The Paradise of Glass (The Glassblower Trilogy, 3)

It is always a disappointment to read thru any trilogy and find that each book gets weaker instead of stronger. The characters were do well outlined in book 1 and offered the reader a glorious foray into interesting and exciting stories to evolve in the next 2 books. I found Wanda's story especially weak. The first half of the book was sadly slow paced and predictable. The second half was better with still a predictable story but the author mustered up some enthusiasm. I don't know if the translation hurt the writing. I enjoyed the first 2 books so if you made it that far, book 3 is one you will breeze through.

This is a Book Review of the book: THE PARADISE OF GLASS by Petra Durst-Benning, and is in THE GLASS BLOWER TRILOGY; the Glass Blower, The American Lady. The book is 383 pages. Publisher is Amazon Publishing, Amazon Crossing. This is in genre’s including Women’s Fiction’ Literature and Fiction (Adult).

This book is translated by Samuel Willcocks and is published by Amazon Crossing.
This book is Book Three of this Trilogy. Publication date is September 22, 2015.

This Book Review is posted by Anna Patterson. Writer, Journalist, Book Reviewer, date to be set, 2015

I am a blogger and reviewer. I was privileged to read this book as a professional reviewer on Net Galley. I received a copy to read through the Net galley program in exchange for an honest and unbiased review which I am happy to share now.

I would give this book Five Stars. When I started reading it, I found it was one of those books I couldn’t put down.

. I wanted to share my interest in this book with my friends; I am posting a review on several of my blog site.
This book begins in the year of 1911. A girl named, Wanda, is considering serious issues while she waits at a train station she knows well, since she knows many travel from a small town, Lauscha, to a place where glassblowers like those of her family, travel to deliver their artistic pieces to a wholeseller, in nearby Sonneberg.

At one point, the family’s life which is very much tied into their talents in the glassblowers Paradise of Glass, is further explained in this way, “Johanna snorted, “Well that’s another thing! You know that I think the world of Richard; he’s an excellent glass blower. But will he be such an excellent husband? I don’t know.”
There are so many beautiful moments in this book as a close artistic and hard-working family’s dynasty is shared with readers. Such as this one, “If anything goes wrong then you must simply pack your bags and come home.” Ruth sobbed, and then she hugged her daughter so tightly that Wanda could hardly breathe.”

Just a note of description furnished about the book: Johanna is the oldest of three sisters of the Steinmann family. They have successfully managed the family’s glassblowing business since their father’s death and her sister Marie’s artistic gifts made their wares famous. The problem is that the entire livelihood of Lauscha, a town in Germany, known throughout the world as the “Paradise of Glass” is threatened. The local glassworks is to be sold and there is a rumor the buyer intends changes which will come against the glassblowing tradition.
Wanda, daughter of the middle sister, arrives from America and is engaged to an ambitious local glassblower. It is she who will take a daring risk with the villagers’ hard-earned money. Her heroic efforts are described in this way, “Just like glass, though, love and commerce are fragile, and what begins as their last hope may just end in shattered dreams.”

About the author this note from the publisher: Bestselling author Petra Durst-Benning has written seventeen novels. As a child and young woman, Durst-Benning frequently visited the United States, where she developed a passion for American fiction that has since inspired her own writing careers. She now lives in her native Germany with her husband.

I loved The Glassblower and The American Lady but I found Paradise Glass very boring. It was hard to finish. I think I was over three fourths of the book before it got a little bit interesting. I was disappointed in the third book

I loved the first two books, but this one was disappointing and cumbersome. It feels like a sloppy way to tie everything up. I was just disappointed.

This author makes the historical novels she writes and characters she writes about so engaging and real. Once you start reading, you can't put them down. I was lucky to have all three books so I was able to go right from one to the next.

I haven't read this book as I have recently ordered the other two in the trilogy. My friend and I have read another of Durst-Benning's trilogies and enjoyed it so, the glassblower trilogy sounded interesting. You noticed I order 2 of each...I'm giving one to my friend as a birthday gift.

book just wouldn't end

It6 continued the story

Love her writing!!

just a bit to dull to keep reading it so i gave up