The Glass Painter's Daughter - Rachel Hore

Rachel Hore's third novel (458 words)
by cerys82 - written on 29/04/10 (Very useful, 27 readings)
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Fran is a successful tuba player who travels around the world in orchestras when suddenly she is called back to London as her estranged father has suffered a stroke. On returning, she finds him gravely ill and unresponsive and so sets about trying to sort out his stained glass business along with her father's assistant and expert craftsmen Zac. One of the first jobs she is called to do is to help with the planned restoration of a nearby church's stained glass window which has been broken. Trying to physically piece the window back together requires her to more metaphorically put together the history of the window in the first place so that they can recreate it accurately. In ...

The Glass Painter's Daughter - Rachel Hore

An actionpacked look into Victorian romance and family probl ... (269 words)
by Blonde_passion - written on 18/01/10 (Very useful, 10 readings)
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Despite reading a previous book by this author and deciding not to read any more of her work, I found myself reading this. The book is written about Mel, who is trying to put together a shattered Victorian glass window with an angel image on it. As she fixes it, she discovers a Victorian diary, filled with information about a love story. The man who designed the window, a pre Raphaelite artist, was madly in love with the Minister's daughter Laura. His feelings are beautifully expressed, and I found myself enjoying reading about the two. The story also tells of Mel and her own dad. Hore describes how Mel returns to her fathers home and business so brilliantly that you ...

The Memory Garden - Rachel Hore

Pleasant, but slow moving. (239 words)
by Blonde_passion - written on 18/01/10 (Very useful, 13 readings)
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After reading 'The Forgotten Garden', by Kate Morton, Amazon recommended this. I'd loved Kate's book so much that I ordered this one right away! The similarities are obvious, as both stories feature characters spread across the ages. This one involves Melanie Pentrath, a heartbroken author. She's decided she cannot stay in her home, and relocates to Cornwall to write a book on the town's painters. And, she hopes, heal her broken heart. While I didn't like her initially, she grew more likeable as the story progressed. The second character, Pearl Treglown, is discovered when Mel and her landlord go walking in the garden. The garden guards many secrets, which are well ...