Falcon in the Glass

By Susan Fletcher

A boy must choose between his family's future and saving outcast children in Renaissance Venice.

3.8/5 Goodreads · 403 ratings

336 pages· 63,650 words· Est. 7 hour read

$11.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

In Renaissance Venice, young Renzo faces a daunting test to become a glassblower, fulfilling his late father's wish. But when he meets a girl with a mysterious bond to birds, he discovers a hidden world of outcast children needing his help. Torn between his family's survival and protecting these children, Renzo must navigate a path fraught with danger and secrets. Can he balance his dreams with his newfound responsibilities, or will he be forced to sacrifice one for the other? Dive into this atmospheric tale of courage and choice.

From the publisher

A boy risks his life to save some very special children in this fantasy adventure rife with “moments of real beauty and mystery” (Kirkus Reviews), set amidst the rich backdrop of Renaissance Venice. In Renaissance Venice, the secrets of glassblowing are guarded jealously. Renzo, a twelve-year-old laborer in a glassworks, has just a few months to prepare for a test of his abilities, and no one to teach him. If he passes, he will qualify as a skilled glassblower. If he fails, he will be expelled from the glassworks. Becoming a glassblower is his murdered father’s dying wish for him, and the means of supporting his mother and sister. But Renzo desperately needs another pair of hands to help him turn the glass as he practices at night. One night he is disturbed by a bird–a small falcon–that belongs to a girl hiding in the glassworks. Soon Renzo learns about her and others like her–the bird people, who can communicate with birds and are condemned as witches. He tries to get her to help him, but discovers that she comes with baggage: ten hungry bird-kenning children who desperately need his aid. Caught between devotion to his family and his art and protecting a group of outcast children, Renzo struggles for a solution that will keep everyone safe in this atmospheric adventure.

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