This is the latest offering in the ‘Magical Venice’ series by Holly Webb, although it can be read as a standalone story as its characters are unique to this tale. Marketed at readers aged 9 and upwards, this is a beautiful tale for children and adults alike.
Mariana lives on the Venetian island of Murano with her glassmaker father, stepmother and sister Eliza, who is seriously ill. While Mariana longs to learn the art of glass making, her father refuses to teach her and instead she spends her time travelling to mainland Venice in search of the ‘perfect potion’ to cure her ailing sister.
A series of events turns the lives of the whole family upside down and Mariana finds herself in charge of protecting a glass doll made in Eliza’s image by her father in an attempt to appease her distraught stepmother. When this plan goes awry, both girls find themselves stationed on the mainland in a palazzo where magic and danger are never far away!
Published on 9th March 2017. With thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Children’s Group for an advanced reading copy.
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