LibGuides: Popular Fiction: Novels by Glass Technique or Topic

Novels by Glass Topic

Tiffany Girl by Deeanne Gist
Publication Date: 2015

"From the bestselling author of It Happened at the Fair and Fair Play comes a compelling historical novel about a progressive "New Woman"--The girl behind Tiffany's chapel--and the love that threatens it all. As preparations for the 1893 World's Fair set Chicago and the nation on fire, Louis Tiffany--heir to the exclusive Fifth Avenue jewelry empire--seizes the opportunity to unveil his state-of-the-art, stained glass, mosaic chapel, the likes of which the world has never seen. But when Louis's dream is threatened by a glassworkers' strike months before the Fair opens, he turns to an unforeseen source for help: the female students at the Art Students League of New York. Eager for adventure, the young women pick up their skirts, move to boarding houses, take up steel cutters, and assume new identities as the "Tiffany Girls." Tiffany Girl is the heartwarming story of the impetuous Flossie Jayne, a beautiful, budding artist who is handpicked by Louis to help complete the Tiffany chapel. Though excited to live in a boarding house when most women stayed home, she quickly finds the world is less welcoming than anticipated. From a Casanova male, to an unconventional married couple, and a condescending singing master, she takes on a colorful cast of characters to transform the boarding house into a home while racing to complete the Tiffany chapel and make a name for herself in the art world. As challenges mount, her ambitions become threatened from an unexpected quarter: her own heart. Who will claim victory? Her dreams or the captivating boarder next door?" goodreads
Noon at Tiffany's by Echo Heron
Call Number: PZ9.H56

Publication Date: 2012

"Basing her story on a recently discovered cache of letters written between 1888 and 1944, New York Times bestselling author Echo Heron artfully blends fact with fiction to draw the reader into the remarkable life of one of America's most prolific and extraordinary women artists: Clara Wolcott Driscoll, the hidden genius behind the iconic Tiffany lamps." goodreads
The Volcano Lover by Susan Sontag
Call Number: PS3569.O59.V91

Publication Date: 2009

"Set in 18th century Naples, based on the lives of Sir William Hamilton, his celebrated wife Emma, and Lord Nelson, and peopled with many of the great figures of the day, this unconventional, bestselling historical romance from the National Book Award-winning author of In America touches on themes of sex and revolution, the fate of nature, art and the collector's obsessions, and, above all, love." goodreads
Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland
Call Number: PZ9.V97

Publication Date: 2012

"Against the unforgettable backdrop of New York near the turn of the twentieth century, from the Gilded Age world of formal balls and opera to the immigrant poverty of the Lower East Side, bestselling author Susan Vreeland again breathes life into a work of art in this extraordinary novel, which brings a woman once lost in the shadows into vivid color." goodreads

Cracked to Death by Cheryl Hollon
Publication Date: 2016

"It's the dog days of summer in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Webb's Glass Shop proprietor Savannah Webb has an eco-friendly plan to help locals escape the heat--a recyclable bottle-crafting workshop taught by reticent store manager Amanda Blake. Turns out, the class is a bigger smash than expected, thanks in part to a pair of staggeringly old bottles brought in by snorkeler Martin Lane . . .
Linked to a storied pirate shipwreck, the relics definitely pique Savannah's interest. But intrigue turns to shock when Martin's lifeless body washes ashore the next morning, another glass artifact tucked in his dive bag. With cell phone records connecting Amanda to the drowning, Savannah must voyage through unchartered territory to exonerate her colleague and capture the twisted criminal behind Martin's death . . ." goodreads
The Glass-Blowers by Daphne du Maurier
Call Number: PZ3.D819

Publication Date: 1963

"The world of the glass-blowers has its own traditions, it's own language - and its own rules. 'If you marry into glass' Pierre Labbe warns his daughter, 'you will say goodbye to everything familiar, and enter a closed world'. But crashing into this world comes the violence and terror of the French Revolution, against which the family struggles to survive.
Years later, Sophie Duval reveals to her long-lost nephew the tragic story of a family of master craftsmen in eighteenth-century France. Drawing on her own family's tale of tradition and sorrow, Daphne du Maurier weaves an unforgettable saga of beauty, war, and family." goodreads
Shattered by Dick Francis
Call Number: PZ4.F81

Publication Date: 2005

"After his friend is killed in a horse-racing accident, up-and-coming glass artisan Gerard Logan finds himself embroiled in a deadly search for a stolen videotape--a videotape that just might destroy his own life." goodreads
Dreamweaver Trail by Emily March
Publication Date: 2014

"Fall in love with Eternity Springs, the magical town in where something wonderful happens to hearts in need of healing. After another lonely Valentine's Day, Gabi Romano trades mountain snowfall for sunshine and sand at a luxurious Caribbean getaway. There she discovers a hidden talent for creating fine art glass. She also meets Flynn Brogan, the sexy caretaker next door who brings her fantasies to life. But when violence interrupts their romantic interlude, she learns that Flynn is living a lie. Heartsick, she decides to concentrate on her craft. Playing with fire is safer than loving a man like Flynn. Flynn is determined to make things right with Gabi-until his enemies interfere. Now damaged and driven by a need he cannot define, he seeks out Gabi's Colorado community, hoping for reconciliation and some peace. But he never imagined a place like Eternity Springs, where lives are changed, second chances are given, and the possibility exists for two wounded souls to find their way home ... to each other." goodreads
Ghastly Glass by Joyce Lavene; Jim Lavene
Call Number: PZ4.L39

Publication Date: 2009

"At her glass-blowing apprenticeship, Renaissance reveler Jessie Morton's crabby boss and his creepy nephew are causing her problems. But when the man playing the Grim Reaper is killed, Jess has to find the lady, lord or serf whodunit." goodreads
The Glass Ocean by Lori Baker
Call Number: PZ9.B16

Publication Date: 2013

"Flamehaired, six-foot-two in stocking feet, newly orphaned Carlotta Dell'oro recounts the lives of her parents--solitary glassmaker Leonardo Dell'oro and beautiful, unreachable Clotilde Girard--and discovers in their loves and losses, their omissions and obsessions, the circumstances of her abandonment and the weight of her inheritance." goodreads
Born in Fire by Nora Roberts
Publication Date: 1994

"Margaret Mary is a glass artist with an independent streak as fierce as her volatile temper. Hand-blowing glass is a difficult and exacting art, and while she may produce the delicate and the fragile, Maggie is a strong and opinionated woman, a Clare woman, with all the turbulence of that fascinating west country.
One man, Dublin gallery owner Rogan Sweeney, has seen the soul in Maggie’s art, and vows to help her build a career. When he comes to Maggie’s studio, her heart is inflamed by their fierce attraction—and her scarred past is slowly healed by love..." goodreads
The American Lady by Petra Durst-Benning; Samuel Willcocks (Translator)
Call Number: PZ9.D96ae

Publication Date: 2015

"Tempestuous and beautiful Wanda Miles, daughter of Ruth and Stephen Miles (or so she thinks), aspires to more than the life of a debutante, but the trouble is she doesn't know precisely what she wants. Then her aunt Marie, the family's renowned glassblower, arrives from Lauscha, Germany, and Wanda decides that learning about her ancestry may hold the key to her future. When Marie accidentally reveals a long-held secret about Wanda's parents, Wanda goes to Lauscha to unravel the truth. While Marie finds herself increasingly swept up in New York City's bohemian social scene--catching the eye of a handsome young Italian in the process--Wanda explores a past she never knew in the village of her mother's youth--and begins to build a life that she never expected." goodreads
The Paradise of Glass by Petra Durst-Benning; Samuel Willcocks (Translator)
Call Number: PZ9.D96pe

Publication Date: 2015

"Johanna, the oldest of the three Steinmann sisters, has successfully managed the family glassblowing business since her father's death, and her sister Marie's artistic gifts have made their wares unexpectedly famous. But now the livelihood of the town of Lauscha, Germany--known around the world as the "paradise of glass"--is in danger. The local glassworks is about to be sold, and rumor has it the buyer wants to make changes that will challenge glassblowing tradition. Wanda, the daughter of the middle Steinmann sister, is freshly arrived from America and engaged to an ambitious local glassblower. Yet as soon as the bold young woman learns of the impending sale, she decides to do as her mother and aunts did--cast aside her expected role in order to save the day. With the help of a handsome bank clerk, she will take a daring risk with the villagers' hard-earned money. Just like glass, though, love and commerce are fragile, and what begins as their last hope may just end in shattered dreams." goodreads
The Glassblower by Petra Durst-Benning; Samuel Willcocks (Translator); Kristin Watson Heintz (Read by)
Call Number: PZ9.D96e

Publication Date: 2014

"In the village of Lauscha in Germany, things have been done the same way for centuries. The men blow the glass, and the women decorate and pack it. But when Joost Steinmann passes away unexpectedly one September night, his three daughters must learn to fend for themselves. While feisty Johanna takes a practical approach to looking for work, Ruth follows her heart, aiming to catch the eye of a handsome young villager. But it is dreamy, quiet Marie who has always been the most captivated by the magic—and sparkling possibilities—of the craft of glassblowing. As the spirited sisters work together to forge a brighter future for themselves on their own terms, they learn not only how to thrive in a man’s world, but how to remain true to themselves—and their hearts—in the process." goodreads
Brittle Joys by Sara Miatland
Publication Date: 2000

"Ellie is many things to many people: a brilliant artist who works with glass, a wayward indulged artiste to her husband, a manipulative mother to her daughter and a maternal figure to a circle of AIDS sufferers. She knows differently." goodreads

High Strung by Janice Peacock
Publication Date: 2016

"After inheriting a house in Seattle, Jax O'Connell is living the life of her dreams as a glass beadmaker and jewelry designer. When she gets an offer to display her work during a bead shop’s opening festivities, it's an opportunity Jax can't resist—even though the store's owner is the surliest person Jax has ever met.
The weekend’s events become a tangled mess when a young beadmaker is found dead nearby and several oddball bead enthusiasts are suspects. Jax must string together the clues to clear her friend Tessa's name—and do it before the killer strikes again." goodreads
A Bead in the Hand by Janice Peacock
Publication Date: 2016

"A bead bazaar turns bizarre when jewelry designer and glass beadmaker Jax O'Connell discovers a dead body beneath her sales table. Suspected of murder, Jax and her friend Tessa scramble to find the killer among the fanatic shoppers and eccentric vendors. They have their hands full dealing with a scumbag show promoter, hipsters in love, and a security guard who wants to do more than protect Jax from harm. Adding to the chaos, Jax's quirky neighbor Val arrives unexpectedly with trouble in tow. Can Jax untangle the clues before she's arrested for murder?" goodreads
Masters of Glass by M. Coleman Easton
Call Number: PZ3.E13

Publication Date: 1987

"A tired old man and a brash young girl...he was the Vigen of Darst and she is his apprentice, Kyala, the first female ever chosen to learn the magic power of glassmaking. Into the mountains of Winterkill they went, seeking the rare pigment astablak to protect the people of Darst from the revening Lame Ones, who stalked the forests with clawed feet and burning eyes. The way was long and treacherous, through the terrible crags and beyond to the mysterious town of Vanikval, where a renegade glassmaker held the people under his dread command. There began a contest that shook the foundations of their world. Good against evil, man against beast, it would determine who were the true...Masters of Glass." goodreads

The Lizard's Bite by David Hewson
Call Number: PZ4.H61

Publication Date: 2006

"On an August night on a small island near Venice, a fire explodes in a glassmaking shop. When help arrives, two people are dead, a rich Englishman is implicated, and investigators from Rome are assigned a case no one wants them to solve....In this spellbinding new novel featuring Detective Nic Costa, author David Hewson weaves together the rich fabric of Europe’s most beguiling city with a riveting tale of passion, corruption, and the poisonous bite of betrayal." goodreads
Through a Glass, Darkly by Donna Leon
Call Number: PZ4.L57

Publication Date: 2015

"An annotated copy of Dante's Inferno, found at the scene of the crime, may contain the clues Brunetti needs to solve the murder - and uncover who is ruining the waters of Venice's lagoon. But Brunetti needs the help of his wife, Paola, a professor of literature, and his daughter, Chiara, who should be doing her Latin homework. Over long lunches, on secret boat rides, and in quiet bars, as the weather heats up, the flowers come into bloom, and the tourists return in droves, Brunetti searches for the night watchman's killer. But can he unravel the poetic clues before the unseemly death is allowed to be forgotten?" goodreads
The Secret of the Glass by Donna Russo Morin
Call Number: PZ9.M85

Publication Date: 2010

"The Murano glassmakers of Venice are celebrated and revered. But now three are dead, killed for attempting to leave the city that both prized their work and kept them prisoner. For in this, the 17th century, the secret of their craft must, by law, never leave Venetian shores. Yet there is someone who keeps the secret while defying tradition. She is Sophia Fiolario, and she, too, is a glassmaker. Her crime is being a woman." goodreads
Marietta a Maid of Venice by F. Marion Crawford
Call Number: PZ9.C85

Publication Date: 1909

"Very little was known about George, the Dalmatian, and the servants in the house of Angelo Beroviero, as well as the workmen of the latter's glass furnace, called him Zorzi, distrusted him, suggested that he was probably a heretic, and did not hide their suspicion that he was in love with the master's only daughter, Marietta." goodreads
A Hive of Glass by P. M. Hubbard
Call Number: PZ4.H87

Publication Date: 1965

"Johnnie Slade harbours an obsessive love for fine glass objects, so his interest is piqued when he sees photographs of the fabulous Verzelini tazza in a magazine. He follows its trail and finds that someone may already have committed murder to get their hands on it. If, indeed, it ever existed. And what is the relevance of the entry in the dead man's diary that reads 'Dunstreet'? Johnnie finds out what it means - and he also finds Claudia. But his pursuit of both the tazza and the girl are complicated not only by Claudia's blind and autocratic Aunt Elizabeth, but also by the dawning realization that he is not alone in his quest. And death, of course, is just around the corner." goodreads

Lands of Glass by Alessandro Baricco
Call Number: PZ9.B25e

Publication Date: 2002

"The story of two 19th-century visionaries. A small-town glassmaker is commissioned to make the glass for the Crystal Palace by a Parisian architect. They are joined by an extravagant inventor and a steam locomotive in a tale of angry visions, confused emotions and ambition." goodreads
The Gray Cloth by Paul Scheerbart; John A. Stuart (Introduction by, Translator)
Call Number: PZ4.G77e

Publication Date: 2003

"The novel is set forward in time to the mid-twentieth century. The protagonist, a Swiss architect named Edgar Krug, circumnavigates the globe by airship with his wife, constructing wildly varied, colored-glass buildings. His projects include a high-rise and exhibition/concert hall in Chicago, a retirement complex for air pilots on the Fiji Islands, the structure for an elevated train across a zoological park in northern India, and a suspended residential villa on the Kuria Muria Islands off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea. Fearing that his architecture is challenged by the colorfulness of women's clothing, Krug insists that his wife wear all gray clothing with the addition of ten percent white. This odd demand brings him notoriety and sensationalizes his international building campaign. For the reader, it underlines the confluence of architecture with fashion, gender, and global media." goodreads
Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey
Call Number: PZ4.C27

Publication Date: 1997

"Peter Carey's Booker Prize winning novel imagines Australia's youth, before its dynamic passions became dangerous habits. It is also a startling and unusual love story.
Oscar is a young English clergyman who has broken with his past and developed a disturbing talent for gambling. A country girl of singular ambition, Lucinda moves to Sydney, driven by dreams of self-reliance and the building of an industrial Utopia. Together this unlikely pair create and are created by the spectacle of mid-nineteenth century Australia.
Peter Carey's visionary brilliance, and his capacity to delight and surprise, propel this story to its stunning conclusion." goodreads
Threshold by Sara Douglass
Call Number: PZ4.D73 2003

ISBN: 9780732257491

Publication Date: 2003

"Tirzah, a female glass worker, is forced into slavery, and transported to the southern realm of Ashdod, an area dominated by mathmatician-magicians called the Magi. When the Magi start building a special type of pyramid called Threshold, they unwittingly unleash a dark and malignant power." goodreads
The Glass Room by Simon Mawer
Publication Date: 2013

"High on a Czechoslovak hill, the Landauer House has been built for newlyweds Viktor and Liesel Landauer, a Jew married to a gentile. But, when the storm clouds of WW2 gather, the family must flee, accompanied by Viktor's lover and her child. But the house's story is far from over, as it passes from hand to hand, from Czech to Russian." goodreads

The Drowning Tree by Carol Goodman
Call Number: PZ4.G65

Publication Date: 2005

"August Penrose created the stained glass 'Lady Window' to adorn the chapel of the university he founded for the daughters of the women who worked in his factory, the Rose Glass Works. Depicting his wife, Eugenie, as the Lady of Shallot, it's a mesmerising portrait that has come to embody the spirit of the school itself. But now, eighty years after it was created, the 'Lady Window' is due for restoration. The task falls to former alumna Juno McKay. She's restoring it with the help of her friend, Christine Webb, an art historian who is researching the window for her thesis. Christine seems to have discovered some new evidence that suggests that Clare, not her sister Eugenie, was the subject for the 'Lady Window'. But before Christine can discuss her findings with Juno, she's found dead in a boating accident that eerily echoes that fate of the Lady of Shallot. But did she drown or was it something more sinister? As Juno starts to make her own investigations into just how Christine died, she learns more about Augustus Penrose and his family. The 'Lady Window' was not the only thing the Penroses' bequeathed to the world. Madness and deception also form part of their legacy." goodreads
Pane and Suffering by Cheryl Hollon
Publication Date: 2015

"After Savannah's father dies unexpectedly of a heart attack, she drops everything to return home to St. Petersburg, Florida, to settle his affairs--including the fate of the beloved, family-owned glass shop. Savannah intends to hand over ownership to her father's trusted assistant and fellow glass expert, Hugh Trevor, but soon discovers the master craftsman also dead of an apparent heart attack." goodreads
Glass Halo by Colleen Smith
Publication Date: 2010

"Glass Halo is the luminous story of the intellectual, spiritual, and carnal relationship between a lapsed Catholic stained-glass artist and a charismatic but wayward Catholic priest. Together they confront the mysteries of life and death, love and lust, spirituality and creativity. A sensual story of hellish temptation and heavenly grace, Glass Halo addresses vocation, conversion, and the healing power of art." goodreads
Watch Me Die by Erica Spindler
Publication Date: 2012

"Before Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, stained-glass restoration artist Mira Gallier had it all: a thriving business doing work she loved and an idyllic marriage to the perfect man. But the devastating storm stole her beloved husband – his body swept away by floodwaters, never to be found.
Now, after years of pain and turmoil, it looks as if Mira is finally on the verge of peace and emotional stability. But her life, like the magnificent windows blown to bits by Hurricane Katrina, is about to be shattered once again. And this time, it’s not a killer storm she faces, but a psychopath who will stop at nothing until he possesses her, body and soul…" goodreads
Stained Glass Window by Innis Grace
Call Number: PZ4.G72

Publication Date: 2007

"A marital crisis has driven Leigh back to her grandmother's old home where she hopes to heal and find strength. What she finds is a 100 year old journal and a shattered glass window - both clues to a missing treasure and a mystery." goodreads
Death under Glass by Jennifer McAndrews
Publication Date: 2015

"When Carrie’s ex-husband’s office suddenly burns to the ground and Carrie’s own office and apartment are robbed, Georgia has to put down her glass and cutter to get to the bottom of the trouble. Carrie insists she doesn’t have enemies, but Georgia is determined to do everything in her power to find out who’s targeting her friend—and why—before anyone else’s life is smashed to pieces..." goodreads
Ill-Gotten Panes by Jennifer McAndrews
Call Number: PZ4.M46

Publication Date: 2014

"Stained-glass aficionado Georgia Kelly packed up her city life for the quiet of small town Wenwood, New York. But the sleepy village's peace is about to get shattered--by murder. After a banking scandal loses Georgia her job and her fianc©♭, she decides that a change of scenery will help piece her life back together. But escaping to her grandfather's house in the old-fashioned, brick-making Hudson River hamlet of Wenwood, New York, turns out to be less relaxing than she expects. Not only is the close-knit community on edge about their beloved brickworks being turned into a marina to draw in tourists, one of those most opposed to the project winds up dead--cracked over the head with a famous Wenwood brick. Georgia wouldn't be broken up over the news except for the fact that the main suspect is the deceased's biggest adversary--her grandfather. Now, to remove the stain from her grandy's record, Georgia will have to figure out who in town was willing to kill to keep the renovation project alive, before someone else is permanently cut out of the picture." goodreads
The Pilgrim Glass by Julie K. Rose
Publication Date: 2010

"Jonas Flycatcher, a well-respected but prickly artisan is contracted to repair a stained glass found deep in the ancient altar of the cathedral of Mary Magdalene at Vézelay Traveling from California to Burgundy for the project, he meets Abbot Dubay, a worldly priest with a painful secret. Jonas begins the laborious work of restoring the stained glass offering, but when he meets Meredith, an ex-pat photographer who seems to be channeling a 12th century pilgrim, his carefully constructed world - and the ancient glass - are threatened." goodreads
The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards
Call Number: PZ4.E26

Publication Date: 2011

"Lucy Jarrett is at a crossroads in her life, still haunted by her father's unresolved death a decade earlier. She returns to her hometown in Upstate New York, The Lake of Dreams, and, late one night, she cracks the lock of a window seat and discovers a collection of objects. They appear to be idle curiosities, but soon Lucy realizes that she has stumbled across a dark secret from her family's past, one that will radically change her—and the future of her family—forever." goodreads
The Glass Painter's Daughter by Rachel Hore
Call Number: PZ4.H81

Publication Date: 2015

"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 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." goodreads
Pane of Death by Sarah Atwell
Call Number: PZ4.A88p

Publication Date: 2008

"Glassblower Emmeline Dowell finds herself accused of murder after a priceless stained glass collection is stolen and the owner is killed. And since the police chief is also her boyfriend, she needs to crack the case fast before their relationship is permanently shattered." goodreads
Emerald Windows by Terri Blackstock
Call Number: PZ4.B63

Publication Date: 2001

"Seven years ago, devastated by an ugly scandal, Brooke Martin fled the small town of Hayden to pursue a career as a stained glass artist. Now Brooke has returned on business to discover that some things never change. Her spotted reputation remains. Tongues still wag. And that makes what should be her dream assignment tough.
Brooke has been hired to design new stained glass windows at Hayden Bible Church. The job is a career windfall. But Nick Marcello is overseeing the project, and some in the church think Nick and Brooke's relationship is not entirely professional—and as before, there is no convincing those people otherwise.
In the face of mounting rumors, the two set out to produce the masterpiece Nick has conceived: a brilliant set of windows displaying God’s covenants in the Bible. For Brooke, it is more than a project—it is a journey toward faith. But opposition is heating up. A vicious battle of words and will is about to tax Brooke's commitment to the limit. Only this time, she is determined not to run." goodreads
Eyes of the Virgin by Thomas F. Monteleone
Call Number: PZ4.M77

Publication Date: 2003

"A bloody message scrawled by her dying sister-pitches computer programmer Kate Hudson into a storm of conspiracies, assassinations, and espionage. Suspected of murdering her husband and her sister, Kate finds herself hunted by the police and the cabal alike. Can Kate's few allies keep her safe from the unstoppable assassin on her trail long enough for her to find the stolen glass?
And what will she do with it once it is in her hands? Should anyone really know the future?" goodreads
Stained Glass by William F. Buckley
Call Number: PZ4 .B92

Publication Date: 1978

"Stained Glass offers an intricate plot involving the restoration of war-damaged windows in a fabled German chapel. When Blackford Oakes takes a sabbatical from his work as a CIA spy, he ends up in the arms of a beautiful KGB agent -- and on the horns of a dilemma. He must betray her or pull the switch on an old friend who is rallying support for a reunited Germany." goodreads