Both are brilliantly written works of historical fiction, which I think Daphne excels more so than her other stories. Where "MaryAnne" comes from Daphne's grandfather, George du Maurier's mother's English roots, "The Glass-Blowers" comes from his father's French roots. I was happy to find it a kind of companion to my favorite book of hers, "MaryAnne" and both books for me are equal in their sharing my term favorites of all her stories, read thus far. When I decided to read her again, out of the blue, I decided on "The Glass -Blowers", not knowing anything about the story in the least. I never wanted to reach the end.Ībout five years ago I first was introduced to Daphne du Maurier's novels by a friend who loved "Rebecca", since then I have read fourteen of her novels and have fallen in love with her stories and have many more on my "to read" list. Daphne du Maurier has never let me down.Īll the stars for this fabulous read. The story was intriguing, exciting, and, at times, heartbreaking.
I could almost feel the heat of the wood burning in glass house furnaces and smell the acrid smoke-filled air from muskets firing as France descended into revolution. Not knowing what to expect made this tale all the sweeter, so I will not reveal too much except to say that I felt as if I knew each character intimately, taking part in their tragedies and triumphs.
What followed was a brilliant reimagining of du Maurier's own family history of master glass blowers in eighteenth-century France. The month was June, the year 1844, and eighty-year-old Madame Sophie Duval, née Busson, would come face to face with her past via a chance encounter between her daughter and a long-lost relative whom Madame Duval never imagined would cross their path. I tiptoed into the first pages of this novel, fearful that I would be disappointed because historical fiction isn't my usual choice. "A glass-blower, remember, breathes life into a vessel, giving it shape and form and sometimes beauty but he can with that same breath, shatter and destroy it."
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