Review: The Girl in the Glass by Susan Meissner

Meg has dreamed of going to Florence since she was a child and she fell in love with a painting at her grandmother's house.  But after her grandmother's death her less than reliable father is always putting the plans on hold.  Even though she is now a grown woman, Meg waited to take the trip because she believed her father would fulfill his promise to her.....someday.

A series of strange meetings and conversations with her father take place and this time she truly believes he will do what he says he will.  But, when Meg arrives in Florence her father is nowhere to be found leaving her all alone in a foreign country.  Luckily through her job, she knows of a brother/sister photography team that lives in Florence and had told Meg of a tour guide/aspiring memoir writer named Sofia.  Not only is she at home, she invites Meg to stay with her while she is in Florence and show her around the city.  Sofia claims to be one of the last surviving members of the Medici family and that a long ago Medici princess communicates with her from the great master pieces of the Italian Renaissance.

As Meg sees Florence through Sofia's and Nora's eyes her views of life are changed forever as she and Sofia answer the question: "What if renaissance isn't just a word?  What if that's what happens when you dare to believe that what is isn't what has to be?"

I was immediately drawn in and captivated by The Girl in the Glass.  It was nothing like I had ever read before.  It had the mystery element, an element of romance, and history.  But it was more than that too.  The book kept me guessing even when I thought I had it all figured out.  There were parts that I thought were a little odd.  There was a section that a deception took place having to do with Sofia's father, uncle, Meg, and Lorenzo that bothered me and I wished it had been written differently, but overall it was a great story.  I loved the characters and the setting.  The author's descriptions of Florence were wonderful.  I also really enjoyed the ending.

I received a complimentary copy of The Girl in the Glass from Waterbrook Multnomah for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review.  I received no other compensation.