A Sea of Glass

by Gail Avery Halverson

In this rich, absorbing tale, Gail Avery Halverson continues the remarkable saga of Lady Catherine Abbott and Simon McKensie that began with the multiple award-winning novels, The Boundary Stone and The Skeptical Physick. Sweeping us from a quaint village in England to Colonial Boston and to the beautiful evils of 17th century Barbados, Gail Avery Halverson has once again written a truly compelling and unforgettable novel. After a wrenching, heartbreaking tragedy, Catherine yearns for the safety and familiarity England, but when a free, black woman attempts to accomplish the unthinkable, Catherine is forced to decide where her future lies. When a daring investment in the lucrative 17th century Barbados sugar trade takes a horrifying turn, Simon must at last set his dedication for medicine and scientific discovery aside and face the true ugliness of slavery. Joining the multitude of courageous souls in the first waves of the Great Migration from England to America, Simon and Catherine McKensie lay witness to the forging of a new country, the first seeds of violent rebellion against the Crown, and the bitter tentacles of a slave trade just beginning to take root.

360 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 20, 2023

About the author

Award-winning writer, Gail Avery Halverson, is the author of The Boundary Stone, and its sequel, The Skeptical Physick, a historical romance novel set in 1666 England at the time of the Great Fire and the Scientific Revolution. The Boundary Stone is a Chaucer Award Finalist (historical fiction), a Cygnus Award Finalist (speculative fiction), and a Chatelaine Award Winner (historical romantic fiction). The Skeptical Physick is currently long-listed for both the Chatelaine and the Chaucer Awards. Ms. Halverson is also the writer/producer for “Take it From The Top,” (sitcom pilot, Twin One Productions, Inc.), as well as the playwright and composer of musical plays that have been performed for nearly 300,000 children since 2004. Writing for both theater and television, she holds a B.A. in English Literature/Communications from the University of California, Davis, and is currently at work on the third novel in the Stockbridge Series. She lives in Northern California with her husband and son.

Reviews

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating, immersive, and adventurous!

A Sea of Glass is a vivid, atmospheric tale that picks up where The Skeptical Physick left off, taking us back to the mid-1600s and into the lives of Simon, Catherine and their loved ones as they start their new lives in Boston, struggle with the horrifying commonplace of slavery, and head out on the high seas on a rescue mission that gives them a front row seat to the rare beauty of the landscape but also the barbaric ugliness of life on the sugar plantations of Barbados.

The prose is insightful and engaging. The characters are dependable, resourceful, and empathetic. And the plot is a tender, enlightening tale full of life, loss, love, courage, sacrifice, pirates, savagery, injustice, slavery, family, friendship, thrilling escapades, and life in early Boston.

Overall, A Sea of Glass is another fascinating, creative, engrossing read by Halverson that does a brilliant job of highlighting her undoubtable passion and tireless research into seventeenth-century Boston and the political tensions and attitudes that governed and ruled it.

Thank you to Gail Avery Halverson for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Anne Polli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Sea of Glass, the third novel in The Stockbridge Series, is a beautifully-told story of historical fiction. Ms. Halverson’s research shines in every detail, giving life to the continuing tale of Catherine and Simon McKensie. A Sea of Glass finds Catherine and Simon in Boston with their young daughter as they work to find the way to their dreams even as the developing city also tries to find its way. The author’s superbly written prose allows the reader to join in the camaraderie of friends and neighbors, feel the cool spray of sea mist from the deck of a ship, tug a collar against the oppressive heat of Barbados, and struggle with the inhumanity of enslaving a people for gain. I was sorry for this book to end and I hope the saga of the McKensie's will continue. I highly recommend A Sea of Glass.

[Booksandchinooks (Laurie)]

Another amazing historical novel from this award winning author! We again follow Simon and Catherine and their lives as they now reside in Boston. I enjoyed learning about a young Boston and its history in the mid 1600’s. As the the slave trade is prominent in this time period it is again horrifying and important to recall the inhumanity that slaves were made to endure both in the US and also when the story takes us to a sugar plantation in Barbados. I am always so impressed how the author weaves fiction with her incredible research. The characters are well developed and engaging and the writing is beautiful. This is the third book in a series and can be read as a standalone but I highly encourage you to read all of them!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Sea of Glass continues the lives of Lady Catherine Abbott and Simon McKensie who were introduced in The Boundary Stone and The Skeptical Physick. Their journey continues from a village in England to Boston during the Colonial era. With amazing historical details and believable characters, Gail Halverson illuminates the evil of slavery and the bravery of those who envision an America free from the constraints of the Crown. I highly recommend this series to lovers of historical fiction.

Julie K.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

superb characters

I have read all three of Ms Halverson’s books and loved them but this is my favorite.
Her characters are well written and help explain a sad part of America’s and England’s views on people of a different race. Mainly blacks who suffered greatly

[Carol Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love all of Gail Avery Halverson’s Books

Just finished the third book in the series. I have enjoyed all of them based on the through research , and the dialog between the characters. Gail is a skilled storyteller and I recommend you read all the books in the series. I plan to read all three books again!