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From the critically acclaimed author of Universe of Two and The Baker’s Secret comes a novel inspired by the life of Marc Chagall – a gripping tale of hope, healing, and the redemptive power of art ,set against the turmoil of post-World War II France.
Even as the people of France celebrate the end of World War II, they are overwhelmed by the recovery work that lies ahead. Every bridge, road, and rail line, every church, school, and hospital, has been destroyed. Disparate factions – from Communists to Resistance fighters to those who supported appeasement of the Nazis – must somehow unite and rebuild their devastated country.
Asher lost his family during the war, and in revenge he served as an assassin in the Resistance. Burdened by grief and guilt, he wanders the blasted countryside aimlessly. When he arrives at Le Château Guerin, all he seeks is a decent meal. Instead he finds a sanctuary – though it is filled with people who are every bit as damaged as he. Asher is welcomed into a community of wounded souls who are recovering by learning how to turn sand into glass, and glass into windows for the bombed-out cathedrals of France. As Asher finds solace in glassmaking, he discovers he has a genuine talent for it.
Despite its mission of healing and art, the peace at Château Guerin is as fragile as glass, and its traumatized inhabitants struggle to control their sorrow and rage. The men are helped by women who give them meals, shelter, purpose, and in Asher’s case, a relationship that revives his capacity for love.
But Asher has a secret he fears will jeopardize his place at the château. And he is not the only one with something to hide. As the stories of the château’s inhabitants are revealed, Asher and the other artisans struggle toward painstaking recovery — and one remarkable woman offers them all a lesson: repair a window, heal a man, rebuild a nation.
As a journalist and novelist, Stephen P. Kiernan has published nearly five million words.
Stephen’s newest novel, THE GLASS CHATEAU, came out June 20, 2023. He is also author of the novels UNIVERSE OF TWO, THE CURIOSITY (now in television series development), THE BAKER'S SECRET (a regional bestseller), and THE HUMMINGBIRD. He has also written two nonfiction books, LAST RIGHTS and AUTHENTIC PATRIOTISM. His work has been translated into many languages.
