Product Description

It is 1946 and the old families of the Temperleys and the Chancellors have been neighbours on the South Coast of England for many years. Now the younger generation has been touched by the second world war. Reserved, principled and cool-headed Marius Temperley has left the army and is struggling to fit into civilian life. His twenty-one year old sister, Julia, is quick-tempered, proud and passionate and, since her father's recent death, has been running the family business, fiercely independent in her ambitions. Handsome, but emotionally distant Jack Chancellor has been demobbed and has another problem to face. Both he and his younger, more naive and impetuous brother Will, are in love with Julia. Jack doesn't want to lose her, but his sweet, slightly gawky cousin, Topaz, lets slip that their imperious Aunt Carrie has a plan for him: if he leaves Julia, he will inherit Sixfields, the beautiful family farm...As the years go by, the family secrets come out, and it seems that the ties that bind can change relationships for ever...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #129730 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 624 pages

Customer Reviews

Great book by Judith Lennox.
"Written on Glass" is the second book that I read from Judith Lennox and I truly enjoyed it. This book focuses on four young people at the end of World War 2, and the events that changed them. Ms. Lennox is able to bring out the emotions of her character to the reader. By doing this, she is able to keep the readers interest. A book by Ms. Lennox is not to be missed.

Amazing!!
This is the first novel by Judith Lennox that I have read. It was amazing!! The characters were very interesting, and the way Ms. Lennox intertwined all of their lives was incredible! I couldn't put this book down, and I look forward to reading more from this wonderful author!! If you are a fan of Maeve Binchy and Rosemunde Pilcher, as I am,I believe you will enjoy this book!!
I live in the U.S. and cannot get any of these wonderful authors here, so I rely on Amazon.co.uk to supply me with my favorites! I can always count on the great reviews and have often purchased a book on the recommendation of your readers! I hope this review will help someone choose this great book!!

Compulsive Storytelling
In common with another reviewer this is the second book written by Judith Lennox that I have read, and I'm impressed with the way she weaves her characters into the backcloth of their surroundings, upbringing and lifestyles, and then deftly tells how they evolve and change as a result of the unfolding circumstances of the story.
Jack and Will Chancellor pick up their old rivalries upon Jack's return from abroad at the end of the war, not least their love for the same woman, Julia Temperley. Julia and her brother Marius have grown up as neighbours and close friends of the Chancellors, and the way their lives develop as Britain tries to return to peace is the central theme of the book.
The character with the strength to love them all however, is Topaz, the Chancellors lonely cousin, who is a fatherless only child, living with an extremely self centred and querulous mother. Her self esteem at the start is somewhere under a stone but gradually blossoms due to her own spirit and endeavours. She has a habit of writing names on steamed up windows, hence the title of the book, but this is no fairy with a magic wand tale, it is based upon change coming out of handling real life experiences with a combination of guts and sensitivity.
All the characters are brought to life in a way that holds the reader's attention, and Ms Lennox obviously understands the intricate depths of the human heart and emotions, and how they shape lives. Not only does she understand them, but she transmits them to paper with such honesty that it is easy to reach within and find some kind of empathy with each character and situation that arises.
The only criticism I have is that in common with the other book I have read by this author, "The Shadow Child," there are several instances where someone witnesses or hears something that creates a misunderstanding, and it then takes a while to bring the truth to light. I know this is part of the intrigue of the plot, but I have always found these kind of circumstances a little frustrating and irritating.
It can't have got to me that much though, because I have two more of her books on my shelf, including the latest "A Step In The Dark." I simply love her style and her stories. She has the gift of creating compulsive reading, and long may she continue to delight her many fans.