As someone who has always been fascinated by beautiful stained glass, I was pleased to see that one of my favorite authors, Susan Vreeland, had written a novel sure to mesmerize with the back story of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s breathtaking nature-inspired lamps and other works of art.
The inspiration for Clara and Mr. Tiffany came from a collection of personal letters discovered in 2005 that revealed a young woman named Clara Driscoll was responsible for the design and production of these lamps—which became synonymous with the Tiffany name—as well as other exquisite works of glass that brought Tiffany much fame and fortune during the early 20th century.
Vreeland expertly brings to life the story of Clara Driscoll, a talented artist who moves to New York City to find work in the design studios of Louis Comfort Tiffany during the birth of modern America. Forced to leave her job when she married (Mr. Tiffany had a strict policy against hiring married women), Clara returns to Tiffany’s as a young widow and takes charge of the newly formed women’s department, as it was widely believed that women had a finer eye for color selection and the attention to detail that Tiffany’s stained glass projects required. A heroine of sorts, Clara is fiercely loyal to her “Tiffany Girls” during a time when the fight for women’s equality is picking up steam. Throw in an intriguing cast of eclectic, artistic characters who reside at Clara’s board house and I think you’ll enjoy Clara’s journey to find a balance between love, her career, and her relationship with Mr. Tiffany.
Looking back on this novel, I think it may be a bit tedious for some readers, given all of the details about the glass manufacturing process (which I loved). But if you enjoy a well-researched, well-written novel, I think Clara and Mr. Tiffany would make an excellent choice as we head into the cooler, leaf-changing days of fall!
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