A review by jennifer_c_s
One Illumined Thread by Sally Colin-James

4.0

‘The girl in the mirror is a work of art. Unlike me, she will never find freedom.’

This novel, which spans two thousand years, is about the lives of three women. In 41BCE Elisheva lives in Judea, under the rule of Herod. In 1497, Antonia lives in Florence, and in 2018, Elisabeth lives in Adelaide. Elisheva will marry, and long for a child. Antonia marries and is left penniless when her artist husband dies. Elisabeth has suffered her own tragedy and has fled an abusive spouse.

These women have two things in common: difficult mothers and their own creative streaks. Elisheva masters glassblowing while ostracised because of being childless. Antonia seeks to create the elusive perfect white paint, and Elisabeth is a textile conservator.

The narrative shifts between the three women.  The narrative set in Florence is based heavily around the painting La Visitazione by Mariotto Albertinelli (1503) which features the visitation of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth. Antonia is married to Albertinelli. In Judea, Herod threatens and delivers violence. And, in Adelaide, Elisabeth is working on a 400-hundred-year-old embroidery based on The Visitation. 

While I found each woman’s story interesting, it was Elisheva’s story that captured my imagination. I wanted to know more about glassblowing, and the mysteries of black glass. I found Antonia’s story easiest to follow, but Elisabeth remained more of a mystery to me until near the end of the book (when we learn her name).

I think it is a tribute to Ms Colin-James’s research that she brought each of these characters and their concerns to life. I wanted each of them to succeed. And now, I am thinking about the role of artisanal craft in the lives of so many women, and the challenges so many women face.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith