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    The Glassblower
    The Glassblower
    The Glassblower
    Audiobook15 hours

    The Glassblower

    Written by Petra Durst-Benning

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    In the village of Lauscha in Germany, things have been done the same way for centuries. The men blow the glass, and the women decorate and pack it. But when Joost Steinmann passes away unexpectedly one September night, his three daughters must learn to fend for themselves. While feisty Johanna takes a practical approach to looking for work, Ruth follows her heart, aiming to catch the eye of a handsome young villager. But it is dreamy, quiet Marie who has always been the most captivated by the magic—and sparkling possibilities—of the craft of glassblowing. As the spirited sisters work together to forge a brighter future for themselves on their own terms, they learn not only how to thrive in a man’s world, but how to remain true to themselves—and their hearts—in the process.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    TranslatorSamuel Willcocks
    Release dateNov 1, 2014
    ISBN9781491520826
    The Glassblower
    Author

    Petra Durst-Benning

    Petra Durst-Benning was born in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, in 1965. For more than twenty years, she has been writing bestselling historical and contemporary novels, including The Glassblower’s Trilogy, The Century Trilogy, and The Seed Traders’ Saga. Translated into several languages, Petra Durst-Benning’s novels have sold more than a million copies in English. She now lives with her husband and two dogs in the countryside south of Stuttgart. For more information, visit www.durst-benning.de.

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    Reviews for The Glassblower

    3.5/5

    107 ratings8 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Quite good after a slow start. A family saga set in Germany. After the death of their father, in the glassblower's city of Laucha, the three orphaned daughters go to work for other glassblowers. But Marie dreams of her own creations, so secretly she starts using her father's old tools and a family business is born, during the late 1800's when women had never done such work before. She creates "baubles" that eventually get sold by Woolworth's, and through that connection, sister Ruth meets and secretly emigrates to America with Steven.
    • 5/5
      I haven’t read such a wonderful sweet book for awhile. I highly recommend it.
    • 2/5
      Honestly, nothing special-- although there were some highlights in this book with the characters and description.
    • 2/5
      Non-spoiler review:I picked this book because I wanted an immersive read, where I could get lost in another time. That didn't happen at all. I don't know if it was the writing or the translation, but I wasn't expecting 1890s Germany to be narrated with phrases like "Ruth flopped down on the bench" or "she knew she would spill the beans." I also didn't love the format of narration in terms of what the reader got to observe. There would be a major event, and then the chapter would just end. No perspective from the characters, and reactions would come in the next chapter as they reflected after the fact...maybe. Romances were pretty poorly developed because of this, and I just wasn't that interested. There are also a number of Plot Robots (side characters that have no function or personality other than forwarding the plot of the main characters), which was annoying to deal with as well. I didn't like any characters enough to enjoy their POV chapters.Some-spoilers review:The Amazon description of the book said that once the girls' father dies, they learn to survive on their own with Marie making the glass, Ruth keeping the house, and Johanna selling it for them. I looked forward to a feminist stand in tough times. Not only is this not how the book goes, Marie doesn't figure out how to blow glass until halfway through the book, they don't come up with an idea to support themselves until 2/3 of the way through, and it doesn't become a reality until 3/4 of the way through. The early book contains not one but two rape scenes, one from an abusive husband and one from a surprise S&M character. Not what I was looking for.
    • 5/5
      The three books in this trilogy are The Glassblower, The American Lady and The Paradise of Glass. I enjoyed all three books and were sorry to see them end. They tell the story of three sisters Johanna, Ruth and Marie in Germany in fall 1890 to the end on 1911. Their father all their lives have sheltered them from the outside world, so when their father suddenly dies the girls are all left alone in a town where only the men are glassblowers and breadwinners of the family. The girl's struggle to find a way to survive, but triumphant through the years having families.
    • 2/5
      The entire Glassblowers trilogy came to me at the same time and I tried to work my way through them. My response to the series is "Little Women" with a little sex. Not interesting to me in the slightest but I can understand that people who like easy-going books that tell a story might find them pleasing.I received a review copy of the Glassblowers Trilogy by Petra Durst-Benning (Amazon Crossing) through NetGalley.com.
    • 4/5
      This was a good story about three sisters who's father dies and leaves them on their own to fend for themselves. It takes place in the 1800's. The sister fuss about for a while struggling with different jobs when finally Marie sits at her fathers glassblowing bench and tries to learn th trade. This book is really about each of the sisters different struggles. It's part struggle part love story. It fit together nicely. Kept me interested.
    • 3/5
      Very readable. Historical aspects are fascinating. May deserve more than a 3 rating, but I have a bias against women's fiction, especially when written from a women's viewpoint. Sorry.