The Glass Ocean is a historical novel about three fascinating women. What is especially intriguing about this novel is that each of the three authors wrote one of the storylines--and they have not revealed who wrote which! It's a mystery I'm trying to unravel by reading their other books. The collaboration of Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White seamlessly meshes the storylines together, leading the reader riveted.
Three strong characters
Don't ask me which of the characters I like the most. If you did, I might say Tess, which surprises me because she is the least like me! Tess had an unconventional upbringing and uses her artistic skills to create forged paintings that get sold for a profit. She wants out of the "family business," but is strongly tied to her older sister--surprises abound there. Tess is aboard the Lusitania in 1915 to forge documents.
Caroline is a debutante married to a wealthy steel magnate who is trying to outrun his humble upbringing and become part of New York's high society. She is also attracted to a male acquaintance from her home in the south.
Sarah is a historian whose first book, Small Potatoes, on the Irish potato famine, was a big hit, but five years later she hasn't written anything new, and paying for her elderly mother's care has drained her bank accounts.
Each of these women has a distinct, saucy or confident, sweet or serious, funny or surprising character. Their dialogue is unique to their character and their relationships reflect their values. Hmmm - maybe that's easier when you're only focusing on one character...
Three dynamic stories
Tess is participating in a scam; Caroline is fending off a potential lover and trying to rekindle love for her husband; Sarah is trying to make a comeback with a new book on her great-grandfather (who just happened to work on the Lusitania.
Who will get caught? Who will fall in love? Who will survive the German's torpedo striking the Lusitania? There is enough intrigue in each storyline to keep the reader engaged. Possibly Sarah's storyline has a bit less drama, but the romance plot keeps it going.
Pick-up-the-thread transitions
The triad of skilled authors creates a thread of transitions between the chapters, which alternate between the three characters. Read these examples:
End of chapter 10 - "Surrounded, you might say, by all his secrets"
Start of Chapter 11 - "With a flourish, Jones help up the pale pink silk tulle and linen tape lace afternoon dress, her expression like one who'd just exposed a secret."
End of Chapter 11 - "G. Forgive me."
Start of Chapter 12 - ""Pardon me," said Tess."
End of Chapter 16 - "Don't mess with my Rubik's Cube while I'm gone..."
Start of Chapter 17 - "Caroline felt as if she were playing a game..."
Too much of this could become annoying, but I found myself looking forward to how they would connect one chapter to the next.
Reading the book convinced me, inspired me, to revisit my historical novel and introduce more trauma, conflict, and suspense to Joanna's storyline. A slave who escapes during the Revolutionary War has drama aplenty, but my biracial heroine in early 19th century England leads a charmed life. I'm going to make her life a bit more difficult!
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Williams, Beatriz, Lauren Willig, and Karen White. The Glass Ocean. William Morrow, 2018.
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