The American Lady

Description

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 readers 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.

Petra Durst-Benning has developed a loyal following for her well-researched historical novels in her native Germany, where she lives with her husband. She has written more than a dozen books, many of which have gone on to be bestsellers and some of which have been adapted for television. Durst-Benning frequently visited the United States as a child and developed a passion for American fiction, which inspired her own writing career.