The Glass Forest by Cynthia Swanson
Publisher: Touchstone
Release Date: February 6, 2018
Length: 352 pages
Amazon

{A Bit of Backstory}

Single Sentence Summary

Silja, Angie, and Ruby, three women tied to the Glass brothers by birth or marriage, slowly learn the pair aren’t quite the men they appear to be.

From the Publisher

“In the autumn of 1960, Angie Glass is living an idyllic life in her Wisconsin hometown. At twenty-one, she’s married to charming, handsome Paul, and has just given birth to a baby boy. But one phone call changes her life forever.
When Paul’s niece, Ruby, reports that her father, Henry, has committed suicide, and that her mother, Silja, is missing, Angie and Paul drop everything and fly to the small upstate town of Stonekill, New York to be by Ruby’s side.”

The Draw

• I loved Swanson’s debut, The Bookseller.
• The idea of a suspense novel wrapped around a family.
• Fun era of the 40’s-60’s.

{My Thoughts}

What Worked For Me

Multiple Perspectives – One of the things I liked best about The Glass Forest was Swanson’s use of three different perspectives to methodically build this dysfunctional family mystery. From Silja, married to Henry, we learn about their whirlwind romance which ended with a quick wedding and pregnancy just before Henry shipped out to WWII. Silja’s part of the story covers the most time, moving from the 40’s right up until the point where she disappears in 1960. Angie, brother Paul’s very young wife and a bit of a ninny, often finds herself in the dark, but slowly gains the wherewithal to stand on her own two feet. Ruby, Henry and Silja’s daughter, adds even more layers to the mystery surrounding her parents, and she proves to be a most unreliable character.

Mid-Century Milieu – I always enjoy a book that uses time appropriate cultural references so well, and Swanson did just that. Paul smoked nonstop on a cross-country plane ride and Ruby mused about the duck and cover drills they had to do in school. Henry was on the lookout for Commies. Angie had never touched a Negro, and was surprised that a Negro woman could be a respected teacher in a white community. Both Silja and Angie easily submitted to their husbands’ wills despite Silja being the breadwinner for her family. Perhaps saddest of all, Silja could not get a divorce. At the time, adultery was the only grounds open to a woman.

Slow Building Questions – From the start of The Glass Forest we know that Silja is missing and Henry is dead. The questions of what happened to Henry and where Silja has gone are obvious, but what unfolds brings many, many more questions. What happened to Henry in the war and after? Why has Silja stayed? Something isn’t right about Paul, but what? Who is Shepherd? And Ruby? She knows a whole lot more than she’s letting on.

What Didn’t

Ruby – I didn’t always like Swanson’s handling of Ruby. It felt like she wasn’t quite sure how to tell that part of the story and too often hit dead ends. For example, Ruby was speaking to Shepherd and told him, “other things.” If you aren’t going to share what a character is saying, don’t leave us with “other things.” It feels weak. Ruby was often shut up in her room refusing to speak to anyone. She snuck out at night, and though reasons were given, they didn’t always add up. Even in the resolution, the choices Ruby made left me a bit confounded.

Unlikely Element – I feel ridiculous mentioning it, but one thing drove me nuts. It involved a boulder (not a rock, a boulder) that people seemed to easily be able to move. This boulder being moved was critical to the story and yet there was never any explanation as to how it was so easily accomplished. Why?

{The Final Assessment}

For me, The Glass Forest had a lot of moving parts that didn’t always come together quite as smoothly as I’d have liked. Despite that, I really enjoyed the era and much of the story. Swanson’s book was a fun, fast read, good for a change-of-pace. Grade: B

If you liked this book you might also enjoy:

• The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel – Another dark family mystery revolving around women who love the wrong man. (my review)
• Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker – Two sisters disappear, only one comes back. Family secrets lie at the heart of what happened. (my review)

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Associate links included within this post.