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?
