The Glassmaker

by Tracy Chevalier

The Doge of Venice even granted Maria Barovier permission to set up her own small furnace and produce the special bead she had created. A woman tending her own furnace: this was something new. It was unlikely to happen again unless the world changed substantially.

When you already know how to do something, it can be hard to put yourself in the shoes of someone who doesn’t.

“the true value of something is the price which neither side is quite content with, where each thinks he—or she—should get more.”

Nature was continuing its march, indifferent to human suffering. Whatever was happening to people, the world would always be here, the tides flowing in and out, the flowers blooming, the birds singing. It was not an original idea, she knew, but she found it comforting. In a way, humans too continued their march, eating and sleeping and making and loving, whatever the circumstances.