The Christmas season in mid–19th century Bavaria is brought to life in the The Glass Minstrel, a new, original historical novel from acclaimed author Hayden Thorne.
Two fathers, Abelard Bauer and Andreas Schiffer, are brought together through the tragic deaths of their eldest sons. Bauer, a brilliant toymaker, fashions glass Christmas ornaments and his latest creation is a minstrel with a secret molded into its features. When Schiffer sees Bauer's minstrel ornament in the toy shop, he realizes that Bauer is struggling to keep his son's memory alive through his craft. At first he tries to fault him for this, but then recognizes that he, too, is seeking solace and healing by reading his son's diary, a journal that reveals, in both painful as well as beautiful detail, the true nature of his relationship with the artisan's son.
In addition to the story of the two fathers, a third character is central to the plot: fifteen–year–old Jakob Diederich. The young man is burdened with his own secret; he develops an obsession with a traveling Englishman who stays at the inn where Jakob works. The lives of all three men intersect during the holiday as Schiffer tries to focus on his family in the present; Bauer struggles to reconcile his past and Jakob copes with an uncertain future. The lyrical prose and rich period detail will keep the reader engrossed from the very first page in this tale of redemption, hope, and haunting, but timeless, themes.
Review
The Glass Minstrel wasn’t a book that I normally would have chosen to read, judging a book by its cover (literally), however Hayden Thorne writes a fascinating book about love, loss, family, connections and reality. Taking us back to 19th century Bavaria where homosexuality is definitely out of the norm, this story is about two fathers who share in the grief of the shame and loss of their oldest son (Mr. Schiffer) and only son (Mr. Bauer). The fact that the young men were gay only adds to the loss. Schiffer is a wealthy man who views his loss as a threat to his lineage. Mr. Bauer, a glass maker, is a merchant and has lost the only family he had. Each have to deal with this in his own way, though Bauer does so by creating a glass minstrel that resembles his son. Mr. Schiffer reads his son’s journal.
This is a touching and warm story, although tragic. Thorne takes us back with Bauer as he relives moments with his son, who loved music. Each chapter begins with an excerpt from Mr. Schiffer’s son. We can piece their story together by those little glimpses, but this is really about how each respective father deals with death, loss and grief. Although tragic, the story does have some fun and loving qualities to it. Jakob, as the third main character, adds an element that reminds me so much of coming out and how tough life can be.
There was one element to the story that I wish had been detailed a little more and that was how the relationship between Jakob and Carl truly ended. Wishful thinking! Regardless, I loved the book and recommend it as a surprisingly wonder story!
