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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Love the history. Especially if you were ever in Venice
The first 3/4 is nicely paced, then the author must have had a call from her editor saying she had a day to finish it! Still satisfying tale about 15th century Venice.
Really enjoyed
Original, well written historic novel with interesting, believeable characters set in the colorful detail of Venice in it’s glory, the unique boats there and the tradecraft associated. Some surprising plot twists keep the reader engaged.
The best thing about this book is the descriptions of gondola-making. Lots of good period detail generally. The worst thing about this book is what appears to be sloppy editing. this becomes distracting.
I have visited Venice, but only for a few days one summer. I found it a beautiful, interesting place that was hotter than the hinges of Hell. Interesting to read of other seasons there. I also build boats, but on a much lower quality scale than that applied to gondolas. So the book had a special appeal to me on that level as well. I have done some similar operations in steaming wood to get it to warp and bend as needed to fit. It is intriguing to think of boat builders mixing their own varnishes, stains, and sealants in a time where one just didn’t order them from a big manufacturer. The characters rang true and were consistent. Good book. I enjoyed it.
Great research, fine story. You will care about the Gondola Maker.
Great Historical fiction.
very hard to read and did not hold my attention
Love this book.. Loved that all of these places still exist. Held my interest throughout
I really liked the author’s knowledge about gondolas and this period in Venetian history.
This is one of the few books I have read recently that I have enjoyed reading, not wondering when the end of the book would come! And besides keeping my interest, it has also taught me something about an earlier time and an earlier craft.
I finished this book about 24 hours ago and I am still thinking about the characters and wondering where they went after the last page. Great historical read.
Not to my taste. A bit confusing.
Good historical novel. Interesting story line. Enjoyable read.
The story line seemed predictable but was not. It was interesting reading about Venice during this early time period. And learning all that goes into building gondolas, perhaps a bit more than this layman needed! Clean story line, something hard to find in today’s offerings.
An unusual focus on the process of gondola making creates a rich backdrop for a novel replete with history, art, family drama, love and political intrigue. Set in Venice, this book is a tapestry of characters who weave a unique story. A refreshing subject and interesting story.
Finally, something different. I’m an avid reader and found this story was a great change from most of the books offered. Good, easy read.
Artistic details make plot come alive in this romantic approach to class and income divisions in Venice.
More than anyone needs to know about the making of a gondola, but very compelling.