Glass House: A Novel

by Christine Wiltz

When Thea Tamborella returns to New Orleans after a ten-year absence, she finds the city of her birth changed, still a place of deep contradictions, a sensuous blend of religion, tradition, bonhomie, and decadence, but now caught in a web of fear caused by bad economic times, crime, and racial unrest. Many residents have sought to avoid the city's problems by fleeing to the suburbs. The wealthy who have remained in the inner city hide behind the walls of homes protected by elaborate security systems. The poor live in decaying neighborhoods and in tenements taken over by drug dealers. Fear of race riots following the murder of a white policeman and the subsequent police terrorization of the all-black housing project where he was killed are dividing the city even further. Thea herself learned the meaning of fear when her life was uprooted after the murder of her parents in their grocery store. She left New Orleans when she grew up but returns there to claim the Garden District mansion she has inherited from her aunt. It is in this great old Victorian house that she encounters a childhood friend she had been forbidden to associate with, Burgess Monroe, the son of her aunt's housekeeper. She is drawn to this now powerful and mysterious man, even though she senses that he may hold dangerous secrets. At the same time, Thea is renewing friendships with her old high-school crowd: Bobby Buchanan, a former boyfriend who is still in love with her, and Lyle and Sandy Hindermann, wealthy blue-bloods. Like many other New Orleanians, Lyle and some of his circle are carrying guns, arming themselves against their perceived enemies. But Lyle has gone one step further: he has become a reserve policeman and a fanatic about law and order. Caught up in the hunt for his fellow officer's killer, he follows a trail that leads him to Burgess' friend Dexter and Dexter's girlfriend, Sherree Morganza, an out-of-work stripper and single mother. It is a case of mistaken identity that ends wi

Genres: Fiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Also writes under the name, Chris Wiltz.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect novel that accomplishes what Christine Wiltz does so well: it describes the ineffable spirit of New Orleans--all of it: the beautiful, the tragic, the proud, and the shameful. As in The Last Madam: A Life in the New Orleans Underworld, the author encapsulates in one particular story with infinitely sympathetic characters the larger patterns of division, fear, and mistrust that characterized New Orleans 10 years before the storm and led to some of the reactions to it that we in the rest of the country found mystifying (e.g., the tearing down of housing projects, the diaspora of NOLA residents, and even the deep desire to return to such a gorgeous and dangerous city). I always learn something important about New Orleans when I read one of Ms. Wiltz's books, and her writing is just as fluid as the Mississippi. Brava!

[Richard Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Wiltz definitely understands the culture and ethos of New Orleans, as well as its racial tensions. As someone who grew up in New Orleans, but who has long since lived elsewhere, I felt rather like Glass House was something of a reflective homecoming, complete with a glimpse into the soul of the city I love.

[Jaycee · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the world of poverty there are small victories, but in the end, people just get on, surviving because that's all there is to do. This is the terrible knowledge that Christine Wiltz describes with perfection. Whether it's the projects of New Orleans, Chicago or South Los Angeles the lives of the poor seem always defeated.

[Lois · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novel, set in New Orleans. Starts out quiet, packs a lot of punch by the end. Explores the problems; does not find answers. Very good book; I would read more by this author.

[Lynn Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. The author is a New Orleanian and captures life in the city without caricaturing its inhabitants.

[Toesnorth's mom]

fair

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read - highly recommended.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really a 3.6 I still wish we had more choices for stars. This is a really well-written, thoughtful look at race in New Orleans. It was written more than a decade ago, but sadly is still very accurate-- in fact, it may be worse now, post-Katrina. Worth reading!