FICTION

The Great Glass Sea

by Josh Weil
Grove. Jul. 2014. 400p. ISBN 9780802122155. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780802192868. F
COPY ISBN
Twin brothers Yarik and Dima spent their childhood at their uncle's countryside farm, helping in the fields and listening to his folktales at night. Years later, the brothers are grown, living in the city of Petroplavilsk. Vast glass panels form a ceiling, the Oranzheria, over the city, and night is replaced by mirrors floating like satellites in the sky, reflecting light. Yarik has a wife and children and is determined to make a good life for them at any cost. Dima, the nostalgic dreamer, lives with their mother and a rooster in her apartment. When Dima quits his job, causing social and political upheaval, and Yarik encounters the billionaire oligarch who controls Petroplavilsk, irrevocable change enters their lives.
VERDICT After winning several literary awards for a trio of novellas titled The New Valley, Weil creates a tale of longing and sadness, threaded by Russian folklore and heavy with the weight of love, in his first novel. Facing 400 pages, the reader will trudge through some redundant detailing but will be rewarded by a deep emotional bond with the characters and immersion in a landscape and story line full of natural beauty, resplendent and incandescent. [See Prepub Alert, 1/10/14.]
Reviewed by Shannon Greene, Greenville Technical Coll. Lib., SC , May 15, 2014
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

FICTION

Secret Fling with the Billionaire
by Douglas, Michelle
FICTION

Holiday Under Wraps
by Mettner, Katie
FICTION

Tracking Down the Lawman’s Son
by Fossen, Delores
FICTION

Cold Case Protection
by Helm, Nicole
FICTION

One Waltz with the Viscount
by Martin, Laura
FICTION

When Cinderella Met the Duke
by Williams, Sophia
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?