11-20 | Meet the Author - Laura Rowley

About this event

In this riveting dual-timeline novel, Ava Kallas chases a wartime family mystery to Estonia and is swept into an unexpected romance, a battle to save a treasured legacy, and a reckoning with the life she thought she wanted—all in one unforgettable holiday week. Set against a sparkling winter landscape, the novel alternates between Ava’s life-changing journey and her grandfather’s poignant letters about his childhood experience of World War II. The Glassmaker’s Secret: A Winter Solstice in Estonia explores the ties that bind across generations—and the courage it takes to forge our own path.

Laura Rowley is the author of seven non-fiction books and a novel. An award-winning journalist, Laura held editorial and executive roles at CNN, The Huffington Post, Yahoo!Finance, Meredith Corp. (People Inc.) and a Wall Street fintech firm. Her freelance writing and essays have been featured in The New York Times, the Des Moines Register, Parents, Self and other outlets, and she has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS, CNBC, NPR and other media. Laura lived in Des Moines for nearly a decade. She is a proud mom of three Roosevelt graduates (and two University of Iowa grads) and served as volunteer host of the Des Moines Public Library podcast. Learn more at laurarowley.com.