The American Lady

The Glassblower Trilogy, Book 2

By: Petra Durst-Benning, Samuel Willcocks - translator

Narrated by: Kristin Watson Heintz

Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

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 listeners 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.

©2002 Petra Durst-Benning (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. English translation copyright © 2015 by Samuel Willcocks.

wow

The connection I formed with the characters is unlike anything I've ever experienced. It felt as though I was there with them. Celebrating their joy and sobbing at their sorrows and loss. And how I became whenever one was slighted, as though they were friends of mine to protect!
Well done, Petra. And on to book 3!

perfect read

simple creative life, first book was as good as second ,can't wait for third. loved it.

Enjoyed the story

A good story that keeps you interested in the characters and reminds you of the characters in the previous book.

Wanda finds a purpose in life.

The Saga of the Steinmmann Sisters continues with the adulthood of Wanda. The family tree now has a branch in America that is growing and searching for what life means. Marie comes to visit Ruth in New York and the Saga continues. Narration was good and the story held my attention.

Another Great book

I enjoyed this book very much. I will recommend this book to my friends and family. I can't wait to read the next one.

Delightful Read

A delightful read. Thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Wanda, Ruth's daughter and to see how she interfaced with her aunts and mother. This book was even better than the first, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It so was interesting that I purchased the audible and Kindle books and used Whispersync so I could keep up with what was going on throughout my day. Great series. I will definitely read more of Ms. Durst-Benning's books!

this series suprised me.!

I really like this series. I think the narrator was good. I am buying the third book and can't wait to see how it ends

Glad I stuck with it

Started slow almost quit. I was not crazy about the detail sex, and fortunately they were short. I like the Character Wanda and relationship with Marie. I hope that the detail about life was what it was like in that time period. I finished minutes ago, and ready to get book three.

Lovely story

The scenic descriptions of Germany were fantastic. Wonderful characters. A young girl learning of her past and leaving New York to travel to Germany to meet her family, her dad and in the end having a baby girl to raise and cherish. Worth listening to through Audible. Bravo...

First Book Better

If you could sum up The American Lady in three words, what would they be?

Enduring Family Relationships

Who was your favorite character and why?

There are many characters here of note. I think that more character development could have been useful and the history of the time period. Understanding that being a free spirit was "normal" and that Americans were "testing" various thoughts and behaviors. Given that Pandora was my favorite.

What aspect of Kristin Watson Heintz’s performance would you have changed?

I think she loses her accents sometimes. Otherwise I think she is a good story teller.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. It was not riveting enough, except at the end.

Any additional comments?

This is not as strong as the first book, which is no surprise. However, it is worth reading to continue the saga to the third book which is strong. I do not want to give anything away except this: If you have a sister or sisters you will totally understand and identify with the relationships between these sisters and their strengths.