Venice, 1486. Women are not meant to work with glass, but Orsola Rosso flouts convention to save her family from ruin. She works in secret creating glass beads knowing her creations must be perfect to be accepted by men. Skipping through the centuries, we follow Orsola as she hones her craft through war and plague, tragedy and triumph, love and loss. Will she ever earn the respect of those closest to her? In conversation with Esther Freud