Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's most popular authors, with over 650 million copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include Country, Prodigal Son, Pegasus, A Perfect Life, Power Play, Winners, First Sight, Until the End of Time, The Sins of the Mother, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's book Pretty Minnie in Paris.
Steele's sprawling narrative concerns the efforts of 42-year old architect Annie Ferguson to juggle her career and budding romantic life with worry over the travails of her now grown nephew and nieces, whom she raised following the untimely death of her sister. For better or worse, the story line includes a wide array of soap opera elements, ranging from fashion photography in France to volatile issues of religious and family identity in Iran. Susan Ericksen demonstrates competence and attention to detail in bringing the dialogue to life. Yet in conjunction with the material, the listening experience-engaging as it may be at points-is overloaded with Hollywood caricatures, particularly in the cross-cultural experiences between the West and the Middle East. A Delacorte hardcover (Reviews, May 17). (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Young architect Annie Ferguson's life is turned upside down when her sister and brother-in-law die in a plane crash. Aunt Annie suddenly becomes the guardian of her sister's three young children and, at the expense of her love life, spends the next several years raising them and establishing herself as an architect. Once the kids (a fashion magazine editor, a law student, and an art student) are of adult age, Annie struggles to let them make their own decisions and mistakes. She also tries to let romance back into her life by way of a handsome TV news anchor. Verdict After Steel sums up 16 years in less than 20 pages, she slows down and allows the reader to become somewhat invested in the characters' lives. Although it's predictable at times (OK, most of the time), this modern-day novel is not an unpleasant way to spend a few hours, thanks to the various characters and story lines. When it comes to Danielle Steel books, public libraries know what to do (i.e., buy multiple copies. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/10.]-Samantha J. Gust, Niagara Univ. Lib., NY Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.
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