The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea is an atmospheric book set in 17th century Iceland. That makes for a fascinating backdrop for this book, which will appeal to fans of Jane Eyre and The Crucible. This is a well-written book that falls into the literary fiction camp. It has elements of darkness. It isn't an easy read, but it is a compelling story.

Rósa joins her new husband Jón Eiríksson in an isolated Icelandic village. She finds herself facing villages who do not accept outsiders, and there's also the not so small issue that his first wife was buried by Jón in the dead of the night. There's evil lurking and questions abound. This book explores those boundaries.

A literary novel a novel that drew me back in time to the 17th century Iceland.Atmospheric the feel of Rebecca And Jane Eyre at times chilling creepy a unique read highly recommend.On my top ten list for the year, #netgalley #harpercollinsbooks.

"The Glass Woman" excels at capturing the stark beauty of Iceland and the formidable strength of character necessary to survive there during the 17th century. It also managed to throw a few surprises into what could have been a predictable story. Best of all, for me, was how our perceptions of Jón, the Mr. Rochester-like husband of the primary protagonist, are made to change throughout the book. The contrast between the austere setting and style and the almost Grand Guignol events keeps the story rooted in reality, though one could argue that it also keeps the reader at a bit of a distance.

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

Beautiful, haunting, creepfest that has some surprising elements about love and violence as well as Gothic thrills. Also learned a lot about old Iceland that led to my curiosity being peaked and doing some research to fill in the blanks. Fabulous. One of my 2019 favorites

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book, in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be available to purchase on September third.This takes place in the late 1600’s in Iceland. Rosa agrees to marry a rich man she doesn’t know because he will provide food and health care for her sick mother. She’s his second wife: his first having died mysteriously. Her new husband, Jon, is distant and cold, expecting her to stay away from all the villagers, as well as a locked loft in their home. Rosa hears sounds coming from the loft and rumors reach her- maybe she needs to fear her new husband.The strongest part of this book is the desolate setting. The author easily used the loneliness of the small village, as well as Rosa’s isolation, to add to the growing sense of unease the character feels. She begins to wonder whether she can trust her own senses.This was a very unsettling book. I couldn’t stand the husband, Jon, even after reading some things that are supposed to explain his behavior. He didn’t allow Rosa any sort of outside contact, nor did he include her in his life at all. If the author intended for me to want to reach into the book and smack him, then she succeeded magnificently.In fact, none of the small cast of characters was very likable, although I did pity Rosa. I didn’t like how meek she was. I was often annoyed at her while feeling sorry for her at the same time.Trigger warning: There are some very harsh things in this book. I actually struggled with it quite a bit, because of a rape scene (easily skipped, but still very upsetting). That is something I try very hard to avoid reading. Honestly, if I’d known about the scene ahead of time, I wouldn’t have read the book.That being said, if you don’t mind harsher books, this was incredibly well written. It was a slow builder (think drama instead of action), and definitely gets under the skin.

This book was received as an ARC from HarperCollins Publishers in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

At first when I read this book I could not quite catch on to the plot of the story but as I read on the theme and climax started to pick up and the book became more relevant and enjoyable. Everyone can relate to this story when they loose someone they live or something they treasure greatly. Also, this is another example of the gifts and treasures God grants from all the trials and tribulations that might be hidden in the open.

We will consider adding this title to our Christian Fiction collection at our library . That is why we give this book 5 stars.