Book 1

The Photographer

by Petra Durst-Benning

Published 3 March 2020

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.


Book 2

An Artificial Light

by Petra Durst-Benning

Published 22 September 2020

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.