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The Glassblower

By: Petra Durst-Benning, Samuel Willcocks - translator
Narrated by: Kristin Watson Heintz
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Publisher's Summary

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.

©2003 Petra Durst-Benning (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. English translation © 2014 by Samuel Willcocks.

What listeners say about The Glassblower

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great trilogy

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. I loved the characters and the story of three strong young women.

What didn’t you like about Kristin Watson Heintz’s performance?

The voices for the different characters really annoyed me. I thought they were very whiney. Fortunately the story made up for the horrible voice. Sorry :(

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

I looked forward to the next sitting. I listen in my car on my 1 hour commute.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent reader and story

The reader was excellent. She was clear, crisp and didn't put on annoying voices for each character.
The story was brilliant. I was sorry it ended.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this book

I enjoyed every minute of this really nice book. I will be looking to purchase the next one really soon.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This would be a good book of the month

This trilogy was so good I recommended it to all my friends.
I loved the setting in Germany’s glass blowing area.
It reminds me that nothing much has changed over the years about gender bias.
The three sisters were very different but they managed to find their way in the world, making the most of their talents.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Totally loved this book.

I totally enjoyed this book. I found it extremely hard to put this book down. I enjoyed learning all about the history of where the sisters lived. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I also loved the way the artistic process was described in detail. All in all a very enjoyable story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

a great story

I loved this book. a story of women surviving independently, family violence and resilience.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Lovely story

I loved this story. It took a few chapters to get into it but once you really got to know the characters and their stories it was wonderful to follow them through their journey. I've just bought the next two books and can't wait to listen to them!

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

It was a struggle to finish this story, so I can't understand why it has so many good reviews.

The characters were not well constructed, with not much to differentiate between the three sisters. I'm not sure if something was lost in translation or it was the narrator but I struggled to care for such selfish whining women with little depth.

There was little written on the historical aspects such as glassblowing and techniques, but rather a somewhat unbelievable romantic plot finishing with an even more unbelievable romance. The other characters were so randomly drawn in, with little fleshing out, and then abruptly left hanging in the air with little more said about them.

definitely will not pursue the other two.

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