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Die Fotografin #2
An Artificial Light
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.
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.
367 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 8, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
March 14, 2020
The main character is Mimi Reventlow, the story setting Germany in 1911 a time when the world was changing, and a more modern way of life was starting to take shape. Mimi is a traveling photographer who has decided to look after her elderly uncle who is dying and has been a mentor to her and encouraged her to travel a path much less taken by women of the period. Much is made of the so-called romance in this story, but as always the path to true love and authenticity is never smooth, and sometimes love takes twists and turns that are unexpected. The story also looks at the power that industrialists had over their workers and the potential fight for human rights the unionists had to take up, so often forgotten in the modern world where such rights are taken for granted.
This is the second book in an ongoing series, and as a reader with no access to the first novel, this book could have been improved with a little more backstory telling. As it was, the story starts with no introduction to the cast of characters, prior knowledge is expected, which made it hard to connect with the characters for a long period of time.
One doesn’t get a strong feeling for the time period this story is set in, as very little detail is given about the housing, fashion or expectations of the people of the time. Its also not a period of history of the country well known to anyone who hasn’t grown up in Germany, so more background would have made this story much more fascinating. One can’t help but hope that women such as Mimi Reventlow really did exist as she will appeal to modern-day feminists. Strong, independent and determined to find a better life for those around her and for herself are characteristics that are well respected in a modern world.
This book promised much but felt lacking somehow. It was a pleasant enough way to spend a day, but not enough to make one want to track down the next novel in the series.
This is the second book in an ongoing series, and as a reader with no access to the first novel, this book could have been improved with a little more backstory telling. As it was, the story starts with no introduction to the cast of characters, prior knowledge is expected, which made it hard to connect with the characters for a long period of time.
One doesn’t get a strong feeling for the time period this story is set in, as very little detail is given about the housing, fashion or expectations of the people of the time. Its also not a period of history of the country well known to anyone who hasn’t grown up in Germany, so more background would have made this story much more fascinating. One can’t help but hope that women such as Mimi Reventlow really did exist as she will appeal to modern-day feminists. Strong, independent and determined to find a better life for those around her and for herself are characteristics that are well respected in a modern world.
This book promised much but felt lacking somehow. It was a pleasant enough way to spend a day, but not enough to make one want to track down the next novel in the series.
January 20, 2021
This is the second in the series The Photographer's Saga. I won this copy in a Goodreads Giveaway. Before I started this book, I read Book 1. Review can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The story of Mimi Reventlow continues. She is still caring for her uncle. She is staying in Laichingen to ply her photography trade instead of traveling from town to town. She continues to help the young men of the town to fulfill their professional ambitions. Best friends Anton and Alexander would like to pursue careers other than weaving: Anton would like to be an entrepreneur; Alexander an artist. Another young man, Emil, wants to pursue woodworking.
The town continues to be run by tyrant Hermann Gehringer. He wants all the young men to work in his mill. Mimi and Gehringer are constantly at odds.
A love interest is added for Mimi: Johann. Mimi had met him while traveling. He had left the town 15 years earlier but was now back. When she met him, she had no idea that he cam from her uncle's home town. The relationship is complicated by another woman in town: she happens to think Johann is hers.
This story was good, but just more of the same as the first. I would categorize it as Historical Drama.
4 stars
The story of Mimi Reventlow continues. She is still caring for her uncle. She is staying in Laichingen to ply her photography trade instead of traveling from town to town. She continues to help the young men of the town to fulfill their professional ambitions. Best friends Anton and Alexander would like to pursue careers other than weaving: Anton would like to be an entrepreneur; Alexander an artist. Another young man, Emil, wants to pursue woodworking.
The town continues to be run by tyrant Hermann Gehringer. He wants all the young men to work in his mill. Mimi and Gehringer are constantly at odds.
A love interest is added for Mimi: Johann. Mimi had met him while traveling. He had left the town 15 years earlier but was now back. When she met him, she had no idea that he cam from her uncle's home town. The relationship is complicated by another woman in town: she happens to think Johann is hers.
This story was good, but just more of the same as the first. I would categorize it as Historical Drama.
4 stars
June 20, 2022
Ich hatte mich sehr auf den zweiten Teil gefreut, da mir der erste sehr gefallen hat. Auch im zweiten Teil nehmen wir am Leben von Mimi teil. Mir fehlt hier aber die mutige, kluge Frau. Vieles wird angerissen, zuviele Themen, sodass Mimi untergeht.
Ich werde aber weiterlesen, denn ich denke es ist nur der zweite Teil...
Ich werde aber weiterlesen, denn ich denke es ist nur der zweite Teil...
May 3, 2019
Mimi Reventlow, die Wanderfotografin, hat es nach Laichingen, einem Dorf auf der schwäbischen Alb, verschlagen, in dem es sich voll und ganz um das Weberhandwerk dreht. Der Webereibesitzer Gehringer spielt sich auf, als ob ihm das Dorf samt der Menschen gehört, doch Mimi stellt sich ihm in den Weg und versucht den Menschen vor Ort auch andere Lebenswege aufzuzeigen und will mit ihrer Fotografie Schönheit in den tristen (Arbeits-)Alltag bringen, ...
Das Buch knüpft nahtlos an seinen Vorgängerband an, was mir sehr gut gefällt. Aber das macht auch ziemlich deutlich, dass die Bände dieser Reihe nicht unabhängig voneinander gelesen werden sollte. Man nimmt sich als Leserin dadurch einfach zu viel, denn die Personen entwickeln sich stetig weiter und das Buch lebt vor allem durch die auftretenden Personen. Jeder hat seine Stärken und Schwächen, ist mal gemein, mal liebenswert und das zu verfolgen, macht großen Spaß.
Die Handlung an sich lebt von den vielen gut recherchierten Alltagsszenen, die das Leben auf der Alb zur damaligen Zeit stark veranschaulichen. Ansonsten entwickelt sich die Geschichte nach und nach und es ist schön sie mitzuerleben. Dennoch gibt es eigentlich keine unverhofften Wendungen oder Überraschungen. Die Geschichte geht genauso seinen Gang, wie man es auch erwartet. Gefreut habe ich mich über das Auftauchen von einigen Randpersonen, wie Bernadette, die im ersten Band nur einen ganz kurzen aber schönen Auftritt hatte. Genauso kurz ist ihr zweites Auftreten, aber ich bin mir sicher, dass wir mit weiteren solchen Auftritten weiterhin Anteil an ihrem Leben haben werden.
Insofern ein schöner Schmöker mit starken Charakteren, die das Buch prägen und lesenswert machen!
March 30, 2020
I am a fan of Petra Durst Benning's previous writings of The Glassblower series... so I was very excited for the advance opportunity to read this series based on photography. This book is the second in The Photographer series although it could easily serve as a stand alone book if you have not already read the first book.
The book takes place in Germany in the early 1900's and tells the story of Mimi, a young girl whose passion for photography is sometimes overcome by her obligations to care for her dying Uncle and the ever evolving situations taking place in this turn of the century time frame. I found this to be a story of love, of passion, of obligations, and a story of chance. I loved the series...and find that the author has a beautiful way of telling her story. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.
My review is my own and is in no way required by the publisher.
The book takes place in Germany in the early 1900's and tells the story of Mimi, a young girl whose passion for photography is sometimes overcome by her obligations to care for her dying Uncle and the ever evolving situations taking place in this turn of the century time frame. I found this to be a story of love, of passion, of obligations, and a story of chance. I loved the series...and find that the author has a beautiful way of telling her story. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.
My review is my own and is in no way required by the publisher.
June 2, 2021
I requested this novel because of its beautiful cover and its promise to discuss one of my favorite topics, photography. This book is a continuation of Petra Durst-Benning's The Photographer, which I haven't read, and it was a little difficult to pick up the threads of the story. The author is a consummate researcher and carefully details village life, and overall the tone feels like an older novel--at times I found myself thinking of the parts of Middlemarch that I always skip over, such as the railroad discussion. The story was a bit slow-moving, and the supporting characters were hard to keep track of at times. Perhaps if I had begun the saga at the beginning it would be different.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
August 14, 2020
This story follows the life of Mimi Reventlow, a lady photography in the 1900’s. The first book in this series sets the stage for Mimi’s life living and learning photography from her uncle Joseph and now we get to see more of the village and meet a wide range of odd characters. I found the best parts of the book were during the photography sessions and learning about the weaving industry.
I didn’t care for Johann’s part and Mimi didn’t completely win me over. All and all it was an OK read, not as good as I expected. The ending completely sets the stage for a sequel.
I want to thank Amazon Crossing and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest unbiased opinion. This is a 4-star review.
I didn’t care for Johann’s part and Mimi didn’t completely win me over. All and all it was an OK read, not as good as I expected. The ending completely sets the stage for a sequel.
I want to thank Amazon Crossing and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest unbiased opinion. This is a 4-star review.
March 16, 2021
Both books in this series (The Photographer and An Artificial Light) were entertaining, especially since I had lived in Stuttgart for awhile and enjoyed "revisiting" the setting of the story. I very much enjoyed the history of photography and flax milling included in the plot. However, nothing irritates me more than to get to the end of a book and find that it is not a stand alone story. Both books in this apparent series ended abruptly, with major plot lines unresolved and characters left dangling. I do not appreciate being manipulated into having to hunt down yet another book to boost the author's sales, so I will not be reading any more of these. If the author doesn't care where she leaves her readers and her characters, neither do I.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2020
This is a good story. And its just that– a story about people in a small German town in 1911. Nothing major really happens. There are villains; there are good people; there is romance, and there is conflict. If you like historical fiction where its all about character development and story telling, you will like this. It was interesting to read about working conditions in the pre-union era, and you can understand why workers revolted. I enjoyed the Mimi character and learning about how photography evolved more creatively. However, I really couldn’t understand why such a strong woman was in love with someone who kept her at arm’s length, but that’s just me. I do recommend this for lovers of historical fiction. 4 stars. Disclaimer — I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher. #NetGalley 🤩🤩🤩🤩 Publish date 9/2020
June 4, 2022
Depressing
Unrelenting betrayal and letdown the entire novel. I loved the first book in the series and had high hopes for the second. It’s unclear if there is to be a third book in the series to wrap things up. Even if there is, the author’s decision to make this book so unrelentingly depressing and showing the worst in so many people is perplexing. I hated it, to be honest. Did the author want to mire her readers in misery? Just one depressing thing after another, the whole way through. It’s literally not until the last few pages that the author even tries to put a positive spin on the future for Mimi. Too late. I don’t recommend.
Unrelenting betrayal and letdown the entire novel. I loved the first book in the series and had high hopes for the second. It’s unclear if there is to be a third book in the series to wrap things up. Even if there is, the author’s decision to make this book so unrelentingly depressing and showing the worst in so many people is perplexing. I hated it, to be honest. Did the author want to mire her readers in misery? Just one depressing thing after another, the whole way through. It’s literally not until the last few pages that the author even tries to put a positive spin on the future for Mimi. Too late. I don’t recommend.
January 22, 2021
Mimi's independent character was very identifiable as I am single at almost 66 and have made my way in this (still) difficult world for women alone! I love Petra's books because she draws you in, the characters, locations and situations come to life with her descriptions which are spot-on and adequate without being overly wordy. I enjoyed this trip through several phases of Mimi's life. The hardships of loom workers was a historic learning experience for me. As an amateur photographer myself, the changes and developing popularity of life event photographs was an interesting read also.
August 6, 2023
Mimi, the photographer, is a bit naive even though she shows strength and endurance while caring for her dying uncle. Her personal life is in shambles while living a poor existence in a small industrial village. Johann, her love interest is not honest with her and when she finds out his interests lie elsewhere, she is broken and depressed. Her accomplishments in helping others in the village went unrewarded. This is a sad story of a heroine who did not accomplish her dreams.
September 27, 2020
A little disappointing. After reading the first book, The Photographer, I was eager to pick up the story and follow Mimi into new and exciting adventures in photography and travel. However this just fizzled into a complicated love story and a failed attempt at recording reforming conditions of life in the linen industry.
September 30, 2020
The Best in Historical Fiction!
Petra Durst-Benning is The Queen of Research and combining the details of one series into another! It is always a joy to discover them! The historical notes and photographs at the end of the books are wonderful to look over and see how she used them in the story! Now I have to wait another year for the next book!
Petra Durst-Benning is The Queen of Research and combining the details of one series into another! It is always a joy to discover them! The historical notes and photographs at the end of the books are wonderful to look over and see how she used them in the story! Now I have to wait another year for the next book!
October 2, 2020
Enjoyable
Really good book , should read the photographer first. Fun to read about mimis time while living at her uncle's house and her relationships in the small town. You become attached to the characters. Did feel the book needed an epilogue to tie up some story lines . Left me with unanswered questions.
Really good book , should read the photographer first. Fun to read about mimis time while living at her uncle's house and her relationships in the small town. You become attached to the characters. Did feel the book needed an epilogue to tie up some story lines . Left me with unanswered questions.
December 7, 2020
Worth reading
This book was quite a rough tale. After a while it was depressing to read of all the hardship that befell the citizens. I was interested in the photographer and her life but she had so much heartache. I wanted to seen her win.
Maybe there will be another book to continue her life.
This book was quite a rough tale. After a while it was depressing to read of all the hardship that befell the citizens. I was interested in the photographer and her life but she had so much heartache. I wanted to seen her win.
Maybe there will be another book to continue her life.
May 29, 2022
Petra is getting kind of basic in her writing. Nothing like her first novels that I loved so much
Too much repetition. Too basic sentence structure. What hehehe to the early Petra I loved so much. The cyclist, the sewing machine ,the Champaign story? This gets like a ghost writer and im appalled.
Too much repetition. Too basic sentence structure. What hehehe to the early Petra I loved so much. The cyclist, the sewing machine ,the Champaign story? This gets like a ghost writer and im appalled.
June 19, 2023
Petra Durst-Benning is one of my favorite authors. Her descriptions are not only beautiful,but they also increase my desire to explore the German areas she writes about! An Artificial Light was a poignant and bittersweet glimpse into reality. Reality that can be shattered or breathtaking no matter where or when in history we exist.
October 27, 2020
Durst-Benning has done it again!
She makes shine, a sad town and townspeople. The 2nd book in the series is well written and runs the gamut of emotions from despair to hope. She ties up loose ends for the characters. Great read! 15+
She makes shine, a sad town and townspeople. The 2nd book in the series is well written and runs the gamut of emotions from despair to hope. She ties up loose ends for the characters. Great read! 15+
December 29, 2020
A good, light, quick read. I had one problem with the books, and it was the dialogue, which didn't match the time period. That did distract from the story, but overall, I was able to read through my frustration and enjoy the base of the story.
January 18, 2021
I enjoy the author’s stories about my Heimatland. And I always learn something about the trades she recounts. I especially enjoy her protagonists being feisty young women who make it on their own, even when they get distracted by ne’er do well men along the way
February 15, 2021
Great story
I really enjoy the books written by Petra Durst Bennington. My favorite stories are about strong women in history. We wouldn’t be where we are now without their bravery.
I really enjoy the books written by Petra Durst Bennington. My favorite stories are about strong women in history. We wouldn’t be where we are now without their bravery.
April 5, 2021
Hard life and love of people
This is an area that my daughter lived in during an exchange period and she still lives in Germany. It was so Interesting to feel like I was getting into the lives of the people and history
This is an area that my daughter lived in during an exchange period and she still lives in Germany. It was so Interesting to feel like I was getting into the lives of the people and history
April 5, 2021
Love this charcter
Mimi is a fresh breath of air in the strict male dominated society. She speaks her mind and stands her ground for her beliefs. I can't wait for the next book! This author captures life in the best way
Mimi is a fresh breath of air in the strict male dominated society. She speaks her mind and stands her ground for her beliefs. I can't wait for the next book! This author captures life in the best way
April 11, 2021
The audiobook reader is superb
I’ve been enjoying all of the authors audiobooks. As German born it is pleasant to hear the names of towns and places. Her plots leave the reader with deep thoughts of life in general.
I’ve been enjoying all of the authors audiobooks. As German born it is pleasant to hear the names of towns and places. Her plots leave the reader with deep thoughts of life in general.
October 10, 2021
The struggles of women to gain respect and independence.
Couldn't put it down. Well written. Mostly romantic theme. A very nice story of the struggles women had to endure to become strong and independent.
Couldn't put it down. Well written. Mostly romantic theme. A very nice story of the struggles women had to endure to become strong and independent.
October 26, 2021
Great Story. I can't wait to read more of her books.
Well written and interesting characters. Good conclusion and good translation. Read it... you'll be glad you did. Can't wait to read the next one.
Well written and interesting characters. Good conclusion and good translation. Read it... you'll be glad you did. Can't wait to read the next one.
January 11, 2022
Richly woven tale
This continuation of the Photographer captures the people of the linen weaving town along with their hardships. But the story of love and devotion captures the heart
This continuation of the Photographer captures the people of the linen weaving town along with their hardships. But the story of love and devotion captures the heart
October 27, 2022
The second of two books in a series set in turn of the 20th century Germany and tells the story of a female photographer, an unconventional job for an unconventional woman. Very nicely written. Enjoyed the audio version. Make sure you read/listen to them both.
October 1, 2023
Interesting story
Continuing the series about a young woman who is a traveling photographer who moves in with her sick uncle to care for him. Lots of side stories that all tie together near the end. Some unexpected surprises in the plot.
Continuing the series about a young woman who is a traveling photographer who moves in with her sick uncle to care for him. Lots of side stories that all tie together near the end. Some unexpected surprises in the plot.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews