The Glass Painter's Daughter
by Rachel Hore
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In a tiny stained-glass shop hidden in the backstreets of Westminster lies the cracked, sparkling image of an angel. The owners of Minster Glass have also been broken: Fran Morrison's mother died when she was a baby; a painful event never mentioned by her difficult, secretive father Edward. Fran left home to pursue a career in foreign cities, as a classical musician. But now Edward is dangerously ill and it's time to return. Taking her father's place in the shop, she and his craftsman Zac show more accept a beguiling commission - to restore a shattered glass picture of an exquisite angel belonging to a local church. As they reassemble the dazzling shards of coloured glass, they uncover an extraordinary love story from the Victorian past, sparked by the window's creation. Slowly, Fran begins to see her own reflection in its themes of passion, tragedy and redemption. Fran's journey will lead her on a search for the truth about her mother, through mysteries of past times and the anguish of unrequited love, to reconciliation and renewal. show lessTags
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tesskrose Similar themes in the glass artisan industry
Member Reviews
Fran is a musician, travelling around the world. She gets an SOS call from Zac who works for her father in his glass restoration business, letting her know that her father has had a stroke. So she rushes home, concerned that she had not been getting along with her father for some time, and still upset that there is secrecy - or at least silence - surrounding the circumstances of her mother's death when she was a small child.
Fran and Zac get involved in a difficult project, trying to restore a window from a church that was bombed; in finding out what it originally looked like, Fran unearths a diary written over 100 years previously, by a girl called Laura. And the narrative then alternates between the present and the past, as Fran not show more only learns about Laura and the stained glass window, but starts to discover more about her own background.
Then there's Amber, a young and nervous girl who lives in a hostel, who is fascinated by glass, and also by angels. And there are a lot of angels in the shop. Unfortunately Amber is somewhat bullied by other girls in the hostel.
It's quite a long book - over 400 pages - and it took me over a week just to get into it. It's quite slow-moving at first, and there's a lot of detail about the way stained glass windows are made. The author has evidently done her research very well, and yet I don't really read fiction to be educated quite so extensively.
Still, by the time I was half way through I was finding the storyline more interesting. I did sometimes forget the various names - there's quite a cast, and with two entirely different storylines it was sometimes difficult to remember where I was. I read the second part of the book in about three days, and found some of it quite moving. By contrast to the slower-moving beginning to the book, the last chapters seemed to race by, and I found myself wanting to slow down a bit and find out rather more of what was happening: by this stage I felt I knew the characters a bit better and didn't want to gloss over their doings.
The ending worked well, in a predictable kind of way, and it's the kind of book that I'm sure I'll be lending to friends. The book is refreshing in that it has no bad language at all, and not even a mention of any intimate scenes - just the vaguest of hints.
There's quite a surprising amount of Christian content for a modern secular book; not that there's any preaching, even subtly, but there's a delightful Vicar called Jeremy who was friends with Fran's father, and who very much takes her under his wing. So as well as the fairly extensive angelic theme to the book, there are talks about forgiveness, and reaching out to the poor, and more. It felt quite low-key to me, and worked well, but might perhaps be disturbing to anyone who is an atheist and unwilling to suspend their disbelief.
Overall I'd recommend this. show less
Fran and Zac get involved in a difficult project, trying to restore a window from a church that was bombed; in finding out what it originally looked like, Fran unearths a diary written over 100 years previously, by a girl called Laura. And the narrative then alternates between the present and the past, as Fran not show more only learns about Laura and the stained glass window, but starts to discover more about her own background.
Then there's Amber, a young and nervous girl who lives in a hostel, who is fascinated by glass, and also by angels. And there are a lot of angels in the shop. Unfortunately Amber is somewhat bullied by other girls in the hostel.
It's quite a long book - over 400 pages - and it took me over a week just to get into it. It's quite slow-moving at first, and there's a lot of detail about the way stained glass windows are made. The author has evidently done her research very well, and yet I don't really read fiction to be educated quite so extensively.
Still, by the time I was half way through I was finding the storyline more interesting. I did sometimes forget the various names - there's quite a cast, and with two entirely different storylines it was sometimes difficult to remember where I was. I read the second part of the book in about three days, and found some of it quite moving. By contrast to the slower-moving beginning to the book, the last chapters seemed to race by, and I found myself wanting to slow down a bit and find out rather more of what was happening: by this stage I felt I knew the characters a bit better and didn't want to gloss over their doings.
The ending worked well, in a predictable kind of way, and it's the kind of book that I'm sure I'll be lending to friends. The book is refreshing in that it has no bad language at all, and not even a mention of any intimate scenes - just the vaguest of hints.
There's quite a surprising amount of Christian content for a modern secular book; not that there's any preaching, even subtly, but there's a delightful Vicar called Jeremy who was friends with Fran's father, and who very much takes her under his wing. So as well as the fairly extensive angelic theme to the book, there are talks about forgiveness, and reaching out to the poor, and more. It felt quite low-key to me, and worked well, but might perhaps be disturbing to anyone who is an atheist and unwilling to suspend their disbelief.
Overall I'd recommend this. show less
Fran Morrison has recently come back to London, after travelling around the world building her career as a musician. She originally left to get away from the cold relationship she had with her withdrawn and secretive father, who never told her anything about her mother or her mother's death. But now, Fran's father is seriously ill and she has to come back and look after his glass painting business.
Fran and her father's assistant Zac accept a commission from the local church to restore an old stained glass window, and while doing so, Fran uncovers a story from over 100 years earlier, in which she learns the story of another young woman named Laura. As Fran struggles to cope with her changing life and circumstances, she finds her own life show more and feelings reflected in that of Laura's story.
This book started off extremely well and I thought that I would love it. I certainly enjoyed it - the writing flowed and I felt easy to lose myself in the story. Although Fran's story is the main bulk of the narrative, Laura's story was also well told, and I find both storylines interesting.
However, the book was slightly marred by the apparent obsession with angels which was constant throughout (indeed, each chapter is headed by a quote about angels). The other problem was that there were too many coincidences between the two main storylines, to be believable. To say more would be to give away spoilers, but this annoyed me slightly.
However, Fran was on the whole, an engaging narrator. There are also a good supporting cast of characters, who were all well portrayed and the writing at times was very touching.
I would certainly try more by this author. Despite my criticisms, this book intrigued me enough for me to keep reading quickly, and I would recommend it. show less
Fran and her father's assistant Zac accept a commission from the local church to restore an old stained glass window, and while doing so, Fran uncovers a story from over 100 years earlier, in which she learns the story of another young woman named Laura. As Fran struggles to cope with her changing life and circumstances, she finds her own life show more and feelings reflected in that of Laura's story.
This book started off extremely well and I thought that I would love it. I certainly enjoyed it - the writing flowed and I felt easy to lose myself in the story. Although Fran's story is the main bulk of the narrative, Laura's story was also well told, and I find both storylines interesting.
However, the book was slightly marred by the apparent obsession with angels which was constant throughout (indeed, each chapter is headed by a quote about angels). The other problem was that there were too many coincidences between the two main storylines, to be believable. To say more would be to give away spoilers, but this annoyed me slightly.
However, Fran was on the whole, an engaging narrator. There are also a good supporting cast of characters, who were all well portrayed and the writing at times was very touching.
I would certainly try more by this author. Despite my criticisms, this book intrigued me enough for me to keep reading quickly, and I would recommend it. show less
I was very much looking forward to reading this book, and I wasn't disappointed. I enjoyed the mixture of the two stories, combining the modern day story of Fran, with the story of Laura 100 years earlier. Fran has just returned home to her father's flat and business of Minster Glass, after he has suffered a stroke. Laura is the vicar's daughter and a stained glass window is to be made and placed in the church in remembrance of her late sister.
As somebody who has been involved in the process of granting permission for work to be done in churches, I was pleased to note that Rachel Hore used the correct terminology and had obviously researched the procedures involved.
It was nice to see how the two stories actually ended up mirroring each show more other and it ensured that the story was wound up satisfactorily. I do feel that the book overall could maybe have done with a little more editing as it felt like it needed all the various strands tightening up a bit. However, I did find this an engrossing read throughout and one which I was happy to pick up at any time to continue with my reading. show less
As somebody who has been involved in the process of granting permission for work to be done in churches, I was pleased to note that Rachel Hore used the correct terminology and had obviously researched the procedures involved.
It was nice to see how the two stories actually ended up mirroring each show more other and it ensured that the story was wound up satisfactorily. I do feel that the book overall could maybe have done with a little more editing as it felt like it needed all the various strands tightening up a bit. However, I did find this an engrossing read throughout and one which I was happy to pick up at any time to continue with my reading. show less
Set in the 1990s and dropping back to the 1880s, Musican Fran Morrison returns to her childhood home when her father is taken ill. Home is over the shop Minster Glass, where he has made stain glass windows, and sold the makings to other creatives.
Their relationship has long been strained, due to the secrets he has held about her mother who died when she was two.
Fran takes the reins of the shop while he is in hospital, her life changes as she makes friends and learns the history of a broken stain glass window that she and her assistant Zac attempt to restore from the broken pieces discovered in the church as a result of the blitz.
One of the things I particularly enjoyed was it's Westminster setting which I know well.
Their relationship has long been strained, due to the secrets he has held about her mother who died when she was two.
Fran takes the reins of the shop while he is in hospital, her life changes as she makes friends and learns the history of a broken stain glass window that she and her assistant Zac attempt to restore from the broken pieces discovered in the church as a result of the blitz.
One of the things I particularly enjoyed was it's Westminster setting which I know well.
I really liked it. I think the characters were good, overall, but could of used a little more depth. It was a good story
Not read much yet - picked up as the Starbucks Pick of the Week this week.
Well worth the price.
Well worth the price.
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Zomers licht
- Original title
- The Glass Painters's Daughter
- Original publication date
- 2008
- People/Characters
- Laura; Fran; Zac
- Dedication*
- Voor Felix, Benjy en Leo - non angeli sed angli
- First words*
- Het bordje GESLOTEN hing al bijna een week voor het raam van de glas-in-loodwinkel, hoewel dat mensen er niet van had weerhouden de deurkruk uit te proberen of door het glas te turen, hopend op een teken van leven.
- Quotations*
- De waardevolle momenten snellen in de loop van ons leven langs ons heen en we zien niets dan zand; de engelen komen ons bezoeken, en pas als ze weg zijn weten we dat ze er waren.
GEORGE ELLIOT
De vrouw is als de aartsengel Michaël voor de Engelenburcht in Rome. Ze is ruim bedeeld met vleugels, alsof ze daarmee riant het luchtruim boven de aarde zou kunnen kiezen, maar wanneer ze haar vleugels probeert uit te sl... (show all)aan, wordt ze ingeperkt in steen, haar voeten wortelend in de aarde, vastgeketend aan de bronzen sokkel.
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE - Last words*
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Ze kuste hem zacht en bleef naast hem zitten totdat de kamer in duisternis wegzonk.
- Blurbers*
- Montefiore, Santa
- Original language*
- Engels
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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