Award-winning historical fiction set in 16th-century Venice
Benjamin Franklin Digital Award
IPPY Award for Best Adult Fiction E-book
National Indie Excellence Award Finalist
Eric Hoffer Award Finalist
Shortlisted for the da Vinci Eye Prize
From the author of Made in Italy comes a tale of artisanal tradition and family bonds set in one of the world’s most magnificent settings: Renaissance … artisanal tradition and family bonds set in one of the world’s most magnificent settings: Renaissance Venice.
Venetian gondola-maker Luca Vianello considers his whole life arranged. His father charted a course for his eldest son from the day he was born, and Luca is positioned to inherit one of the city’s most esteemed boatyards. But when Luca experiences an unexpected tragedy in the boatyard, he believes that his destiny lies elsewhere. Soon he finds himself drawn to restore an antique gondola with the dream of taking a girl for a ride.
The Gondola Maker brings the centuries-old art of gondola-making to life in the tale of a young man’s complicated relationship with his master-craftsman father. Lovers of historical fiction will appreciate the authentic details of gondola craftsmanship, along with an intimate first-person narrative set against the richly textured backdrop of 16th-century Venice.
A Venetian page-turner
“I’m a big fan of Venice, so I appreciate Laura Morelli’s special knowledge of the city, the period, and the process of gondola-making. An especially compelling story.” –Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun
“Laura Morelli has done her research, or perhaps she was an Italian carpenter in another life. One can literally smell and feel the grain of finely turned wood in her hands.” –Pamela Sheldon Johns, author of Italian Food Artisans
“Romance, intrigue, family loyalty, pride, and redemption set against the backdrop of Renaissance Italy.” –Library of Clean Reads
“Beautiful, powerful evocation of the characters, the place, and the time. An elegant and thoroughly engaging narrative voice.” –Mark Spencer, author of Fiction Club: A Concise Guide to Writing Good Fiction
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A wonderful glimpse into a very realistic and plausible past. Clever and well written, this book is fun and artful.
Have not seen a book about life in Venice a few hundred years ago. Book was OK, and narration was good, but seemed a bit disjointed at times.
Great read – wish I’d read when I was in Venice last year – it paints a beautiful picture of what is still a gorgeous, complicated city.
This appaers to have been very well researched. The depictions of Vinice are so accurite I can pick out places I have visited in the past. If you like Venice, you will enjoy this book.
Set in Venice where Lisa spent two summers, I could envision many of the places mentioned. Interesting story of generations of families following a particular trade. And then one son doesn’t want to follow. Story of leaving family behind and figuring out how to make a living on ones own.
I really liked this one! Having been to Venice twice, I received a new perspective on the city, and want to return soon.
Great story with some really tough life choices made by real characters. Excellent read, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It was very interesting to read about a completely different age and culture. The many characters are well-drawn, and their situations although very different from the present day, are acted out by people with the same desires as our own.
I found this book interesting and informative about life in Italy during the spread of the plague. I listyleke the characters that were depicted. The author’s is easy to follow.
Highly researched slice of life.
I loved it until the very end. It was written so well then the end came and I wanted more for the gondola maker than a meeting with his father. I wanted transcendence, I wanted romance, I wanted the gondola maker to be recognized by all for his craft and gift of making gondolas as well as the oars and locks. I guess I wanted him to own Venice and the hearts of its people! Now that’s an ending!!!
Loved it
Good historical fiction
The author’s recreation of the ancient world of the gondola makers of Venice had me so engrossed that when I finished the book, I immediately began researching the topic and fell down an interesting rabbit hole. I loved the historical accuracy and detail, and would happily read anything by this author again.
Reminded me of Ken Follet’s “Pillars of the Earth” except set in Italy and concerns building gondolas rather than cathedrals. A realistic fiction that makes generations of characters and a time in history come alive.
Book ended very abruptly. It was like writer ran out of steam. Poor ending to interesting book.
Loved it. Would read more by the author.
i read this in a day. it could have been longer and i would still have enjoyed it.
you might not think the description of an oarlock would be so interesting, but it had my attention all the way through.
i liked these characters and i liked this little window on this time and place.
I really enjoyed this book. I love historical fiction and finding out things about Venice in 14th century was very entertaining. I would have given the book 5 but it just ended and I thought a better ending would have been more interesting.
Learning exeriance