Petra Durst Benning Livres

"First published in English by AmazonCrossing in 2017."

When Isabelle took a chance and eloped with Leon Feininger, her true love, she hadn't stopped to consider what would happen next. Winter on his family's isolated vineyard proves tougher than she expected, and Isabelle finds herself daydreaming, envisioning the wines she and Leon will make when they have their own land. An unexpected inheritance opens a door for the newlyweds--Leon's uncle has left them a vineyard, and in champagne country no less! But all is not as it seems. The decrepit estate has very little staff to help, and Isabelle cannot focus her husband's efforts on the farm. She soon decides to seize the opportunity to run the vineyard herself. Like her friends Clara and Josephine, she can learn anything she needs to face a new challenge. And with their help, she will even take on the fierce local competition, with generations of wine-making history tying them to the land she's just learning to toil. Can Isabelle's passion and perseverance bring Feininger champagne to the world? Will life with Leon become the happily ever after she's always dreamed of?

Johanna, the oldest of the three Steinmann sisters, has successfully managed the family glassblowing business since her father's death, and her sister Marie's artistic gifts have made their wares unexpectedly famous. But now the livelihood of the town of Lauscha, Germany--known around the world as the "paradise of glass"--is in danger. The local glassworks is about to be sold, and rumor has it the buyer wants to make changes that will challenge glassblowing tradition. Wanda, the daughter of the middle Steinmann sister, is freshly arrived from America and engaged to an ambitious local glassblower. Yet as soon as the bold young woman learns of the impending sale, she decides to do as her mother and aunts did--cast aside her expected role in order to save the day. With the help of a handsome bank clerk, she will take a daring risk with the villagers' hard-earned money. Just like glass, though, love and commerce are fragile, and what begins as their last hope may just end in shattered dreams.

From the bestselling author of The Glassblower Trilogy comes an inspiring historical saga of a female photographer who must defy convention to live her dreams in turn-of-the-century Germany. In 1905, on her twenty-sixth birthday, Mimi Reventlow receives a marriage proposal from the vicar of her family's church. But a future of housework, childcare, and servicing a parish doesn't appeal to the restless and unconventional Mimi. She has ambitions of her own--to follow in the footsteps of her beloved uncle Josef and become a traveling photographer. Leaving behind all that has been mapped out for her, Mimi dares to pursue her passion and sets out alone to make her own mark. A visit to her ailing uncle in the idyllic mountain town of Laichingen, Germany, pauses Mimi's journey. Here, among provincialism and rejection, she struggles to find her place within a vibrant but wary community. But Mimi's resilience is only strengthened by adversity. Her courage is indomitable. Maybe here, among surprising kindred spirits and longing hearts, in a place she never expected, Mimi's dreams might be coming into focus.

Tempestuous and beautiful Wanda Miles, daughter of Ruth and Stephen Miles (or so she thinks), aspires to more than the life of a debutante, but the trouble is she doesn't know precisely what she wants. Then her aunt Marie, the family's renowned glassblower, arrives from Lauscha, Germany, and Wanda decides that learning about her ancestry may hold the key to her future. When Marie accidentally reveals a long-held secret about Wanda's parents, Wanda goes to Lauscha to unravel the truth. While Marie finds herself increasingly swept up in New York City's bohemian social scene--catching the eye of a handsome young Italian in the process--Wanda explores a past she never knew in the village of her mother's youth--and begins to build a life that she never expected. A sweeping tale that takes readers from the small town of Lauscha to the skyscrapers of New York and the sun-kissed coast of Italy, The American Lady is a tribute to the enduring power of family and what we'll do in the name of love.

A defiant woman in pre-World War I Germany carves out her own unconventional destiny as the enthralling Photographer's Saga continues. Germany, 1911. Certain things are expected of a woman. Defiant Mimi Reventlow has chosen to be the woman she wants to be. For now, that's the resident, if temporary, photographer in Laichingen. Here, against the odds, in a vocation uncommon for her gender, she maintains a struggling studio. She cares for her aging uncle and mentor. She's captured the affections of a roguish young local. And she dares to engage in a secret affair with Johann, the village's prodigal son. But when tragedy strikes, Mimi's world is thrown into a state of flux. Remain in a place she calls home? Stay loyal to the man she loves? Or follow her true calling, on the road, as a photographer of roving independence? Through dizzying betrayals, breathtaking new passions--both personal and professional--and the rumors of war, Mimi's next choice could change her life once again. So could the risks. But as Mimi knows, taking risks is at the heart of all women who dream of a future.

It isn't easy for a woman to cut loose in 1890s Berlin. But the winds of change are blowing, and nothing can stop Josephine from pursuing her dreams. After the tragic death of her little brother, Josephine travels to the Black Forest to heal. There she discovers a feeling of freedom astride a brand-new invention called the "velocipede." The very idea of a woman on a bicycle is beyond taboo -- it is indecent and even illegal -- but Josephine will not be deterred. She simply needs to find a way to ride without provoking a scandal. Back home, Josephine has the brilliant idea of riding under cover of night, while the world is still asleep. But Berlin's streets are dangerous, especially on a bicycle. Can Josephine's fighting heart help her overcome the obstacles in her path? Will the passion she feels for this new adventure lead her toward true love?

In the last month of 1849, Hannah, pregnant by a traveling seed trader, arrives in a small village in the Swabian Mountains to find the father of her child. Helmut is due to be married to the town beauty in January and Hannah is determined to win his love for herself but the longer she stays, the more attached she becomes to both the town and to Helmut's fiancée.