From the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookseller comes a gripping literary suspense novel set in the 1960s about a deeply troubled family and three women who will reveal its dark truths. In the autumn of 1960, Angie Glass is living an idyllic life in her Wisconsin hometown. At twenty-one, she’s married to charming, handsome Paul, and has just given birth to a baby boy. But one phone … a baby boy. But one phone call changes her life forever.
When Paul’s niece, Ruby, reports that her father, Henry, has committed suicide, and that her mother, Silja, is missing, Angie and Paul drop everything and fly to the small upstate town of Stonekill, New York to be by Ruby’s side.
Angie thinks they’re coming to the rescue of Paul’s grief-stricken young niece, but Ruby is a composed and enigmatic seventeen-year-old who resists Angie’s attempts to nurture her. As Angie learns more about the complicated Glass family, staying in Henry and Silja’s eerie and ultra-modern house on the edge of the woods, she begins to question the very fabric of her own marriage.
Through Silja’s flashbacks, Angie’s discovery of astonishing truths, and Ruby’s strategic dissection of her parents’ state of affairs, a story of love, secrets, and ultimate betrayal is revealed.more
I admired so much about Swanson’s debut, The Bookseller, but was particularly enthralled with her gift for storytelling. This gift is on full display again in The Glass Forest. It starts off as a character-driven family drama centered on the putative suicide of Henry, around whom the relationships swirl. As we get to know the finely drawn cast, the lights dim, the pace accelerates and the smoldering questions catch fire. I raced through the second half, compelled to discover what drove these people to act as they had, to find the truth of their entanglements. Don’t miss this one when it comes out in February; The Glass Forest is taut suspense–completely credible and utterly engrossing.
The Glass Forest follows the story of Silja and Angie, wives of the Glass brothers, and Silja’s daughter Ruby. When the book opens, young Angie is head over heels with her husband, Paul, when the news comes that Paul’s brother Henry has died, apparently by suicide, and his wife Silja has abandoned the family. As Paul, Angie, and their baby prepare to travel to New York to help Paul’s niece, Ruby, Paul has nothing good to say about Silja.
It’s a picture of two families: Paul and Angie, idyllic, and Henry and Silja, dysfunctional. But almost the moment this picture is painted, you start doubting it–and with good reason. I can’t go into any more detail without giving spoilers!
Early in the book, I wasn’t sure I liked any of the characters, but I was curious enough about what the big mystery was that I couldn’t stop reading. And the more of the mystery was revealed–interestingly, it was less earth-shattering than I’d expected, given the tension level, but I didn’t care–the more engrossed I was. Exceptionally well written.
I was introduced to this book thanks to the author looking for someone to run a few Finnish words by, and I was able to help. Then she sent me a copy. Wow–what a great read! A couple of the main characters of Finnish descent but live in the US, but that’s just a kernel of what it’s about. The story follows three women’s POVs through the years, and it’s not until close to the end when we learn what really happened at the beginning. One thing I loved is how well the author played off of the reader’s expectations and natural biases–it’s so easy to assume one thing based on a person’s behavior or something we think we see, but the truth may be something entirely different.
I liked this book. It was unusual but I liked it
Predictable story line. About half way through the book, I figured out the ending. Although I hoped there would be twists and turns, none surfaced, leaving me disappointed in the book as a whole.
Loved the characters….even the evil ones. I felt I was there too! Great author.
Good psychological thriller
Very well written. Lots of surprises.
An average suspense novel. I did like the story being told through different characters, and the gradual revealing of the background story behind the current action.
Some people did not like this book they say it started slow. i honestly never found that. but i would love to know if the characters could come back in another novel
The Glass Forest, now i would love to read whatever else this author writes
Good light reading after a long hard day… beach reading…
It did have a suprise twist to it
Intriguing characters, excellent pace, very suspenseful.
I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. Always kept my interest to see what would happen next. I liked the way the author told the story from 3 different women.
Great plot !!!
The book surprised me in the end, worth the read
Very interesting book. Kept me reading longer than I wanted to
Bleh