The Glass Harmonica by Louise Marley
Ace Books, September 12,2000
ISBN: 0441007295 - paperback
Adult Fantasy / Historical to 2018

Reviewed by Sue Johnson, MyShelf.com
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Eilish Eam, an Irish orphan, is saved from a life on the streets of London by Benjamin Franklin, after he hears her playing musical glasses for money. Franklin has developed a new instrument, known as the glass harmonica, that works on the same principle, and needs a musician to help tune and play it. Eilish's life takes a turn for the better when she is allowed to move in to Franklin's home, where she makes friends with another famous musician. However, she cannot forget her past and the handicapped child she had to leave behind.

Fast forward to the year 2018. Erin Ruston, a fine musician of the glass harmonica, is living in an America of a very different time. The well-to-do are living in luxury, while the poor are sent to live in the squalor of tent cities. Soon after being allowed to play the original glass harmonica, Erin begins seeing visions of the young Eilish.

Erin's brother suffers a neurological disease and is wheelchair-bound. Through these visions of Eilish, Erin begins to realize that the glass harmonica may have the power to either heal a person or drive them insane.

This is not my usual type of read, as it borders on science and historical fiction, but the story is well-presented and quickly captured my attention. The writer, Louise Marley, is an opera singer, and her knowledge and love of music are quite evident in her words.

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