THE GLASS PAINTER'S DAUGHTER by RACHEL HORE

THE GLASS PAINTER'S DAUGHTER

BY RACHEL HORE

THE BLURB:-

In a tiny glass-stained shop in the hidden 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 father Edward. Fran left home to pursue a career 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 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 he on a search for the truth about her mother, through mysteries of past times and the anguish of unrequited love, to reconciliation and renewal.

THE REALITY:-

This was one of those books that easily slips between two times and places (1993 and the early 1880's), as Fran researched the history of the stained glass angel and how it tied in with her ancestry.

The writer has gone into great depth shaping her main characters, dipping into the world of classical music, and the artistry and techniques involved with stained glass workmanship. And it's paid off, with the creation of a truly lovely, yet melancholy story.

I like the way that Fran's difficult relationship with her father and the mystery regarding her mother adds a sense of intrigue that you just have to get to the bottom of, and way the Laura's dilemma's becomes central to the main theme. Family relationships, especially those that are less than perfect (as so many are) are deeply delved into, and these help to explain the characters foibles with a large dose of reality. In fact, a lovely contrast within this book is the way a hefty chunk of modern realism is mixed with the other worldliness of the past and the truly fantastical question of the existence of real angels.

I also absolutely loved all the angel orientated quotations at the forefront of each chapter- they gave a beautiful touch to the novel. Definitely one to give a go!