The new novel alternates between an American's life-changing journey to Estonia to uncover her family's legacy, and her grandfather’s poignant letters about his childhood experience during World War II.
A new novel that follows an American woman's journey to Estonia to uncover a wartime family legacy became a #1 Amazon New Release when it launched on October 1st, 2026.
Author Laura Rowley's debut novel, The Glassmaker's Secret: A Winter Solstice in Estonia, is a dual-timeline novel in which a New York woman chases a wartime family mystery to Estonia. She battles to save a treasured legacy, wrestles with an unexpected attraction and reckons with the life she thought she wanted—all in one unforgettable holiday week. Set against a vividly rendered Estonian backdrop, the novel alternates between her life-changing journey and her grandfather's poignant letters about his childhood experience of World War II.
“I originally thought I would write a lighthearted novel set in the holiday season,” said Rowley, who is the author of seven non-fiction books. “A friend asked if I’d ever visited Tallinn, because it was ranked one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe. I began exploring Estonia’s history and culture and was completely captivated.”
Rowley read histories such as Neil Taylor’s Estonia: A Modern History and memoirs, including The Last Train from Estonia by Jaak Jurison and Kaia Gallagher’s Candles for the Defiant. She listened to hours of oral histories in the Stanford University Archives of Estonian refugees who had escaped during World War II. Then she traveled to Estonia, visiting key cultural and historical sites, including the Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom.
The grandfather in the novel, Anton Kallas, is born in Juminda in 1931. Rowley toured the bogs, forests, and gulf coastline of Lahemaa National Park and visited the Estonian Outdoor Museum to get a sense of the setting he might have experienced in childhood.
“I was so moved by the heartbreaking personal stories in the museum’s interactive exhibits, and the incredible courage and resilience of people thrust into impossible situations during occupation,” Rowley said.
The grandfather in the novel, Anton Kallas, is born in Juminda in 1931. Rowley toured the bogs, forests, and gulf coastline of Lahemaa National Park and visited the Estonian Outdoor Museum to get a sense of the setting he might have experienced in childhood. His letters describe his experience of the Nazi and Soviet occupations, including his family’s escape during The Tallinn Disaster in 1944. In New York City, she toured the Estonian House, which serves as a refuge for Kallas when he arrives in New York at age 18.
Kallas is a glassblower, and the novel briefly recounts the history of glassmaking in Estonia starting in the 17th century. A 2022 exhibition on the history of glass production at the Estonian History Museum provided helpful insight, Rowley noted. She also researched Estonian’s conservation movement and the impact of wood pellet companies on deforestation, a plot line in the book.
Once the manuscript was finished, Rowley engaged an Estonian-American sensitivity reader to provide feedback on cultural and historical nuances. “It was crucial to have that perspective,” Rowley said. “My family immigrated from Ireland in the 20th century, so I am familiar with the immigrant experience, but I don’t have Estonian heritage.”
Rowley said many readers of the book have remarked on the Estonian setting in reviews, noting that they enjoyed learning about the country’s history and are eager to visit. As one Goodreads reviewer wrote, “I felt like I was in Estonia right by the main character—need to add this to my travel bucket list now!”
The Glassmaker's Secret: A Winter Solstice in Estonia is available for purchase on Amazon.com, other major bookstore websites, and select independent bookstores. For more information, visit laurarowley.com.
Details:
The Glassmaker's Secret: A Winter Solstice in Estonia
Publication: October 1st, 2026
ISBN: 979-8-9953945-1-8
List price: $15.99
Publisher: Rough Meadow Press
Distribution: Amazon, IngramSpark
Category: Women’s Fiction / Historical Fiction / Family Mystery
Contact:
Laura Rowley
laura@laurarowley.com
(347) 931-4415
