Stephanie Jane reviewed The gondola maker by Laura Morelli
Strong sense of place and time
4 stars
I was invited to join an Italy Book Tours spotlight tour for Laura Morelli's new novel, The Painter's Apprentice, next month. That story takes place in the same historical Venice setting as The Gondola Maker and, on the strength of this first book, I am certainly looking forward to the next in the series!
The eponymous Gondola Maker, Luca, is the son of a boat-building family whose expertise, passed down through the generations, means his life expectations are limited to continuing the family business in which he has grown up. Unexpected - and very plausible - circumstances however see him cast out on his own and I loved how Morelli explores the concept of someone whose fate appeared predetermined now having an opportunity to choose their own path.
Luca is a sympathetic character, somewhat introverted which is unusual for a male lead. He has a keen eye so throughout the …
I was invited to join an Italy Book Tours spotlight tour for Laura Morelli's new novel, The Painter's Apprentice, next month. That story takes place in the same historical Venice setting as The Gondola Maker and, on the strength of this first book, I am certainly looking forward to the next in the series!
The eponymous Gondola Maker, Luca, is the son of a boat-building family whose expertise, passed down through the generations, means his life expectations are limited to continuing the family business in which he has grown up. Unexpected - and very plausible - circumstances however see him cast out on his own and I loved how Morelli explores the concept of someone whose fate appeared predetermined now having an opportunity to choose their own path.
Luca is a sympathetic character, somewhat introverted which is unusual for a male lead. He has a keen eye so throughout the book we are treated to gloriously vivid descriptions of sixteenth-century Venice. I loved this aspect of the novel! I have visited Venice myself so particularly enjoyed imagining the colours, energy and aromas depicted! Morelli obviously has a great love for the city herself and this comes through, via Luca, in her writing. She must also have spent many hours researching this historical period and the craft of gondola building because this aspect of the novel always felt authentic and honest to tradition.
In reading The Gondola Maker, I was reminded of the historical richness of books by Tracy Chevalier and Jessie Burton. Perhaps this story does not quite have the intricacies and depth of of those authors' works, but it is a satisfying read with a strong sense of its place and time.
