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Die Samenhändlerin-Saga #1
The Seed Woman
From bestselling author Petra Durst-Benning comes a sweeping emotional story of courage, triumph, and love against all odds in nineteenth-century Germany.
After a long and trying journey from her home, Hannah arrives at a charming village nestled in the foothills of the Swabian Mountains, eager to find Helmut Kerner, a traveling seed merchant she loved and lost. Enchanted by the glorious wildflowers and thriving harvests stretching as far as the eye can see, Hannah feels less like an outsider with each passing hour, until she meets Seraphine, an ethereally beautiful dreamer engaged to be married to Helmut, the father of Hannah’s unborn child.
Desperate to win back Helmut’s affections, Hannah gets to work and quickly discovers a passion for the seed trade, and with every change of season comes a change of heart. Can Hannah and Seraphine put aside their differences to find a way to work together, or will Hannah and her child be forced to leave this place she has come to love?
446 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
November 7, 2017
Horrible book, bad ending..very disappointed
I tried and tried to get into this book. I have followed the author with the other books & loved every one of them.
This was good on only one thing the historical and descriptive views. Other than that it’s about a vindictive woman who basically takes up 445 pages of trying to win over a man who never married her and married another woman, whom he is happy with. I was truly saddened. I thought if I read and listened i would feel as if I could get a different perspective, but I didn’t. It’s overly wordy, boring and the ones giving 4 or above stars, I just can’t see it. As reviews are all subjective I guess that’s it. Oh and one person said there’s no graphic description of sex? There is, in the 14th Chapter. Can’t recommend for a good read, it’s just repeats itself and I felt like the author wanted to fill up a large manuscript. Sorry.
I tried and tried to get into this book. I have followed the author with the other books & loved every one of them.
This was good on only one thing the historical and descriptive views. Other than that it’s about a vindictive woman who basically takes up 445 pages of trying to win over a man who never married her and married another woman, whom he is happy with. I was truly saddened. I thought if I read and listened i would feel as if I could get a different perspective, but I didn’t. It’s overly wordy, boring and the ones giving 4 or above stars, I just can’t see it. As reviews are all subjective I guess that’s it. Oh and one person said there’s no graphic description of sex? There is, in the 14th Chapter. Can’t recommend for a good read, it’s just repeats itself and I felt like the author wanted to fill up a large manuscript. Sorry.
November 4, 2017
So. I'm giving this 5 stars, because Petra Durst-Benning is an exceptional writer and storyteller. Because the story was so damned intriguing, frustrating, and a roller coaster of a read. She weaves the story so well, there are no seams showing.
HOWEVER, I had a VERY difficult time liking and tolerating Seraphine. What an utter and complete bitch. All through the book, I kept saying (out loud at times....at home, at work, didn't matter ... people looked at me strangely. I didn't care) "There's something wrong with this woman. She's certifiable. She's nuts. She's just plain scary crazy." And she proved me right, over and over again. A few times I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room and walk out the door, leave them all behind. I just cursed, put it down, and did something else until I could get my anger under control. Ms. Durst-Benning knows how to pull my strings. Well done. Since I always came back for more.
I realize the story was from Hannah's and Seraphine's viewpoints. Hannah is obviously the stronger of the two, yet has her own sets of weaknesses. Seraphine is just plain crazy. I didn't really care for the ending. Seraphine still has love, and Valentin is as weak as she is crazy. And the ending was too abrupt, no real resolution for the main characters. Maybe it will be revealed in the next book of the trilogy?? Hoping.
Anyway, well done, once again. I'll continue to read, but put Seraphine back in whatever creepy world she chooses to live in, and lock the door. Throw away the key. Please.
HOWEVER, I had a VERY difficult time liking and tolerating Seraphine. What an utter and complete bitch. All through the book, I kept saying (out loud at times....at home, at work, didn't matter ... people looked at me strangely. I didn't care) "There's something wrong with this woman. She's certifiable. She's nuts. She's just plain scary crazy." And she proved me right, over and over again. A few times I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room and walk out the door, leave them all behind. I just cursed, put it down, and did something else until I could get my anger under control. Ms. Durst-Benning knows how to pull my strings. Well done. Since I always came back for more.
I realize the story was from Hannah's and Seraphine's viewpoints. Hannah is obviously the stronger of the two, yet has her own sets of weaknesses. Seraphine is just plain crazy. I didn't really care for the ending. Seraphine still has love, and Valentin is as weak as she is crazy. And the ending was too abrupt, no real resolution for the main characters. Maybe it will be revealed in the next book of the trilogy?? Hoping.
Anyway, well done, once again. I'll continue to read, but put Seraphine back in whatever creepy world she chooses to live in, and lock the door. Throw away the key. Please.
August 14, 2017
This is a novel http://amzn.to/2vxUNGN what we call in The Netherlands a "streekroman" - a traditional family chronicle set in a rural area in an era in the past. Not my normal pick in novels. But I was attracted by the cover of the book.
The book is written by a German author and is set mostly in a small village Gönningen in the south of Germany around 1850 but some parts take place in Odessa and in the Dutch bulb growing area. The village is famous for it's seed trading. The men and also many women of the village travel all over Europe to sell vegetable and flower seeds to farmers and estates.
It is a few days before Christmas when a young woman, the daughter of an innkeeper from Neurenberg, arrives in the village. She states that she is pregnant and the father is the son of the richest trader in town. That same son is supposed to marry the townbeauty Seraphine on the 6th of January. Seraphina whose father is missing and who grew up in poverty and who is longing for her fate to be wed to such a catch. Who has been sowing her weddingdress for months.
While at first I was all too sympathetic with Seraphine, having been dumped with heartbreak myself in my own youth, I more and more started to really dislike her. And wished that Helmut and his family grew some balls. Who would want to stand such war and then even in your own house? Why not move away when there are trading opportunities in Russia and America? She is totally obsessed and maybe crazy. What due to the two traumatic events at the start of the novel is not that far fetched..I really doubt if remorse would be able to cure that. It made me wonder if all the other familymembers were daft.
The historical background of the story was interesting. I would like to suggest to the writer to put the historical explanation at the start of the book so the readers will realise all that is more or less correct and no fantasy.
What I found difficult is that the seed woman is Hannah but large parts of the book are about the brothers and others about Seraphine. That makes it harder to identify with one person in the novel.
It was a nice surprise to see the area I live in in Holland suddenly feature in a German book mainly set in Germany. The sandy soil for the bulbs, the "helmgras" (sand reed) on the sanddunes on the seashore.
Original title in German "Die Samenhändlerin" what means the lady who trades in seeds.
The book is written by a German author and is set mostly in a small village Gönningen in the south of Germany around 1850 but some parts take place in Odessa and in the Dutch bulb growing area. The village is famous for it's seed trading. The men and also many women of the village travel all over Europe to sell vegetable and flower seeds to farmers and estates.
It is a few days before Christmas when a young woman, the daughter of an innkeeper from Neurenberg, arrives in the village. She states that she is pregnant and the father is the son of the richest trader in town. That same son is supposed to marry the townbeauty Seraphine on the 6th of January. Seraphina whose father is missing and who grew up in poverty and who is longing for her fate to be wed to such a catch. Who has been sowing her weddingdress for months.
While at first I was all too sympathetic with Seraphine, having been dumped with heartbreak myself in my own youth, I more and more started to really dislike her. And wished that Helmut and his family grew some balls. Who would want to stand such war and then even in your own house? Why not move away when there are trading opportunities in Russia and America? She is totally obsessed and maybe crazy. What due to the two traumatic events at the start of the novel is not that far fetched..I really doubt if remorse would be able to cure that. It made me wonder if all the other familymembers were daft.
The historical background of the story was interesting. I would like to suggest to the writer to put the historical explanation at the start of the book so the readers will realise all that is more or less correct and no fantasy.
What I found difficult is that the seed woman is Hannah but large parts of the book are about the brothers and others about Seraphine. That makes it harder to identify with one person in the novel.
It was a nice surprise to see the area I live in in Holland suddenly feature in a German book mainly set in Germany. The sandy soil for the bulbs, the "helmgras" (sand reed) on the sanddunes on the seashore.
Original title in German "Die Samenhändlerin" what means the lady who trades in seeds.
February 7, 2018
After reading the Glassblowers Trilogy I was looking for ward to this book. The Seed Woman wasn't quite as good.
March 19, 2018
This book did not hold up to the others I’ve read by this author. I struggled to feel connected to the characters at all.
October 17, 2017
Loved it
I won this book on Goodreads Giveaway. I've never heard of seed merchants. This book held my interest the whole way through. It was thoroughly interesting to me the whole way through. I fell in love with the characters.
I won this book on Goodreads Giveaway. I've never heard of seed merchants. This book held my interest the whole way through. It was thoroughly interesting to me the whole way through. I fell in love with the characters.
August 22, 2017
The Seed Woman by author Petra Durst-Benning is a historical fiction based on the seed traders of Switzerland in 1849. It opens with the scene of Friedhelm Schwarz, a seed trader after he has won big at a game of cards in a tavern. He knows it is time to start home to his village of Gonningen located at the foot of the Swabian Mountains in Switzerland. Friedhelm has a wife and daughter at home hoping he will be home before Christmas. Seraphine is his beautiful daughter who is very talented with her paints, dreamy prose, and her needle. She is preparing for her upcoming wedding to Helmut Kerner, a son of one of the richest men in the village. She often talks to her Star Fairy and makes up fanciful stories of how she came to be living with such a poor family. Her mother Ilse is disillusioned with Friedhelm and his gambling and drinking away the profits of their work.
The next scene opens with Hannah, a traveler from Nuremberg who has come to the village of Gonningen to find Helmut Kerner. She must find him and let him know he is the father of her unborn child. When she checks in to The Sun to stay for a few nights while she seeks for Helmut, she hears talk of Helmut Kerners soon marriage to Seraphine in three weeks. Hannah panics and resolves to find and convince Helmut to marry her as soon as possible.
The saga of these hard-working people and their daily lives is filled with emotional turbulence. The conflicts of Hannah and Seraphine is like a strange tug-of-war over the affections of Helmut. The reader will hurt for the other Kerner brother, Valentin as he is so ill treated by Seraphine.
There is a lot of emotional day-to-day interaction in this story which is all very good. For me the ending only hinted at closure. It was a bit disappointing because it did not clearly resolve an integral decision between Valentin and Seraphine, and Margarita
The next scene opens with Hannah, a traveler from Nuremberg who has come to the village of Gonningen to find Helmut Kerner. She must find him and let him know he is the father of her unborn child. When she checks in to The Sun to stay for a few nights while she seeks for Helmut, she hears talk of Helmut Kerners soon marriage to Seraphine in three weeks. Hannah panics and resolves to find and convince Helmut to marry her as soon as possible.
The saga of these hard-working people and their daily lives is filled with emotional turbulence. The conflicts of Hannah and Seraphine is like a strange tug-of-war over the affections of Helmut. The reader will hurt for the other Kerner brother, Valentin as he is so ill treated by Seraphine.
There is a lot of emotional day-to-day interaction in this story which is all very good. For me the ending only hinted at closure. It was a bit disappointing because it did not clearly resolve an integral decision between Valentin and Seraphine, and Margarita
November 19, 2025
I like Petra Durst-Benning's sagas about women in 19th 6 Germany. They are often involved in some trade that made our ancestors' lives a little more beautiful and bearable.
The women in this series are the wives and daughters of flower seed growers and sellers. They helped their families plant, grow, and harvest the seeds and bulbs that produced the lovely flowers and tasty vegetables with which proud homeowners adorned their homes and businesses and fed their families.
All, of course, is not wonderful. The two are in love with the same man, illness and injury threaten to tear the family apart.
I think the characters are a bit exaggerated in this book. Serafina is positively annoying.
It may have been the narration style of Kristin Watson Heintz, who read this audiobook. It didn't bother me enough to prevent me from listening to the second book, which I just started.
The women in this series are the wives and daughters of flower seed growers and sellers. They helped their families plant, grow, and harvest the seeds and bulbs that produced the lovely flowers and tasty vegetables with which proud homeowners adorned their homes and businesses and fed their families.
All, of course, is not wonderful. The two are in love with the same man, illness and injury threaten to tear the family apart.
I think the characters are a bit exaggerated in this book. Serafina is positively annoying.
It may have been the narration style of Kristin Watson Heintz, who read this audiobook. It didn't bother me enough to prevent me from listening to the second book, which I just started.
January 31, 2018
Yet another corker from Petra.
This is my 7th book by Petra that I have read. They have been read consecutively because after starting the first, I have been hooked by her style of writing. The topics she chooses all centre around strong independent women. They are however not boringly the same, they are exciting and well researched. They all turn into wonderful love stories as well and they always make me smile and even tear up!
This novel, The Seed Woman, is also set in Germany and takes you on a wonderful journey of two women, although Hannah is the leading lady, Seraphin also plays a large part always trying to get Helmut back. Valentin shouldn't be overlooked either as he is the scorned love after all. Without going into too much detail all I am willing to say is this, If you haven't already read any of Petra Durst-Benning's books then pick one up, and have a literary duvet day. You could do a lot worse! Now I'm off to read number 8. Watch this space...
This is my 7th book by Petra that I have read. They have been read consecutively because after starting the first, I have been hooked by her style of writing. The topics she chooses all centre around strong independent women. They are however not boringly the same, they are exciting and well researched. They all turn into wonderful love stories as well and they always make me smile and even tear up!
This novel, The Seed Woman, is also set in Germany and takes you on a wonderful journey of two women, although Hannah is the leading lady, Seraphin also plays a large part always trying to get Helmut back. Valentin shouldn't be overlooked either as he is the scorned love after all. Without going into too much detail all I am willing to say is this, If you haven't already read any of Petra Durst-Benning's books then pick one up, and have a literary duvet day. You could do a lot worse! Now I'm off to read number 8. Watch this space...
September 27, 2019
I have really been enjoying this two book series. It is a story about merchants who live in a town that trades and sells seeds to designated territories in mid-19th century Europe. The seed traders collect seeds of crops and flowers and then provide them to customers in their territory.
The story is really brought to life by the family, including their two sons, and a town that are involved in this trade. Two young women add some color to the story as they marry into this family and into this way of life.
I listened to this book on Audible and found the story to be well-read and well-told. I am anxiously looking forward to book two.
The story is really brought to life by the family, including their two sons, and a town that are involved in this trade. Two young women add some color to the story as they marry into this family and into this way of life.
I listened to this book on Audible and found the story to be well-read and well-told. I am anxiously looking forward to book two.
October 9, 2019
A part of history that I did not know anything about and well told. One of the characters is absolutely awful and I wonder if there was a bit of a motivation and underbelly that did not quite come through in translation.
January 17, 2020
I would have found this book interesting but for one incredibly annoying and unbelievable character that just made my skin crawl. It never occurred to me that a little German town would have been a center of a seed trade, or even that there was a living to be made from that trade. Every season in the town revolved around sorting, packing, and peddling seeds, there were periods of time when the town emptied as traders traveled out to different regions in Europe to sell their seeds. An outsider marries into a trading family, and we learn about the people in the town through her eyes.
One character’s story line ruined this book for me and other characters sometimes did or acted in ways that were not consistent with their character development. I almost put this in the DNF shelf, having put it down for a while, but reluctantly returned to it because of the time already invested.
One character’s story line ruined this book for me and other characters sometimes did or acted in ways that were not consistent with their character development. I almost put this in the DNF shelf, having put it down for a while, but reluctantly returned to it because of the time already invested.
September 27, 2019
I have really been enjoying this two book series. It is a story about merchants who live in a town that trades and sells seeds to designated territories in mid-19th century Europe. The seed traders collect seeds of crops and flowers and then provide them to customers in their territory.
The story is really brought to life by the family, including their two sons, and a town that are involved in this trade. Two young women add some color to the story as they marry into this family and into this way of life.
I listened to this book on Audible and found the story to be well-read and well-told. I am anxiously looking forward to book two.
The story is really brought to life by the family, including their two sons, and a town that are involved in this trade. Two young women add some color to the story as they marry into this family and into this way of life.
I listened to this book on Audible and found the story to be well-read and well-told. I am anxiously looking forward to book two.
May 21, 2019
2.5 stars. This was a lengthy story that went nowhere. Poor excuse for an ending- very disappointing. The descriptive details about the culture of the seed people was interesting and that was all. It felt like the author was trying to create the story on the go and it went on and on with no depth to the story. I won’t recommend this one.
October 26, 2017
Dissapointing
This book was very disappointing compared to previous novels. It seemed to be nothing more than a romance novel as compared to Durst-Benning's other historical novels.
This book was very disappointing compared to previous novels. It seemed to be nothing more than a romance novel as compared to Durst-Benning's other historical novels.
February 11, 2018
Full review here. I received this book from the publisher in exchange for review.
December 28, 2017
The Seed Woman by Petra Durst-Benning (translated by Edwin Miles) is the first book of the Seed Trader’s Saga. Set in Gonningen, a village in the Swabian Mountains of Germany where seed trading is the main source of income for its residents in the 1850s. A young woman, Hannah Brettschneider, travels from Nuremberg to find Helmut Kerner, the eldest son of the wealthy Kerner family. She’s pregnant and Helmut is the father. Problem? He’s engaged to be married to Seraphine Schwarz. Helmut quickly marries Hannah and eventually Valentin, his brother, marries Seraphine as he has long loved her despite her affections for his brother. As everyone lives under one roof, jealousy and manipulations begin as the brothers plan to expand their business into other regions. Hannah begins to show interest in the seed trade and offer new ways to conduct business. Will they listen to Hannah, an outsider, and try her new methods? Will the business flourish?
I labored through this book. Pushing myself to finish it. I made it through 60% of the book when a particular scene made me stop. It would so disturbing and unsettling that I didn’t want to continue. I realized that I didn’t care about the characters, especially Seraphine who was a bitch as she treats Valentin horribly and plots to worm her way back into Helmut’s heart, who didn’t love her in the first place and saw Hannah’s arrival as a blessing in disguise. The details of the regions and the seed trade are extensive and beautiful. I liked Hannah as the hardworking outsider who shows the village that there are other ways to do things. And she was the only character I liked. I do not recommend The Seed Woman. It is one of those historical novels where the historical details are extensive with very little or unexciting action.
The Seed Woman
is available in paperback and eBook
I labored through this book. Pushing myself to finish it. I made it through 60% of the book when a particular scene made me stop. It would so disturbing and unsettling that I didn’t want to continue. I realized that I didn’t care about the characters, especially Seraphine who was a bitch as she treats Valentin horribly and plots to worm her way back into Helmut’s heart, who didn’t love her in the first place and saw Hannah’s arrival as a blessing in disguise. The details of the regions and the seed trade are extensive and beautiful. I liked Hannah as the hardworking outsider who shows the village that there are other ways to do things. And she was the only character I liked. I do not recommend The Seed Woman. It is one of those historical novels where the historical details are extensive with very little or unexciting action.
The Seed Woman
is available in paperback and eBook
May 22, 2023
💬 “I don’t know how things work in Nuremburg, but in Gönningen we say they giving charity to those in need is like sowing seeds in good soil.”
Hannah arrives in a charming village nestled in the foothills of the Swabian Mountains, meeting beautiful Seraphine, who is due to be married to Helmut, the father of Hannah’s unborn baby - this is their story, along with that of the Seed Trade.
After adoring the Glassblower Series, I really did want to love this series too but I found myself struggling to get through this read, not that it was a bad story- I think it was more that it was such a long read - if it had been condensed slightly, I think I would have enjoyed it more. It’s not a series I will be continuing on with unfortunately.
I truly disliked Seraphine, what a horrible women - the betrayal towards both Hannah and Valentin were unforgivable.
Hannah though, a strong, hard working and resilient women, but she definitely deserved better than Helmut at times.
And Valentin - the overlooked brother, with a heart of gold ❤️
I do enjoy these books for the fact that the Author is German and many things written, remind me of stories that my Oma has shared of her life and it’s at times relatable and gives me a little more insight into what the times were like.
January 23, 2019
Fantastic writing, reading, editing!!!
Finally a story with correct punctuation and sentence structure that makes reading it so easy!! I read a lot, and most stories are difficult to read sensibly because of misuse of commas and confusing sentence structure. This story is educational about the seed trade in the 1800's and about the lives of the seed traders who traveled much of their lives selling their seeds. The colorful characters in this story were well-developed which was very exciting for this reader. There weren't too many people to keep track of like in some stories. Hannah, the outsider, was an exceptional woman. She is the central character who becomes "the seed woman". Oh, I cannot tell how interesting this story is!!! Please, read it for yourself. Highly recommended reading!!!
Finally a story with correct punctuation and sentence structure that makes reading it so easy!! I read a lot, and most stories are difficult to read sensibly because of misuse of commas and confusing sentence structure. This story is educational about the seed trade in the 1800's and about the lives of the seed traders who traveled much of their lives selling their seeds. The colorful characters in this story were well-developed which was very exciting for this reader. There weren't too many people to keep track of like in some stories. Hannah, the outsider, was an exceptional woman. She is the central character who becomes "the seed woman". Oh, I cannot tell how interesting this story is!!! Please, read it for yourself. Highly recommended reading!!!
August 1, 2023
This book got going with a great star (which was why I ordered after reading the sample). Then about midway through, I started “watching the click” how much longer? Are we there yet?) A few plot developments made me want to keep going but after a bit I felt like I was reading a soap opera—only think missing was an evil twin and a main character’s amnesia! Closer to the end, the downhill race to the end was just that—downhill, with a disappointing ending and a lot of unanswered questions. It almost felt like dear Petra ran out of time, or printer paper and scrawled “the end” at the bottom of the last page.
I’d originally thought I would continue the series—I see a familiar name in the description of book 2, but I’m not inclined to do so now.
Plus side: very compelling characters, some historical information that was interesting
Minus: interesting characters introduced and then abandoned without explanation. The above mentioned abrupt ending and inexplicable resolution.
I’d originally thought I would continue the series—I see a familiar name in the description of book 2, but I’m not inclined to do so now.
Plus side: very compelling characters, some historical information that was interesting
Minus: interesting characters introduced and then abandoned without explanation. The above mentioned abrupt ending and inexplicable resolution.
November 8, 2017
I am a big fan of Petra Durst-Benning's work. "The Seed Woman" was as amazing as I expected it to be. I listened to the Audible version, a quality production as usual.
Hannah, whose parents run an inn in the Swabian mountains, sets out to find Helmut--the love of her life. It isn't as simple as she has expected. First, she arrives shortly before the marriage of Helmut and Seraphine, a local girl.
Marrying Helmut is just the first challenge Hannah faces. Helmut, his family, and friends are seed merchants. Seraphine does not back off easily, and Hannah has much to learn about her new lifestyle
Durst--Benning is a German author who writes with an authentic voice and knowledge of German places, customs, and trades. I highly recommend "The Seed Woman", the first book in a new series, as well as "The Glassblower" series.
Hannah, whose parents run an inn in the Swabian mountains, sets out to find Helmut--the love of her life. It isn't as simple as she has expected. First, she arrives shortly before the marriage of Helmut and Seraphine, a local girl.
Marrying Helmut is just the first challenge Hannah faces. Helmut, his family, and friends are seed merchants. Seraphine does not back off easily, and Hannah has much to learn about her new lifestyle
Durst--Benning is a German author who writes with an authentic voice and knowledge of German places, customs, and trades. I highly recommend "The Seed Woman", the first book in a new series, as well as "The Glassblower" series.
October 6, 2020
the more I think about this book the more I hate it. I started out rating it three stars, then knocked it down to two, and after thinking about it more it’s down to one.
from the description I thought it was going to be about Hannah and Seraphine building a relationship while navigating the seed trade together. instead they’re pitted against each other from the beginning and that never changes. Seraphine started out as an interesting character who I wanted to get to know more, but the author clearly had 0 sympathy for her and by the time I got about 50% through I wanted to slap her. I also found it very annoying and misogynistic that she was such a villain and the way Helmut wronged her was portrayed as justified because of how awful she was, whereas Helmut cheated on both her and Hannah yet neither of them ever stopped to think that perhaps he is just not a very good dude. we also never get to see anyone but Helmut actually selling seeds. there is description of all the work the women do but it felt lacking to me, like we were hearing about it rather than witnessing it.
from the description I thought it was going to be about Hannah and Seraphine building a relationship while navigating the seed trade together. instead they’re pitted against each other from the beginning and that never changes. Seraphine started out as an interesting character who I wanted to get to know more, but the author clearly had 0 sympathy for her and by the time I got about 50% through I wanted to slap her. I also found it very annoying and misogynistic that she was such a villain and the way Helmut wronged her was portrayed as justified because of how awful she was, whereas Helmut cheated on both her and Hannah yet neither of them ever stopped to think that perhaps he is just not a very good dude. we also never get to see anyone but Helmut actually selling seeds. there is description of all the work the women do but it felt lacking to me, like we were hearing about it rather than witnessing it.
November 27, 2023
The Seed Woman was not like I was expecting at all. I thought it would be about Hannah finding her passion for seed trading and possibly a friendship between her and Seraphine blooming along the way but it wasn't that at all. Seraphine is a crazy stalker that is obsessed with Helmut. Yes they were engaged and he left her days before their wedding to marry Hannah but she took her obsession too far by marrying Helmut's brother, Valentin, to be close to him and scheming to win Helmut back the entire story. She was awful to Valentin so at the end when he met Margarita, I was excited that he was going to get a happy ending but the story just kind of ended with Seraphine going to him and him saying her name. I'm hoping the next book finishes that storyline.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2018
The story is told around the seed traders in a small town and how their lives are effected by regular travel. The story, as is the norm with this Author style as 2 females in the lead and the book tells their journey. Seraphine is dreamy to a fault and in her own twisted way mean The Love of her life Helmut marries Hannah who is a strong-willed woman and Seraphine decides to wreak havoc in their lives by marrying Helmut’s younger brother Valentin and always trying ways to drive a wedge between the happily married couple.
Though the story is enjoyable but it is only towards the end that you get so hooked that you cannot put the book down.
Though the story is enjoyable but it is only towards the end that you get so hooked that you cannot put the book down.
September 23, 2023
Petra Durst-Benning schafft es auch mit diesem fiktiven Roman den Lesenden in das schöne Württemberg zu entführen.
Das Gönninger Traditionshandwerk wird wundervoll und ein bisschen romantisch beschrieben, ohne aber dabei die harsche Realität des 19. Jahrhunderts schön zu reden.
Die Charaktere sind nachvollziehbar und mehrdimensional geschrieben. Besonders gut ist Seraphines Wesen eingefangen, sodass der Lesende sich bis zum Schluss nicht zwischen Abneigung und Mitleid für sie entscheiden kann. Auch ihr Sinneswandel am Ende ist gut nachvollziehbar, ohne diesen dabei unrealistisch erscheinen zu lassen.
Das Buch überzeugt besonders durch seine balancierten Handlungsstränge die zwischen Hannah, Seraphine, und den Kerner-Brüdern aufgeteilt sind, wodurch der Lesende einen sehr breit gefächerten Einblick in alle Perspektiven bekommt. Schön sind auch die kleinen Erwähnungen von Durst-Bennings Heldinnen die Zuckerbäckerin und die Salzbaronin, ohne dass Vorkenntnisse erzwungen sind.
Auch der historische Aspekt kommt nicht zu kurz, der nicht nur die besondere Lebensweise der Gönninger beschreibt, sondern auch die alltäglichen Gepflogenheiten und Werte der damaligen Zeit einfängt.
Das Gönninger Traditionshandwerk wird wundervoll und ein bisschen romantisch beschrieben, ohne aber dabei die harsche Realität des 19. Jahrhunderts schön zu reden.
Die Charaktere sind nachvollziehbar und mehrdimensional geschrieben. Besonders gut ist Seraphines Wesen eingefangen, sodass der Lesende sich bis zum Schluss nicht zwischen Abneigung und Mitleid für sie entscheiden kann. Auch ihr Sinneswandel am Ende ist gut nachvollziehbar, ohne diesen dabei unrealistisch erscheinen zu lassen.
Das Buch überzeugt besonders durch seine balancierten Handlungsstränge die zwischen Hannah, Seraphine, und den Kerner-Brüdern aufgeteilt sind, wodurch der Lesende einen sehr breit gefächerten Einblick in alle Perspektiven bekommt. Schön sind auch die kleinen Erwähnungen von Durst-Bennings Heldinnen die Zuckerbäckerin und die Salzbaronin, ohne dass Vorkenntnisse erzwungen sind.
Auch der historische Aspekt kommt nicht zu kurz, der nicht nur die besondere Lebensweise der Gönninger beschreibt, sondern auch die alltäglichen Gepflogenheiten und Werte der damaligen Zeit einfängt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2017
This is definitely a niche novel that defies genre. It was originally published, in German, in 2005 so thanks to Amazon for having world literature translated and published in English and to Netgalley for the ARC. Is it historical fiction? Yes- it's set in the Swabian mountains in the 1850s. That was a new one for me. Is it about a romantic triangle? Yes but it's also about seed trading, which is something I'd not read about before in nonfiction let alone in a novel. You'll learn a little bit while reading this, which is a great benefit. It's interesting read.
January 8, 2018
I thought this was really interesting. It tells the tale of Hannah who travels to Gottingen to marry the father (Helmut. I love that name.) of her child, who happens to be engaged to a local girl (Seraphine), but Helmut chooses Hannah which doesn't go over terribly well, especially since Hannah is an outsider. If this sounds like a lot of drama, it really isn't. The book is about searching for your dreams and not focusing on the impossible (and thereby wasting your life). It is also historical fiction, telling the tale of the traveling salesmen (and women) of the era, so seed merchants. I'm describing this really poorly. If you can find this fairly obscure treasure, I definitely recommend that you read it.
November 14, 2017
This was a very interesting book about two brothers and their wives selling seeds. What a great idea to write a book! I enjoyed that the book's setting was in Germany. I also liked reading about the adventure that the brothers had in Russia. There was drama, danger, and romance in this book. One can only imagine how hard it must have been to have traveled great distances - relying on foot travel and help from others giving these people rides by cart, wagon, etc. These people had to be strong physically and mentally to accomplish success from selling good seed.
March 23, 2018
I tried to enjoy this book. Stuck with it for almost 100 pages. Couldn’t do it. Reviews on Amazon have been across the board, so maybe this one just wasn’t my thing. Writing seemed uninspired and on a young adult level. Not that there aren’t some great young adult books out there, but that isn’t what i was looking for this time. It was originally written in German, so maybe the translation had something to do with that. So many books, so little time. Moving on. 🙂
March 16, 2020
Evocative and compelling but...
Although this book was evocative and difficult to put down, it ended in a way that felt unfinished. As there are sequels, perhaps that was intentional.
The author utilized a multi sensory storytelling approach that frequently evoked memories or images that made the reader feel part of the story. Although not my most favourite historical author, this book was good enough that I'll read another of hers in the future.
Although this book was evocative and difficult to put down, it ended in a way that felt unfinished. As there are sequels, perhaps that was intentional.
The author utilized a multi sensory storytelling approach that frequently evoked memories or images that made the reader feel part of the story. Although not my most favourite historical author, this book was good enough that I'll read another of hers in the future.
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