The Vision of Emma Blau

ONE OF THE MANY GREAT BOOKS URSULA HEGI HAS WRITTEN.Having previously read, many of Ursula Hegi's books, I was not disappointed with a continuation of some of the characters from her "Stones from the River". This book is also equal to that wonderful book. Here as usual you get in the skin of her characters, from their observations to their priorities and justifications.In this book emigrant Stefan Blau comes to the US and eventually settles in a small town in New Hampshire. He has picked up the skill for French cooking and does well for himself in a small restaurant he creates. However, this is not his dream. His dream is an apartment building he is inspired to build: The Wasserburg. In a daydream while boating, he is inspired not only by the building he imagines creating, but a child he imagines playing in its courtyard.Stefan's financial adventures go well, but his personal life is troubled. Things go on that bring one misfortune to the other to his doorstep. I don't want to go into too much detail and ruin the book, but this book isn't all doom and gloom. This is a not-so-typical families saga, with both good and bad. However, there are forces in Stefan Blau's life that eventually steer him to lead his life in a particular fashion. This book chronicles Stefan Blau's family over 3 generations and 2 continents. An excellent tale of a family, the ties that contrict, bind, bond and break one.SOLID SENSE OF EACH CHARACTER AND WHO THEY ARE:As always Ursula Hegi fleshes out her characters. You understand the motivation of Stefan and his family right down to the youngest grandchild Emma. Not till the end of the book do you understand the meaning of the name... At least I didn't.YOU CAN PICTURE THE WASSERBURG:What I particularly liked is the description of the house. You can see it through the author's eyes. I love houses so this was pleasant. Also, you see the basis for all the characters, but not in a descriptive way. You get in their skin. This story centers around a community and a family living in this one building.YOU CAN IMAGINE BEING GERMAN AND IN AMERICAN DURING WWII LEFT YOU FEELING DIVIDED. One other point, I imagine dear to Ursula Hegi's heart is the portrayal of a German family in American when Germany was the enemy. She describes how the immagrant family feels out of place in both country, but beholden to both.An excellent read, hard to put down.

As a child, Stefan Blau had a dream -- to leave his native Germany, emigrate to America, live all of the excitement promised by the American Dream, and fulfill the destiny he believed to be his. In 1894, at the age of thirteen, he began his journey by working as a kitchen hand on a ship sailing from Rotterdam to New York. From that point on, Stefan would dream dreams and make decisions which would both build and destroy a legacy.In New York, Stefan began as a dishwasher in a French restaurant, but his ambitions carried him forward to learn the art of fine cuisine. A tragic fire and the loss of a friend sent Stefan further afield. He left New York for New Hampshire where the land bore a resemblance to Germany. There, in a boat on Lake Winnipesaukee, he had a vision of a playful young blonde haired girl, a vision which would haunt him for decades, a girl he would search for and ultimately find -- his granddaughter, Emma Blau.For Emma, Stefan would build a successful restaurant in a small town where it wasn't likely to succeed. For Emma, Stefan would build a massive apartment building far too elegant to be lucrative in such a small New Hampshire village. The price of this success would poison the souls of Stefan, his wives and his children -- all because of a vision of Emma Blau."The Vision of Emma Blau" is a novel of success and failure, of choice and fate, of decision and destiny. Ursula Hegi's rich prose gives full voice to each unique and well defined character. With great passion, Hegi delves into human nature and the needs and desires that motivate us all. This book is broad in scope, touching on love, greed, prejudice, war, social class, family roles and psychological motivation.This saga of the Blau family of Winnepesaukee is a difficult book to walk away from even at the end. I could have read it more quickly, but at times,I had to put it down and savor what I had just covered. The inter-action of the characters provoked strong feelings within me, almost as if I was living it with them. I grew and aged with each character. I felt I wanted to help them understand themselves and each other.

Ursula Hegi has always been an insightful, thoughtful,respected author. With THE VISION OF EMMA BLAU, her reputation as oneof the finest contemporary fiction writers is sealed. A German native, her work crosses any possible cultural borders --- every book is a tightly woven exultation of life as experienced by human beings, regardless of sex, creed, or any other distinguishing factor. She is, quite simply, a marvelous storyteller. THE VISION OF EMMA BLAU is the story of Stefan Blau, a 13-year-old boy who flees his small town in Burgdorf, Germany. He comes to the USA in search of a chronic vision that haunts him --- it is a vision of a small child he hasn't seen before and a place he hasn't ever visited. The book travels from Germany to America and covers nearly 100 years. Emma, his granddaughter, is the girl of his dream; his sprawling apartment house, the place of his dream. Wasserburg, Stefan's estate, falls into a slow fade and parallels the evolution of American society. The book tells the life of the Blau family, but it truly reflects the experiences of all families that have lived and prospered and suffered throughout World War I and World War II. Immigrant life in America is not a new subject. But somehow the beautiful prose Hegi utilizes brings Stefan's story into full bloom and makes us feel like we are reliving that period of history all over again, through a truly new perspective. I think this is a very difficult feat to pull off --- but the vision itself presents a framework that keeps us on the edge of our seats: When will Stefan's vision become clear? Who is the girl? Where is this place? How does it all tie into the life he creates for himself anew in the New World, then passes onto the generations of German-American descendants that come after him? THE VISION OF EMMA BLAU is a remarkably poignant story, far-reaching in its scope and irrevocably heartbreaking and heart soaring in its portrait of the growing up of America. I would heartily recommend THE VISION OF EMMA BLAU to anyone who is part of a family, who wonders about how we all affect each other, our country, ourselves, with each of our experiences, as well as how the world around us affects our lives. These are important questions about life as we knew it in the twentieth century and provides plenty of indications as to how these times will affect us in the new millennium. Congratulations to Hegi for another affecting, considerate novel. What could have been a tired retelling of generational love transcends sentimentality to become a rousing, deeply evocative tale through which we can rediscover America. --- Reviewed by Jana Siciliano

I found this treasure on the shelf and was so thrilled- each book about the lives in, around, and from Burgdorf is enchanting. I wish they weren't so few and far between. Kudos to Hegi for another fabulous look at the human condition to which anyone can relate in at least some basic way. The trials of immigrants, of families, and of life in general are played on a small stage, but shown on a large screen.

This is a beautifully written book. If you enjoyed Stones From the River, this book is for you. Ms. Hegi makes her characters come alive! I could picture everyone in the apartment house. I highly recommend this book.