The Century Trilogy
3 primary works Complete
Book 1
The first in a new series from Petra Durst-Benning, the bestselling author of The Glassblower series.
An inspiring historical tale of one woman risking it all for her dreams set in 1890s Berlin.
After the tragic death of her little brother, Josephine travels to the Black Forest to heal. There she discovers a feeling of freedom astride a brand-new invention: the bicycle. The very idea of a woman on a bicycle is beyond taboo—it is indecent and even illegal—but Josephine will not be deterred. Back home, Josephine rides under cover of night, while the world is still asleep so as not to provoke a scandal. But Berlin’s streets are dangerous and the winds of change are blowing.
Can Josephine’s fighting heart help her overcome the obstacles in her path? Will the passion she feels for this new adventure lead her toward true love?
An inspiring historical tale of one woman risking it all for her dreams set in 1890s Berlin.
After the tragic death of her little brother, Josephine travels to the Black Forest to heal. There she discovers a feeling of freedom astride a brand-new invention: the bicycle. The very idea of a woman on a bicycle is beyond taboo—it is indecent and even illegal—but Josephine will not be deterred. Back home, Josephine rides under cover of night, while the world is still asleep so as not to provoke a scandal. But Berlin’s streets are dangerous and the winds of change are blowing.
Can Josephine’s fighting heart help her overcome the obstacles in her path? Will the passion she feels for this new adventure lead her toward true love?
Book 2
When Isabelle took a chance and eloped with Leon Feininger, her true love, she hadn’t stopped to consider what would happen next. Winter on his family’s isolated vineyard proves tougher than she expected, and Isabelle finds herself daydreaming, envisioning the wines she and Leon will make when they have their own land.
An unexpected inheritance opens a door for the newlyweds—Leon’s uncle has left them a vineyard, and in champagne country no less! But all is not as it seems. The decrepit estate has very little staff to help, and Isabelle cannot focus her husband’s efforts on the farm. She soon decides to seize the opportunity to run the vineyard herself. Like her friends Clara and Josephine, she can learn anything she needs to face a new challenge. And with their help, she will even take on the fierce local competition, with generations of wine-making history tying them to the land she’s just learning to toil.
Can Isabelle’s passion and perseverance bring Feininger champagne to the world? Will life with Leon become the happily ever after she’s always dreamed of?
An unexpected inheritance opens a door for the newlyweds—Leon’s uncle has left them a vineyard, and in champagne country no less! But all is not as it seems. The decrepit estate has very little staff to help, and Isabelle cannot focus her husband’s efforts on the farm. She soon decides to seize the opportunity to run the vineyard herself. Like her friends Clara and Josephine, she can learn anything she needs to face a new challenge. And with their help, she will even take on the fierce local competition, with generations of wine-making history tying them to the land she’s just learning to toil.
Can Isabelle’s passion and perseverance bring Feininger champagne to the world? Will life with Leon become the happily ever after she’s always dreamed of?
Book 3
Petra Durst-Benning's captivating historical novel pays homage to the trailblazing women of the early twentieth century—like Elizabeth Arden and Estée Lauder—who shaped culture, shattered convention, and strived to make the world around them more beautiful.
Despite all that Clara Berg has achieved as a wife, mother, and chemist—especially for a woman in turn-of-the-century Berlin—ending her abusive marriage comes at great cost. The judge hands her inheritance—her parents' pharmacy—over to her ex-husband. Now, with her reputation in near ruins thanks to the scandal that rocked her marriage, no reputable chemist will hire her. Worst of all, she has lost all rights to her young son and daughter. Only her dearest friends, Josephine and Isabelle, themselves no strangers to hardship, remain steadfast.
With their encouragement, Clara decides to start over in the spa town of Lake Constance, where she creates a homemade cream and launches a cosmetics revolution. Against all convention, she teaches other women and herself how to face the challenges of each new day with confidence and beauty. Soon her renown brings prestige, professional accolades, even new romance. But through it all, her heart beats for her beloved children—will success finally bring the reunion she longs for?
Despite all that Clara Berg has achieved as a wife, mother, and chemist—especially for a woman in turn-of-the-century Berlin—ending her abusive marriage comes at great cost. The judge hands her inheritance—her parents' pharmacy—over to her ex-husband. Now, with her reputation in near ruins thanks to the scandal that rocked her marriage, no reputable chemist will hire her. Worst of all, she has lost all rights to her young son and daughter. Only her dearest friends, Josephine and Isabelle, themselves no strangers to hardship, remain steadfast.
With their encouragement, Clara decides to start over in the spa town of Lake Constance, where she creates a homemade cream and launches a cosmetics revolution. Against all convention, she teaches other women and herself how to face the challenges of each new day with confidence and beauty. Soon her renown brings prestige, professional accolades, even new romance. But through it all, her heart beats for her beloved children—will success finally bring the reunion she longs for?