The Glass Woman is a haunting story set in Iceland in the late 1600s. Opening with the discovery of a frozen body in the sea, we are quickly introduced to Rósa, the unmarried daughter of the late bishop of Skalholt, and Jón, a man whose wife has recently died and is looking to marry again. Uncertain whether she and her mother can survive another harsh winter on their own, Rósa agrees to marry Jón and return with him to Stykkishólmur. As she settles into her new home, she is confronted by local whispers about the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of Jón's previous wife. How exactly did she die, and what killed her?

The premise of a Gothic mystery set in Iceland was greatly exciting to me! I've traveled through Iceland twice now, and the dark, volcanic land is the perfect setting for a Gothic novel. Throughout the book, I could see hints of Rebecca or even Jane Eyre, but the story was still unique and interesting. The plot does unwind slowly, offering tidbits here and there, but the pace was never too slow for me and there was a lot of vivid imagery which helped the story easily come to life in my mind.

I also enjoyed the characters! Rósa is sweet and likable. She experiences the most growth as a character, and I enjoyed her narration of the story. Jón is complex, but the flashbacks add a lot to his story. The well-rounded cast of supporting characters also adds an extra dimension to the story. They greatly add to the mystery and intrigue of this novel.

The ending seemed a little rushed (perhaps because it takes so long to build to that point), but it was also incredibly satisfying. If you enjoy mysteries, historical fiction, or just Iceland in general, this is well worth a read!

Thanks to Caroline Lea, HarperCollins Publishers, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This is a captivating story taking place in Iceland in 1686.
It is about a young woman, Rosa that has agreed to marry Jon. Jon is from another village. He is well off and if she marries him, her mother and the villagers will be given food to sustain them through rough winters.
She discovers that she will be the second wife. His first with, Anna has died from a mysterious fever. There is great mystery surrounding this woman. Living in Jon's croft is a new experience for Rosa. It is well built and larger than she is used to. There is also a loft that is kept locked. She is not allowed inside. At night there are scary stirrings and steps heard from there.
Peter is Jon's helper and friend. They are inseparable.
Through the time Rosa is in this village, you read about the terrifying winters, the hard work, the superstitions, the old beliefs and new beliefs.
It is a saga of love, strength, betrayal. Mostly it is about trying to live your life to the fullest no matter where you are.
This story embraced me and pulled me in from the very beginning. Excellent read!!!

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.

I was really looking forward to reading The Glass Woman. The story had great potential... The lonely wintry Icelandic atmosphere was there. The set up was good--Bluebeard meets Jane Eyre meets Salem Witch Trials (meets The Miniaturist). I had read these plots before and I was excited to see how the author would blend and spin them. I was disappointed. The storytelling was clunky and disorganized. (This sentence may have minor spoilers) The symbolism of the glass woman and a certain bird would have been more impactful if more subtle and not referred to repeatedly and hammered into the reader's imagination. I do, however, think this might find fans in those who liked Burial Rites by Hannah Kent.

"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.