman and be a lady in Venice. But when Maria’s beloved father passes away, his will clearly states that Maria is the one who needs to marry a nobleman and Giovanna the one who should stay on Murano. With her family in financial trouble, Maria needs to marry well and quickly and Senator Andrea Bembo seems like an excellent choice. Everything is working out great until Maria realizes that she has feelings for one of her family’s employees, Luca – an orphan and certainly not a nobleman, and the obvious choice for Giovanna to marry. At the same time, Maria notices that it’s not her Andrea Bembo really wants to marry, but her sister Giovanna. If these two couples follow their hearts, Maria’s family will be ruined, but if they don’t, four people will be miserable forever.

”For after the ship
takes you to consummate your marriage
and live in the house
of Andrea Bembo and his father
you shall not return to us”-
Vanna can hardly
finish the last words-
“but only wave us good-bye from on board.”

This would have been a lovely and charming little story were it not for the author’s attempt to turn it into a novel in verse, a decision that backfired spectacularly. The idea itself had merit: were the attempt successful, the fairytale feel of the story would have made a good combination with this type of narrative. However, there was no real poetry in it, the sentences were just awkwardly broken into lines. I decided to completely ignore it at one point, and only because of that did I manage to finish, and actually enjoy Maria’s story.

Although it apparently has 270 pages, it took me no more than an hour to read Sisters of Glass, and I finished it with a smile on my face. If you can get past this whole unsuccessful ‘novel in verse’ business, the story is quite charming and incredibly cute.

For this review and more, please visit The Nocturnal Library

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded down because I'm feeling crotchety.

I picked up this book because I was told it was written in verse.
Also because of the cover because I'm a fickle, fickle reader who only likes the pretty things in life.

To me, this book wasn't written in verse.

It was basically
normal prose which was
actually quite lovely to read
but just set out
in this way
so it looks
like people think
poetry should look
like.

Also,
there was so much dialogue
that many of the "poems"
consisted of
people just
having a
chin wag.

Setting your
words out
fancy
does not
a poem
make.

This may just by my interpretation, but I feel that each poem should convey some kind of emotion. I always feel that books written in verse are much more emotional than prose because they can zoom in on a particular feeling and really scrutinize it.
Maria's story had all these emotions - loss, betrayal, love, wonder, sadness, anxiety - that were practically begging for a poem to be written for each of them.
But alas.

I believe that each of the poems in a verse novel should, to some extent, be able to stand on their own. Even if you had no idea what was happening in the story you'd be able to get a glimpse into the emotions of the character and you'd want to read on.
I can't help but think if you read one of these poems without the others you'd just get completely confused.

I loved the setting (It made me want to go to Venice again!), loved the premise and it was refreshing to read a book set in a period of history that I've never read about before.
But I'm really disappointed, I thought it was going to be amazing.

:(

I received a copy of this book from the publishers.

[Krystle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got the shock of my book reading day when I opened this up and found that it was in verse. Now I’m really picky about things in verse because I don’t have the patience, usually, to try and figure out obscure references and metaphors even though I love the descriptive imagery. Well, this book can be called the poser verse book. It’s actually not even verse! It’s more like normal prose split up into fancy lines to make it seem like verse. All it does is take up more page space and make the book seem longer than it really is.

This story was like a light historical fiction edition of the time period. Sure there were scenes about arranged marriages, the class distinctions, and thin line between poverty and wealth but these are quickly glossed over without much depth. The problem definitely stems from the oh so short length of the book. It leaves no time for expansion or more development.

I loved the romance though. It was simple, sweet, really Disney-like. The glass making was really cool and reminds me of another book (The Glass Maker's Daughter), but I wish there had been more of it since it’s alluded to in the title.

Nice little nugget. Sweet but wanted more.[

[Cassi Haggard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sisters of Glass was an impulse request over at Netgalley. The cover is beautiful and whimsical. That combined with the fact it's set in Venice, one of my favorite places, convinced me to request a book that did not sound like me. After seeing a couple of low reviews I felt even more duped.

However, even though Sisters of Glass is not a great book it was a pleasant read. It felt more like a novella in length. It was written in verse but the verse didn't really feel like poetry. It felt like quite lovely prose with unnecessary line breaks. Also I wasn't sure why the book was written in verse. (Part of me suspects this is a ploy to make it seem longer but I am a conspiracy theorist).

But the writing was quite pretty and artistic.
For the past several months
I have been treated
more delicately
than the Doge's chandelier
I cannot go near
the furnace lest my skin
be burnt or browned.

It's a story of two sisters, the eldest and the youngest, who's lives are disrupted by their father's unconventional will. He bestows the rights of the eldest daughter, a large dowry and marriage to a senator, on his younger daughter. It creates a rift between the sisters. When their father passes away his wishes become unchangeable in the form of a legal will.

Even though there's some sisterly competition and pettiness, eventually the sisters united and work towards a common goal. That made me happy because I get frustrated with all the girl-on-girl hatred that you see in books, television and movies.

The climax is rather anti-climatic. There's a dilemma! Anger! Then a very simple and easy solution which makes everybody happy. Don't you wish real life was like that? The book is fairly predictable and simple love story. The book felt unnecessary, but it was sweet and harmless. If you're looking for a simple story with a happy ending and really like books in verse, it's worth giving a chance. I expect there are some people who will really like this book.

[Vidya-Book Driven Life · Rating 2 out of 5]

Giovanna and Maria are the two daughters of the prestigious glass-blowing family of Murano, the home of glass-makers. When their father died, he mentioned his last wish for their second daughter, Maria, to be married to a noble man. So, Giovanna was left with no dowry, while Maria was made to learn the ways to be a lady and to marry a noble man. Maria, although not wishing for any of this, had accepted to be her fate..until she falls for someone else, who is not a noble. Maria has to work her way through her mother's stubbornness, her sister's jealousy and the older and uglier men, who comes to get her hand.

This book is said to be written in verse. Well, to be honest, I first thought it is a formatting issue that the lines are so disconnected. It doesn't definitely feel like a verse to me..but again, I am not a better judge for poetry.

I also felt so disconnected throughout the book. And that's one reason, this book felt so disappointing. Sisters of Glass have a good story-line. Maybe, without those verses, it might have captured more interest. Even the romantic scenes just doesn't feel romantic.

I liked the plot, but the way it was told made me lose interest. I would have liked it more, if its a regular prose writing.

[Nafiza · Rating 3 out of 5]

The thing is, I’m pretty certain Sisters of Glass is aimed at a younger audience and some books are tailored to meet the audience’s expectations but, because of their simplicity, unable to attract older readers. It could also be that I went into the book anticipating a complex story, full of layered interactions against the rich backdrop of historical Venice. What I got was vastly different.

I had no idea that the book was in verse form. This form automatically meant that the complexity I was expecting (and anticipating) was missing. I’m not saying that novels in verse form cannot be complex and layered but if the book is directed at a younger audience, out of necessary, it will need to be accessible. The characters were interesting but I don’t believe the verse form was able to do them justice. The entire story, complete with the resolution and the ending, seemed a bit too pat and neat for it to make any lasting impression on me.

With that said, let me reiterate that I am not the target audience of this book. I believe that younger readers will like this book quite a lot. It is easy to read and offers younger readers a tantalizing glimpse into history.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not realize that this was a book written in verse. At first I was disappointed, but it was very well done and made for a quick read. (I finished it in less than an hour).

The story was fascinating, I am not very familiar with the culture and that time period. My eyes popped when one of her suitors declared her too old, because she was 15!

I loved the chapter for her sister:

"She is a straw hat against noon glare, a melody bludgeoning night gloom. Between me and my doubts, my sister is a shore that breaks tides apart...Between my and my impatient heart, my sister navigates break waters with steady hands."

A lovely book.

[Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one could have been so much better but for the writing style. It lacked depth. I flew through the book because it was written in verse. However, the characters are strong, the setting is different, and the story was sweet enough to keep me reading to the end.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviews of this books were lukewarm, but I'm glad I read this book anyway. It's based on a little-known Venetian glassblower named Maria Barovier, who was one of the few women glassblowers in the 15th century. The story, told in verse, is about Maria and her beautiful sister Giovanna, who live on the island of Murano, off the coast of Venice, where all the glassblowers live. Her father is a well-known producer of fine glass, and wants to pass the business on to his children.

The plot felt a bit like that of a Shakespeare play. Maria's mother decides that Maria, who is a talented artist and interested in glassblowing, must marry someone wealthy and politically important, and that Giovanna should work in the family business or enter a convent. While arranging a marriage with Andrea Bembo, a relative of the doge, for Maria, Giovanna becomes jealous and acts vindictively toward her sister, for she wants to be the one to marry. Maria has fallen in love with Luca, her father's glassmaking partner, a handsome though socially unconnected young man, and would rather leave Bembo to Giovanna. What to do?

The resolution of the story comes too quickly and conveniently, but I didn't mind much because I enjoyed the characters and the comic aspect of it. I liked that the sisters tried to forge their own destinies in a time when women did as their parents bid them. Though flawed, it's still an enjoyable story that I do recommend.

[Mayre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read a novel in verse before, and it was an interesting "experience". Sisters of glass was one of the first books that appeared when looking up this type of book. The cover immediately caught my attention, and after reading a little about it I was intrigued. While reading, Maria (main character, and 2nd daughter of her family) wants nothing more than to blow glass, but her parents always wanted her to get married into a noble family, so it gave me pretty much Pride and Prejudice/Bridgerton vibes, but very different.
The main reason why I gave it a three star rating was because most of the poems didn't really feel/sounded like poems. I still enjoyed the book, and because it's based in the island of Murano, it made me want to go and visit it in the future. Again, it never hurts to try it out, you may end up liking it more than I did.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve never been much of a poetry person, but the story was interesting. I liked the relationship between the sisters and the atmosphere of the island. A bit predictable and somewhat cheesy, but this was an enjoyable enough read.

**read for book scavenger hunt — a poem by a poet with a unique voice** (I know this is a novel in verse and not a single poem, but I’m counting it!)

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel in verse tells the story of Maria Barovier, the daughter of Angelo Barovier, the inventor of cristallo (crystal). For nearly two-hundred years, since 1291, glass has been made on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy. Maria's father trained her to work in the fornica, the hot furnace where glass is made. She loves everything about the art of glass making and would love to take over the family business some day, but Maria's family has a different fate in mind for her. Maria was born the day her Papa invented cristallo and he felt she was so lucky she should marry a nobleman. Traditionally, it should be the eldest daughter who marries into nobility not the youngest. Maria doesn't understand the implications of the reversal of tradition at first, but then her Papa dies, and when Maria's Mama finally takes an interest in Maria and Maria's whole world changes. Now she is locked up in her room and not allowed to visit the furnace, sketch or do anything that isn't befitting the future wife of a nobleman. Even worse, her brothers and uncle introduce her to a string of undesirable suitors. Maria's older sister Giovanna, has changed too. She's no longer a kind and loving confidante. In order to restore the family fortune and reputation, Maria's family hires a new, young glassmaker. At first Maria finds the orphaned young man rude and crude but she soon discovers he shares her passion for glass as an art and Maria's heart is torn in two. She can not go against her father's wishes, even though Vanna is the one who deserves to marry a nobleman not Maria. With so much at stake, could she defy her family and risk ruining the family name and business?

This is a new story that I haven't heard, though my parents have been to Murano! I liked Maria because she's passionate about glass and she loves her family. Though she's a rebel at heart and sometimes a real pain, she values tradition. Being (half) Italian, I can empathize with her dilemma. Maria's mother comes across as unfeeling and other times she's sympathetic. I liked that she is not a stereotypical wicked mother, but someone who is in a tight spot and understands her daughter's unhappiness but there's nothing she can do about it. The romance is sweet though the solution to the problem is very highly unlikely!

The plot kept me reading and wondering what would happen. The verse is beautiful. It's blank verse, like most novels in verse, and I'm not sure why the author chose to tell her story that way. The descriptions of Venice and Murano are amazing even though they are described in only a few words. I've been to Venice but not Murano. There's a handy glossary in the back of the book that explains glassblowing terms, Italian laws, government, architecture and other unfamiliar things that appear in the novel.

[Emily Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!

Sisters of Glass was very, very short. I read it in less than two hours. Just because I read it quickly, does not mean that I enjoyed it. I liked it, yes, but I would never immediately recommend it to anyone. It's not that Sisters of Glass is a bad novel, because it's not. I just won't remember it after awhile. In my opinion, it is an easily forgotten novel.

Even now, just a few days after finishing it, I'm having trouble remember the characters' names. Besides Luca… Because I kind of adore Luca. A lot. More than a lot. I love him immensely. As you read, you don't see a whole lot of him. The focus of the novel is usually on the sisters, Giovanna and Maria, and how they are changing as they get older. But his role in the story is larger than it seems and what you do see of him? He just is brutish, all quiet and strength. For some reason, I find it irresistible.

I didn't enjoy the flashbacks. The setup of the novel often confused me. The story is written in verse and I've never really enjoyed reading those kinds of novels. This was very short though, so that made it easier to get through. There were parts of the plot I enjoyed and found myself immersed in the story, but there were other parts that I grew bored and sped through.

There was a part closer to the end that tugged at my heartstrings. The sisters are trying to find their way as their thoughts war against what they want to do and what they need to do. Duty and honor or lifelong happiness. Maria and Giovanna must work together so that they can have all three. The lack of communication is what really is the driving force behind the conflict. If the sisters had opened up about their true feelings, things would've gone much smoother. I believe that with the time period and setting of where Sisters of Glass took place, the conflict fits very well. It's set in 1291, during the rein of the Venetian government over the glassmakers, which if you didn't catch from the title, includes Maria and Giovanna's family.

This book was a sweet, short read. Like I said earlier, I probably won't remember it later, but as I think of it now, I would definitely recommend it to the younger age group of young adults. I think the fast pace and quick read that ends on a happy note.

I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley.

[usagi ☆ミ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars.

This book is really hard to pin down for me. While I do love books (and authors) that dare to present their stories in non-traditional free verse poetry, this one wasn't quite in proper free verse, and that was a bit disappointing. However, the story itself is charming, as are its settings (Murano and Venice), so as you can see I'm quite torn. "Sisters of Glass" is a lovely read, but it somehow rang hollow inside.

While there was some lovely imagery implanted within the lines of verse (or at times, pseudo-verse), I felt like there was a lot of telling that went on in this book instead of showing - which is the opposite of what poetry is supposed to do (convey feelings in the form of sensory imagery). The arc was well-executed and is very easy to follow, but somehow it also felt as if it were a cake that just had a lot of fake frosting on it and not true buttercreme instead - the characters didn't feel quite real, and there definitely wasn't enough development in that department to make Maria and her sister, as well as her beau and the rest of her family feel like they were tangible, real people.

While free verse is supposed to break the rules of traditional poetry, it too also has rules. Even if there isn't any rhyme, you make up for it in rhythm, which this book had very little of. It was hard to get a full grasp on it at times, and while it sometimes rhymed, the soul of it, the rhythm of it, just wasn't there at all. Just broken up lines that looked like free verse on the surface.

I've read some very awesome YA books that have managed to do their entire novels in free verse ("Orchards" by Holly Thompson is the one that's blown me away the most, and in second place is "Sharp Teeth" by Toby Barlow), so this one just was kind of a disappointment. I can see that it might be good for the MG audience as it's choppy enough to keep one's attention, but for more seasoned YA readers, you might want to skip this one.

"Sisters of Glass" comes out on March 27th, 2012, so be sure to read it for yourself, then, and come to your own conclusions. I'd just been expecting so much more.

(posted to goodreads, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)

[Beth G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Barovier family furnace / has molded glass on Murano
for nearly two hundred years, since 1291 / when the Venetian government
required that all furnaces move / to my island home.


Synopsis:
When Maria was just an infant, her father declared that she would one day marry a nobleman, even though such a fate should rightfully belong to her elegant older sister, Giovanna. Maria would much rather learn to blow glass in the family fornicas, but that work is for men only, even after her father’s death and the onset of financial trouble for the family. Trapped by tradition at 15, can Maria simply ignore her feelings forever, especially the feelings she has for the orphaned young glassblower who has joined the family business?

Review:
Fifteenth-century Murano provides the historical backdrop for this story of two sisters caught between what they wish they could do and what they feel they must do. Hemphill’s prose poems are full of fine details, but they never capture the intensity of emotion Maria ought to feel. Rather than bringing the reader closer to Maria – as in Caroline Starr Rose’s May B. – the terse narrative leaves the reader distant from the action. The form works in May B. precisely because May is alone for most of the novel; the poems read as her thoughts rather than as formal writing, particularly because the reader knows May isn’t actually writing anything down. Maria, on the other hand, is surrounded by people, and her interactions with them lose immediacy as conversations are rendered
in short bursts
rather than as
meaningful discussion.

Despite this weakness, the unusual setting, the timeless themes of sibling rivalry and familial duty, and the star-crossed romance (with its slightly-too-convenient conclusion) are sure to appeal to more than a few tweens and teens looking for something light and lovely.

On shelves March 27, 2012.

Final Word:
A light and lovely novel-in-verse for t(w)een fans of historical romance.

Source:
E-ARC via NetGalley, provided by the publisher by request

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifteen-year-old Maria is the younger daughter from a family of glassblowers in fifteenth-century Italy. Because of the cost of dowries, often a family can only afford for one of their daughters to be married, and the tradition is that that will be the oldest daughter. But in Maria's father's will, he left instructions that Maria should be the one to marry a nobleman, rather than her older sister, Giovanna. Although they are sisters and are very close, Maria and Giovanna could not be more different. Giovanna is a proper young lady, while Maria prefers to spend her time sketching and watching the glassblowing process.

Now that Maria is old enough, her mother, uncle, and brothers have decided it is time to select a husband for her, but none of the men they are introduced to seem suitable. At the same time, Luca, a young man without a family who is known for being an excellent glassblower, comes to work for Maria's family. Maria feels drawn to Luca, but knows she can never be with him. And when her family finally finds a proper husband for her, that man seems more interested in Giovanna than Maria.

This book a verse novel told from the perspective of Maria. Because of the format and the short length (only 150 pages), some of the characters and relationships seemed underdeveloped. I wish the book had been a bit longer, and I think it would have been interesting if Giovanna's perspective had also been included - alternating viewpoints would have been perfect for this story. Overall, Sisters of Glass wasn't one of my favorite books ever, but the unique historical setting makes it worth a try if you enjoy verse novels and historical fiction.

[Stephanie Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is written in verse and is about a young girl whose father's dying wish was to see her married to a nobleman. Maria would rather be working with the glass that her family creates rather than learning to be a lady and attracting suitors. Maria has to work through her sisters jealousy and her mother's unending devotion to finding her a husband to find what she truly wants in life.

This is a very quick read and is able to be read in one sitting. It is written in verse so it has a nice flow to the book. The story resolves itself a little too neatly for my taste but for those people who love for a story to end nice and neat this is the story for you. I feel like Maria is a character that girls can relate to- she is mindful of her mother, passionate about her talents, and is devoted to her family. When we were introduced to some of her suitors I found myself wanting to yell at Maria to run away as far and as quick as possible! I just wish there had been a little more to this book and that there was more meat to the ending.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel, told in prose poems, is a historical read about two sisters who live on the island of Murano, near Venice, and are part of a renowned glassmaking family. The youngest daughter, Maria, is to marry a nobleman, per her father's last wishes. But Maria cares more about making glass than dressing up for prospective suitors. Her old sister, Giovanna, is pretty and wants nothing more than an advantageous marriage, but she is destined for the convent. This conflict puts the sisters at odds, particularly when Maria is betrothed to a wealthy nobleman who seems to prefer Giovanna. Of course everything is put right in the end.

This is a light read that should be appealing to younger teens. However, the setting was pallidly described and the plot too easily predicted. I didn't really get the feel for the setting, which was also a disappointment. as Venice and Murano are magical places.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story told in verse about two sisters in Renaissance-era Venice. The daughters of a prestigious glass-blowing family, Maria longs to work with the glass like her late father, but instead must marry into a well-to-do royal family, while Giovanna has no dowry and will likely end up in a convent. Maria has resigned herself to her fate until she starts to fall for Luca, a new glass blower in the family's shop.

Stephanie Hemphill has crafted a beautiful tale that captures the essence of the historical period and made a likable main character in Maria. But while it's a pleasure to read, the short length doesn't allow for much character or plot development. The minimal twists are predictable and the story wraps up with no real conflict to speak of. The book would make a nice companion to a unit on the Renaissance, but may leave readers wanting more.

[Jessica]

This is a little gem of a verse novel set on Murano, the island of Venetian glassblowers, during the fifteenth century. It's an evocative read with some lovely details about the art of glassblowing ,and it totally made me want to visit Venice again. Maria is a sympathetic character -- elevated above her older sister by her father's dying wish for her to marry a nobleman, she only wants to continue to work in the family business. I particularly enjoyed that it's not just a boy she's pining over; it's also the art she loves. Plus I'm always fascinated by stories about sisters, and the rivalry between rebellious Maria and lovely Giovanna is really well-done. It left me wondering if all sisters have moments of jealousy, of "Why does she get everything?!" Recommend!

[Miss Clark · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a book written in verse (though with no meter or rhyme scheme that I could discern, so really free verse) which was hugely off-putting for me. I do not enjoy nor have I ever enjoyed free verse.

It makes for a choppy, novella-length tale that is decent, but nothing remarkable and not one on which I would spend my time.

Also, the descriptions of these books really need to disclose that they are in free verse.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this because I am Italian. Most of my Italian relatives live far away or are no longer with us. I wanted to be with "family" and the Olive Garden just doesn't cut it. The characters in this verse were familiar to me. I enjoyed the tradition that was presented in it as well. The ending is as lovely as the cover.

[Kelesea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Sisters of Glass

Author: Stephanie Hemphill

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Historical Fiction

Series: Standalone

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars



I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.



Maria is the venerated, noble daughter of a deceased glassblower on the tiny island of Murano, Italy. Her father’s last wish was for her to be married and well-off, so her mother begins to show her to older bachelors in an attempt to fulfill this wish. Her sister, Giovanna, is the beautiful one, the one with the gorgeous singing voice and numerous other talents. The sisters are close, but soon romance gets in the way of their bond. All Maria wants to do is blow glass, just like her father, and Vanna wants to be married. Is it possible for Maria to have everything she wants? Or will she have to sacrifice her soul in order to achieve her big dreams?



This novel, told in sparse, sparing verse, was so vivid and descriptive; I really enjoyed it. I finished this tiny little novella in a little under two days. Maria’s voice was so relatable and fresh. The verse jarred me a little bit, mostly because I wasn’t expecting it, but it was very enjoyable. I loved how Maria’s dreams of blowing glass, just like her father, clashed with his wish that she be married. I loved watching Maria and Vanna’s relationship progress, even as it frayed at the edges due to secrets, lies, and dark grudges. The pacing was breakneck, and I loved the ending! I wasn’t expecting it, and it made me so very happy! This lovely, feminist take on the glassblowers of Murano, Italy was absolutely fantastic. This isn’t my first Hemphill novel, and it certainly won’t be my last! Absolutely wonderful! The bottom line: Lush with detail and emotion, I loved Sisters of Glass!

https://literatureobsessed.blogspot.c...

[Julianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book not knowing it was poetry, but I liked the premise. My mother took a glassblowing class in college and talks about it from time to time and it sounded cool. It's got a touch of pride and prejudice and a touch of The Importance of Being Earnest. It was a quick read, but fun. I would have liked it if it were longer. It needed more pages to flesh out the story.
I don't think I would teach it in a class. It's a cute story, but I'm not sure it has anything in particular to focus on for a literature class.
Warnings:
Sex: none
Drugs: none
R&R: none
Language: none
Violence: Threat of a sword fight, but sadly it doesn't end up happening.

[Allyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I usually avoid books written in verse, I always seem to enjoy them, and this one is true to that. Verse simplifies things and allows for a poetic beauty to come into the narrative that would sound overdone or overdramatic in prose. Maybe this book is too simplistic in its narrative for some people, but I enjoyed it. I read the ending over again just for fun.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unimpressed honestly. The poetry storyline wasn’t all that interesting.

[Amelia G · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Short, but very charming :)

[Morning Glory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, atmospheric, quick read

[Aeicha · Rating 3 out of 5]

THREE FOUR WORDS: Good Story, Wrong Execution

MY REVIEW: I really had no expectations (positive or negative) at all when I starting reading Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill, and while I actually enjoyed much of the story itself, I think the overall execution was lacking.

Sisters of Glass is a historical fiction novel, written in verse, that centers around a Venetian family of glassblowers that live on the island of Murano. Before he died, Angelo Barovier declared that his youngest and favorite daughter would marry a senator, even though this honor and responsibility should really go to Giovanna, the eldest daughter. Maria does not wish to marry a senator and would rather be a glassmaker like her brothers, but as her sixteenth birthday looms, Maria’s mother begins to seek a suitable husband for her younger daughter in order to secure the family’s finances. All the attention placed on Maria puts a strain on her once close relationship with her older sister. And things get even more complicated with the arrival of Luca, the new glassblower.

I don’t read much historical fiction, but I did enjoy the world and time that Hemphill has described and explored in this novel. And I was truly intrigued by the story itself and found myself very invested in the complicated and rocky relationship between the two Barovier sisters.

Hemphill does a great job of creating very tangible emotions throughout the book. Both Maria’s feelings of inadequacy compared to her older sister and Giovanna’s jealousy of her little sister are easily felt and wonderfully explored. Hemphill has given both girls such complex and intriguing layers and I found both characters dimensional. And I easily connected with both sisters and found myself sympathetic of each sister’s turmoil- Maria’s fears of disappointing her family and Giovanna’s heartache from feeling unloved and not worthy.

My biggest issue with this book is the way it has been executed. I love poetry and I love books written in verse, and while the book claims to be written in verse, and really isn’t. Instead of being made up of individual, yet interconnecting poems, it seems as if the book’s prose has simply been broken up and manipulated to look like a bunch of “poems”. While there is some truly beautiful and powerful imagery in this book, and Hemphill’s writing is quite lovely, the “verse” style just feels lacking and forced. I think the book would have worked better if it had been written in traditional prose.

While I think Maria and Giovanna are nicely developed, all of the other characters are lacking serious development. Perhaps the rest of the Barovier family isn’t meant to be important to the story as a whole, but I do think the character of Luca is significant and I’m disappointed with how flat his character is. I wanted to get caught up in Maria’s feelings for Luca, but found the whole romance hard to believe in simply because the Luca she falls for is not the Luca presented to readers. And by that, I mean it seems as if Hemphill must have created this swoon-worthy, compelling Luca in her head and when she wrote about Maria’s feelings for him, it is this imaginary Luca that she refers to, yet somehow she forgot to introduce this guy to her readers…does that make any sense at all?!

The ending is pretty predictable, but satisfying nonetheless.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I feel like there’s so much potential within this book for a romantic, emotional story but the chosen form and execution limited this potential greatly. Sisters of Glass has an interesting enough premise and two intriguing female characters, but a lack of character and story development, along with the execution, kept me from loving this book.

Read more reviews at Word Spelunking

[Margaryta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sisters of Glass Another book that I ended up finishing with a mix of various reactions, although in the end I did enjoy the book.
 
What drew me to this one was the unusual story line, quite unlike anything I have encountered before. I have a love for Italian crafts, especially glass, and to read a book that was loosely related to the subject grabbed my attention right away. It's also quite spectacular to see that an author created such a story based on only one single fact she stumble upon. The drawback, however, was that this seemingly charming tale didn't have that fairytale spark to it.
 
As many mentioned before, the decision to present the story into verse form really didn't work, and was quite the setback. There was only one chapter - "Two Suitable Suitors?" - that struck me as having the POTENTIAL of sounding like a poem, although it was very simple with it's rhyming and very straight-forward thoughts. The rest of the book was mostly just sentences that were divided up to give the visual effect of a poem, although the techniques weren't there. Perhaps then this should be not as a story written in poems but only as a story that appears in stanza/verse form. I don't know how that would be marketed, but to people who approach the story thinking the former will be rather disappointed.
 
The story is simple and the solution to the whole marriage "dilemma" was one I foresaw three-quarters of the way through the book, yet it was still pleasant how it was all "written out". I don't know what it is about the characters however but while they were developed and had their own distinct personality, everyone - and for once I really do mean EVERYONE - lacked some kind of spark to them. Maria is a character the reader really gets to know, especially because the story is in first character POV and her thoughts are laid out, but something was just missing. The same with her love for Luca - although he explained at the end about his feelings, I didn't feel like their love was genuine. It was more like the kind of love that is to be expected in stories because you already know that that's what's supposed to happen, according to the 'romance story formula'.
 
Overall, a light, pleasant read that I breezed through and that actually relaxed me, which is wonderful because everyone needs that kind of book once in a while, one that will take your mind off of things and put you at ease. It's a good leisurely read, nothing deep, but also sadly nothing that magical either as the fairytale-esque atmosphere I was so hoping for flew out the window as soon as I started reading.