Glass Hearts

by Terri Paul

Book Overview

This remarkable first novel centers around Serene, a young girl whose father has vanished from their small Hungarian village just before World War I, leaving his beleaguered Jewish family to fend for... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0897334701
• ISBN13: 9780897334709
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Academy Chicago Publishers
• Length: 322 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A book where opposites coexist.

An enchanting, and enchanted, one of a kind book. The setting -- Transylvania in and around World War I -- is part fantasy, but mostly fairly grim reality. One of the greatest achievements of this book is how it creates an atmosphere in which fairy tales and war realities feed off each other. Almost all the characters came vividly to life for me, especially Serene, the young heroine, who goes through a series of adventures reminiscent of those of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. A sterling addition to the field of magic realism

A compelling tale of a compelling time.

I was fortunate enough to receive a review copy of this story...fortunate, because this is without doubt one of the most endearing, enrapturing books I've read in a decade. This tale of young Serene goes far beyond the effects of WWI on a Jewish family in a small eastern European village. The upheavals of everyday life make war almost a distant thing -- until it enters the town itself. And it's all seen freshly, through the eyes of a young girl. Like all young children, Serene sees her world as a mixture of fantasy and reality. This metaphor of Old World crashing and fusing with New is crafted magically by the author. The narrator's imagery and portrayal of a culture rooted in this region of the world (which remains so poorly understood by our dominant American culture) should resonate strongly with ANY reader who hasn't forgotten how near the spirits of his immigrant ancestors really lurk. This is not just Serene's story. This is OUR story -- the story of every child uprooted from the Old World and thrust into the New. Like the buttery Papa melting away in the book's opening line, this magical tale will melt your heart for young Serene...and for your own immigrant ancestors who lived their facet of this story.

Watch out! You won't be able to put it down!!!

This is the fantastic story of a family in transition, their flight from World War I, and their eventual immigration to America, as told by young Serene. Through the eyes of this child, the story is filled with love, hope, and magic. I enjoyed it immensely and couldn't put it down.

delightful foray into a world of magical realism

I picked up Glass Hearts at lunch and couldn't put it down. I love her writing. I love the way she handles the point of view of little girls. I love the way she mixes mysticism and realism without batting an eye.

Glass Hearts touched my heart.

Set in WWI-era Hungary, Glass Hearts tells the story of a young girl named Serene, for whom life is both a painful struggle and a beautiful, magical place where the most odd and wonderful things happen. Historically, the book shows us how a fatherless family could survive in Eastern Europe during this difficult, tumultuous time. What makes this book utterly distinctive, however, is the voice of Serene, who melds real life with superstition and magical realism, luring us into a world that feels both new and ancient. She is a fresh-faced girl revealing to us the Old World lives of our ancestors, and reminding us that the strange and mysterious will always exist for those willing to believe. Both beatifully written and a good read, Glass Hearts will be enjoyed by those who love great characters and wonderful prose, as well as those intrigued by history