After 40 years of marriage, Olivia’s husband unexpectedly passes away. But when Ben’s will reveals a life-altering secret, she suffers a blow no widow should ever experience.Olivia learns that she gave birth to a baby who later died in the nursery. Instead of telling his wife what happened, Ben switched the child with another. And as if that’s not enough, Ben’s will doesn’t reveal which of their … of their five sons is truly not hers.
Olivia visits each of her sons to share a final connection before facing the truth that will change their family, and discovers that each of them has been harboring a painful secret, just like their father. But will the secrets destroy their family, or bring them closer together?
Praise:
★★★★★ – “Cudney’s debut novel is both atmospheric and contemplative, and delivers a gut punch of family angst, devotion, and heartbreaking love.”
★★★★★ – “The plot is well-thought out and intricately and methodically crafted. The execution is great, especially the last several chapters are stunningly beautiful. An astounding read.”
★★★★★ – “A wonderful novel that I highly recommend to anyone.”
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Olivia Glass has the ideal life with five wonderful grown sons, grandchildren, and a successful husband. It all begins to crumble when her husband, Ben, dies in an automobile accident. Worse than facing life without him, is the letter he left behind, explaining that one of their children isn’t really hers. When her baby was born dead, Ben switched the infant with a different child the birth mother wanted to adopt out. But which of her five sons?
Determined to unearth the truth before sharing it with her children, Olivia decides to visit each son in their home. This is where Cudney weaves a tangled web, family drama at its best. As the book progresses, Olivia is confronted by shock after shock, realizing each son has kept a personal secret from her and others. Five brothers, five secrets.
Each brother is thoroughly fleshed out with his own particular strengths and weakness. Olivia’s character becomes clear through her actions and how others see and interact with her. There are explosive moments, heart wrenching moments, touching moments, splashes of humor. As a reader, you’ll feel frustration, melancholy, joy and contentment. The author deftly pulls multiple heartstrings in this tale of a family imploding, only to come out stronger in the end. And let’s not forget, that among these five men, one is not really Olivia’s son.
A thoroughly satisfying read!
Ben and Olivia Glass, who have five sons, have been married for forty years. They have the the perfect marriage and the perfect family; five wonderful sons – until Ben is suddenly killed in a road accident, It is then that Olivia’s world begins to fall apart. During the reading of Ben’s Will, the solicitor hands Olivia two letters, both of which, her husband had written before his death. One, was addressed to her, which she opened when her sons had left the solicitors office. Reading the letter, she was stunned to learn that Ben had been harboring a secret for many years – one of their cherished sons was not really their own. However, he doesn’t reveal which one. That she will only learn at a later date. The other letter is to remain unopened and passed on to the son in question at a later date.
As all the boys are grown up and have moved out of the family home, Olivia makes the decision to spend a week with each one of them in an effort to find out for herself which is not her real son. Surely something would give him away now that she knew what she was looking for. But on her visit to each of their homes, she is shocked to learn that each one of them is hiding a secret of their own.
To give anymore away at this point would only spoil it for those who are planning to add it to their reading list. If you aren’t, then you are missing a really good read. The book is well written, the characters are well developed and author James J. Cudney well deserves the 5 stars I am awarding him here. I was glued to my chair from the moment I started reading. Don’t miss this outstanding book.
Highly recommended.
“Watching Glass Shatter” is a fictional drama that centers on the wealthy Glass Family. Olivia lost her husband after 40 years of a wonderful marriage. She is surrounded by her five sons after his death when she learns her husband kept a secret from her. This takes her on a journey of learning about herself and her sons. I admit I wasn’t a big fan of Olivia at first. She was very opinionated and self-absorbed. I loved her visits to each of her son’s households. This is where she learned more than expected from her excursion. There was some laugh out loud moments and some that brought tears to my eyes. The characters were well developed and were able to grow as the story went forward. I dreaded the final reveal of the secret but was completely satisfied with how it was handled. If you love a good drama, with a wonderful insight into the family dynamics, you won’t want to miss this book.
A letter from the grave will rip everything a family believes apart
The Glass family are rich, well-liked, family-orientated. But all of that disintegrates under the burden of a secret so devastating it’s hard to comprehend.
A child lost.
A lie kept.
Will the family be able to overcome their patriarch’s betrayal, or will it destroy them all?
Told from the perspective of each of the Glass family members, the reader gets to experience their pain, anger, cyniscim, and doubt.
The author weaves lives together finesse, and an eye to detail that makes this story a joy to read. This isn’t my first James Cudney book, and it won’t be the last!
Another excellent read from author James J. Cudney.
For anyone coming from a large sized family this book will only confirm that brothers and sisters, and sometimes our parents, don’t share everything with us as they tend to operate on a need to know basis. Especially as we don’t necessarily reveal every side to our nature when it might go against other people’s expectations of us, real or imagined.
There are five brothers all grieving the untimely death of their father, all with different emotions about their connection to him and also their mother Olivia. On the surface Olivia is elegant with a perfect home and life laid out meticulously, leaving her sons with a sense of coolness and detachment, despite her own way of showing her love for them. This has forced some of them to keep secrets from her in case of upsetting the status quo. From what we hear about their father Ben, he was much more attuned to the events in their lives even if he might not have acknowledged their choices whilst alive.
Whilst dealing with her own grief at the loss of the love of her life, Olivia now is faced with a dilemma about how she handles the secret she has now been made aware of. Which one of her sons is not the one she gave birth to? And how can she forgive her husband Ben for his actions and for leaving her to clear up the mystery on her own. Sensibly she decides to spend time with all of her sons before reaching a decision, and in doing so uncovers other truths she was unaware of, some of which are hurtful and some devastating.
For me Olivia is well crafted central and complex character, with what appears to be a coldness, but which is really a facade hiding a doubts about her abilities of a mother and her perceptions of how she is regarded by the society she has grown up within. Throughout the story we watch as she dismantles this facade to reveal the warmer and more genuine person beneath.
We also get to know each of the sons in turn discovering their secrets and their misconceptions about how they will be received. It shows what most of us know, that much of the time we misjudge how others are going to react, projecting our fear onto them. Usually we find they already know and have accepted the situation without judgement.
There is much miscommunication to sort out and James Cudney does this very well, with understanding and compassion as well as a realistic view about family life and relationships. There is tragedy ahead but that too brings another element to the story that strengthens the bonds between the brothers and their mother.
This process is facilitated by another well developed character, Olivia’s sister Diane, childless and recently divorced, and who is an impartial, loving, non-judgemental sounding board for both her sister and her nephews as they re-establish their connection to each other and mysteries are revealed.
I came away from reading the story with a renewed sense of appreciation of my own family, as I realised how easy it is as we grow older to detach ourselves from the lives of those close to us, only sharing what we think they might want to hear, instead of who we really are.
I recommend Watching Glass Shatter to anyone who enjoys well written family sagas with the mystery at the heart of the story, skillfully kept hidden until the last pages.
James Cudney has weaved a superb poignant family drama, with intricately woven characters, a stealthy family plot, reconciled painstakingly to the last tear producing page. I laughed, cried, and ached with the main protagonist, Olivia. An author producing these emotions is truly a gifted writer.
A sense of urgency, present from the first page, continues with one devastating blow after another. The main character, Olivia Glass, is dealt a life-shattering secret that could devastate a family already mourning their deceased father. Olivia thoughtfully orchestrates a plan that throws the reader into the lives of each of her lovable, realistic five sons. I love the angle Mr. Cudney weaved skillfully as Olivia reenter her son’s imperfect worlds, discovering more secrets, and one heartache more dire than the first.
Mr. Cudney addressed many contemporary issues that plague modern-day families—depression, anxiety, drug abuse, infidelity, homosexuality, breaking away from a career chosen by family and pursuing one’s own passion, and more. And from each issue, this book reminds you how important family is. No matter how far we fall, they are our anchor, our security.
Watching Glass Shatter is a page-turner I couldn’t and didn’t want to put down. The Glass Family shards will prick your mind and scrape your heart. I highly recommended this book to all readers.
I loved this. Fantastic family drama, strong female characters, so moving it made me cry! Enjoyed the characterisation of all the five brothers. All so different and engaging. Great characters, and dialogue. Interesting look at how shocking secrets exist in families and how circumstances can alter how we deal with them when they are revealed. The story line elaborates on many important concerns within the family dynamic: vulnerabilities, mistakes made and forgiven, pressure to succeed, the far reaching consequences of drug dependency, ‘coming out,’ accepting a love one’s different lifestyle choices and learning to forgive a husband’s decision, whilst coping with the most terrible heartbreak to remain strong. The beginning and end are powerful. My recommendation 5 stars read this!
Reading this novel made me wonder whether those who pass away will ever find out the truth, or is truth unnecessary and overrated, as long as there’s love. I know that sounds deep, but this is a sensitive, well researched story that deserves attention. Honestly, I think you’ll love it. I did.
A family saga best described by Zach’s vine tattoo. Teddy doesn’t believe in happy endings anymore, Caleb’s married, the Red Sox are heading for the playoffs and Olivia doesn’t think she’ll ever “get to dance in a magic that heals the world.” But all is not lost. There are surprises all over the place and the sun sparkles on shards of glass. In other words, there is hope and gleams of future happiness.
When Olivia’s husband dies, she feels her family is falling apart. With five sons going in different directions, maybe it’s time she communicated with them, on their terms. Somehow, she gains strength, by changing her own views. There’s one giant problem, and it has to do with two mysterious letters from her husband, handed to her at the reading of his will. Letters that could change everything, and will make you read every last word of “Watching Glass Shatter”.
The story line of this novel featured a well-developed, engaging plot that slowly revealed itself, layer-by-intricate-layer, taking many shocking twists and turns along the way, until the picture of a seemingly-perfect family was irrevocably marred by a myriad of dark secrets and painful lies.
These characters were beautifully-written, imbued with great depth and substance, and were likable, complex, multi-faceted and heart-warming. Cudney brought each of them to life by uniquely and poignantly showcasing their flaws, weaknesses, struggles and strengths – traits easily recognizable in us all. And, because of that, I found it so very easy to become emotionally invested in them.
I also thought that Cudney did an excellent job of highlighting the individual lives of each character while, at the same time, seamlessly intertwining their stories to weave a rich and captivating tapestry of familial love, loss and loyalty. Every nuance of this book made me so keenly and deeply feel the character’s emotions, that I found myself doing something that I have never done before – I turned off my Kindle and put it away a few chapters before the end of the book. I knew what was going to happen, and I surmised that as long as I didn’t read those last chapters, certain events would not be able to come to pass. Silly, I know. But, that is how real the story felt for me, and I was NOT ready for what I knew MUST come.
Finally, when I could stand the suspense no more, I pulled out my box of tissues and finished the book. And, even though it was every bit as heart-wrenching as I thought it would be, I also found an unexpected and gloriously-fantastic rainbow after the deluge of tears.
I will remember this book for a long time to come, and I highly recommend it. I don’t lightly give a read a 5-star review, and it is very apparent that Cudney definitely “put in the work” to warrant earning this one.
This was simply a GREAT read, and a MUST for your TBR list!!!
What would you do if the love of your life and husband of forty years dies and leaves you a letter with a confession, so shocking, that if he were alive you’d want to kill him anyway? That’s what happened to Olivia Glass who now must decide what to do with the contents of the letter which has dramatic consequences for one of her five sons.
This is a great premise which hooked me with the blurb. The fact that one son is affected by the behaviour of the father drives the reader to want to know which one and we are well and truly put into Olivia’s shoes as she waits to discover who, and when she does, faces the dilemma of telling him.
Each of the characters are well drawn as we are led through each of their stories one by one and discover, like Olivia that they all have their own secrets. Although there are a lot of characters as each son has his own family and Olivia is supported by her sister, Diane, I didn’t feel it was too much as the author takes his time to explore each one carefully and methodically. I wasn’t hard to find myself thoroughly absorbed by this family.
I follow James Cudney’s blog (https://thisismytruthnow.com/ ) and have been interested in his writing and in particular his book reviews for a while. I wasn’t disappointed by this well written novel of family drama full of secrets and twists. Get yourself a copy.
Olivia Glass is prematurely widowed, and soon learns that her late husband maintained a tragic secret – of the loss of one of her five sons in childbirth. He replaced the baby with that of another woman’s child. The identity of the child is written in a letter held by her lawyer – to be opened at a later date.
As she sets out to visit each of her sons in turn Olivia discovers Teddy, Caleb, Matthew, Ethan and Zach are hiding their own secrets. She also has to face her own demons as the truth unfolds…
The author has created a wonderful cast of characters in a riveting plot, that is both poignant and at times incredibly humorous.
It kept me spellbound until the last page.
Every family has secrets. Some have more than others.
Olivia Glass lives what some people would call the perfect life. She’s married to a successful attorney with five grown sons, is the chair for several charitable organizations, and lives in an upscale neighborhood in Connecticut.
But Olivia’s world comes tumbling down when her husband Ben dies in a car accident. At the reading of his will, the attorney gives Olivia two handwritten letters from Ben. It shocks her to learn he kept a secret from her involving one of their sons. Trouble is, she doesn’t know which one.
Before she reveals the contents of the letters to her family, she visits each son in their homes. And she soon learns each one has secrets of his own—all with the potential to destroy the family.
Often when reading a book, I have a favorite character. It was hard to pick just one in this story, as they are all well-developed with both good qualities and flaws. The book will stir your emotions—there is laughter, anger, sorrow—all combined into a compelling plot.
If you like drama and stories about family dynamics, I recommend this book. The second of the series is already on my Kindle, and I look forward to reading it.
Five stars!
The title alone intrigued me. I already knew that James J. Cudney IV, was a fabulous writer and I already loved his writing style. I knew that it would be a great read, but I had no idea it would be so superb and that I would spend hours reading it while ignoring everything that went on around me, honestly, if my house had burnt down around me I probably would not have noticed.
I didn’t answer my iPhone, or make dinner or finish the laundry, I was so taken by it, so entranced by it, that I could do nothing else but read this novel that is as true to life as anything I have ever read. The people in this novel, come to life as real as you and me. James J. Cudney IV’s novel brings a realism to this novel, Watching Glass Shatter, like no other that I have ever read. It is so real in every conceivable way.
Normally, when I read a book, I know it is fiction, but not this story, no, anything but fiction. This story is like stepping into a family’s life in a very intimate way, observing, as though you are their invisible friend, and wanting so much to give advice, to hold a hand when tears flowed, to cheer when things go as planned, to grieve when they grieved, to respect their choices, even though poorly chosen, but necessary.
When I finished reading the last sentence, I knew I didn’t want it to end even though it was after midnight. I realized I had been reading for many hours without stopping for nether food nor drink. I knew in an instant that I would never forget this family, their lives, their losses, and their triumphs. I also knew I would be buying the print version today.
I give this story 5 stars and it doesn’t seem fair…it should 10 stars!
Watching Glass Shatter by James J Cudney is wonderful. It’s funny, touching, sad…and full of well developed characters. It’s about a big family who has lost their patriarch. Their father’s death has revealed a devastating secret to the mother of the Glass siblings. Tension builds as each of her five adult sons wants to know “…what’s in the letter, mom?” This in reference to the letter their late father wrote. While mom struggles with how to share with her sons this secret, she discovers her sons all have secrets of their own. Can this family survive the secrets they must eventually share with one another? A story of a matriarch’s strength and willingness to face up to her own flaws. The first step in helping her sons face theirs. Death, grief, resilience are all themes that Cudney has successfully tackled. A very satisfying read!
I’m glad that the first book I’ve read in the new year is the book from the author I very much respect and love reading, James J. Cudney. I can say nothing but praise for his debut novel Watching Glass Shatter, a moving family drama with strong and memorable characters, which I’ve read after all his other books published to this day.
Two letters that Benjamin Glass leaves to his wife Olivia after his unexpected death, explode with a threat of shattering the whole family. Supported by her sister Diane, Olivia struggles with many family secrets she learns about while visiting each of her five sons. Will she be able to reunite them as a family as each secret cuts her heart like a shattered piece of glass?
Watching Glass Shatter is an impressive portrait of the Glass family members with their real problems, successes and quickly-to-like personalities. It is a story of sadness, pain and love, but also a story of humanity and determination to rise from the sorrow and differences and build a garden where everyone will belong and bloom.
A note to the author: I uncovered Ben’s secret already in Chapter 2 after the family gathering to read his will. That should be a compliment, for you allowed me to connect and empathize with Ben’s sons and their personal situations so early in the book. Thanks and kudos!
Olivia Glass’s husband dies suddenly, leaving her alone except for her five grown sons and unmarried sister. Ben Glass also leaves her two letters – one informing her that he switched one of their sons at birth with another baby born the same day after their real son died shortly following birth. He doesn’t reveal which son it is, but the second letter is to be given to that son after the birth mother is contacted. Olivia is shocked as much by this secret her husband has kept from her all these years even more than by his death. She decides to spend time with each man before she opens the letter that will reveal the identity of the one who isn’t her son. She also makes arrangements via her lawyer to find the birth mother.
As Olivia visits each son, she discovers they also are keeping secrets. One is gay and married and about to adopt a child; another is addicted to pain medication; one has slept with one of his brother’s wives to help her conceive; one wants out of the company business to become an artist; and one is dying.
As Cudney deftly moves the plot along, the reader feels like they are part of this struggling family. Each character is well drawn, and the mystery behind which one is the switched son keeps you turning the pages or swiping your e-reader.
Although this wasn’t my general type of read, I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to read more books by this author. This was his first novel, and it definitely showed how talented a writer he is. I highly recommended it.
Families aren’t easy, filled with flawed humans who bounce off each other in myriad directions, some sweet, some chaotic. When a family is full of secrets, things can get pretty tangled. Ben Glass was the glue that held his family together, and when he’s killed in a traffic accident, his widow Olivia and their five grown sons start the process of shattering.
Olivia struggles for control, and one by one begins interfering in her sons’ lives. She is the keeper of one of Ben’s secrets, but the young men have secrets of their own, and like an overpowering mother, she tries to “fix” everyone and “fix” their relationships. There were definitely points in the book where I wanted to shake her. That said, there aren’t any villains in this story, and I appreciated that real-life quality.
Without giving too much away, the family’s journey through grief and separation into repair is the main focus of the plot. A lot of detail and description gives the book a leisurely but steady pace. The characters are thoroughly developed, three dimensional and unique, with full emotional lives. I felt a lot of empathy for all of them, even for Olivia as she bungled along, an imperfect person who wants so much to manage her family into healing. In many ways, the story is about family strength and love. Recommended for readers of family sagas and literary fiction.
The Glass family is well off, having built up a successful law firm which was to be the family business. Although the story is well-written, it seemed to me that things seemed to resolve a little too easily to be fully believable to me. It is a very different world in which I live, but maybe money does bring with it the solutions to many of life’s difficulties more easily.
See my full review at: https://writingtoberead.com/2021/07/21/watching-glass-shatter-some-secrets-are-better-left-buried/
Watching glass shatter: by James J Cudney
The Glass family are all together waiting for the last will of Oliva Glass’ husband Ben to be read. However, there is more than what is written in the will to be disclosed. Ben has kept a terrible secret from his wife. He admits what he has done in a letter to her and gives her a second letter to be given to one of her five sons at a later date.
While Olivia, the matriarch of the family, sets the wheels in motion to find a missing person, she decides to visit each of her sons in turn. Her aim is to learn more about them and decide whether to give them the letter or not.
What she discovers is that each son is hiding a secret of his own, and her life becomes more complicated than she could have ever imagined.
As more and more secrets and lies are revealed, the missing person is located, and time is running out. Can Olivia solve everyone’s problems? And will she be strong enough to piece the shattered Glass family back together again?
This is a great book, that will probably make you cry – but it’s well worth it.
A great family saga. I really enjoyed this story about a family with five sons. Everything appeared normal on the outside, but inside there were cracks.
We follow Olivia, their mother as she tries to reconnect with each of her sons after her husband is killed in an accident.
There is also a devastating family secret revealed only to her at the reading of the will. One of her sons is not blood-related. The babies were switched at birth. While visiting each son, Olivia has to figure out which one it could be and at the same time cursing the husband she loved for not revealing this to her when he was alive.
A great story!