Et cetera : What we're reading: Glass

Review of 'Glass' by Kathryn Lasky

Although this book has "A Cinderella Tale" printed on the cover, it really didn't have that much in common with the classic. There was, of course, the ubiquitous glass slipper, but not exactly as it appeared the first time. Bess does have a father, and instead of the wicked stepmother and wicked stepsisters, we have "Grannie Craft," a wand and a witch!

Beautiful young Bess is a member of a family of glassblowers, renowned for their exquisite work. She lives in a large house made of glass which is extremely beautiful, catching the rainbow lights reflected by the sun; everyone in the house except Bess wears sunglasses to protect their eyes from the piercing, bright rays. The gardens, grass, bushes and flowers are all formed of glass, and although they are very pretty, they are dangerously sharp and have no fragrance at all. Bess is saddened by this, but she has her woodland creatures to talk to.

When Bess' sinister uncle allows her to plant an actual garden of flowers and vegetables, she is overjoyed to have a source of sustenance for her friends and the birds, bunnies and squirrels. This, however, evolves into the worst kind of horror for poor Bess!

This book may be a little hard for the youngest readers, with its number of characters and locations, but is a true fairytale and I heartily recommend it. Goodreads gave it a 3.75; I give it 9/10. Happy reading!

~Connie