Answered Prayers

by Danielle Steel

Danielle Steel’s 56th bestselling novel is about family and friendship, about one woman’s struggle to break free from the past—and the man who helps her triumph. And most of all, it is about daring to believe in...Answered Prayers.

On the outside, Faith Madison is the very picture of a sophisticated New Yorker. Slim, blond, stylish, Faith has a life many would envy. Overcoming a childhood marked by tragedy, married to a successful investment banker and having raised two grown daughters, Faith has enjoyed her role as mother and wife, and the good life that emanates from their bustling Manhattan town house. But every step of the way, Faith has carried within her a secret she could divulge to no one. And with it, she has kept an even more painful secret from herself.

For Faith, it is the sudden death of her stepfather—a man who, like her husband, Alex, always remained just beyond her reach—that will touch off a journey of change and revelation. At the funeral, painful memories flood back—and an old friend reenters Faith’s life. Faith is greeting mourners, when she hears a voice behind her and a single word that brings a quick smile to her face: “Fred.” Only one person aside from her older brother, Jack, called her that. Brad Patterson was Jack’s best friend, a long, lanky boy who teased, tormented, and protected Faith when they fancied themselves “The Three Musketeers” as kids. When Jack died years later, Faith and Brad came together again in their common, inconsolable grief, then lost touch once more amid the demands of families and busy lives a continent apart.

Now a lawyer in California, Brad has reentered Faith’s life just as she is making a decision that plunges her marriage into crisis. Determined to fulfill a long-held desire for a career of her own, Faith applies to law school against her husband’s wishes, igniting a barrage of anger and recrimination. Faith’s only solace is the correspondence she has begun with Brad, a man trapped in an empty marriage of his own, a friend she once lost and has found again. Soon e-mails are flying between them, bridging three thousand miles, sharing much-needed friendship, support, laughter. And as these two childhood friends rediscover each other, something extraordinary is beginning to happen. In the safety of their friendship, Brad will find the courage to make a decision he should have made years before. And Faith, too, is changing, beginning to believe in herself—and in her right to grab hold of her dreams. Gathering a strength she never knew she had, Faith is finally ready to face the most painful step of all: of sharing the secret that has long been haunting her, and truly opening up her heart for the first time in her life.

With unerring insight into the hearts of husbands and wives, lovers and families, Danielle Steel tells a wise and moving story of the secrets that wound and the choices that heal—and of the second chances that come only once in a lifetime.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction, Novels

326 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, 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; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.

Facebook.com/DanielleSteelOfficial
Instagram: @officialdaniellesteel

Reviews

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad story but the MC was really pathetic in the sense of how she was hung up on her husband leaving her but treating her like trash.

[Pris Campbell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read probably three Danielle Steele books total out of curiosity since she's clearly a big seller. In reading this one, I was again perplexed at how someone could write such a lousy book be such a big hit. She has a thin plot, expands it endlessly, repeats the same thing over and over until you want to say, 'okay, you've told me that..get on with it'. For Danielle Steel fans, if you want to buy this book I'll sell it (hardback, excellent condition) for four dollars plus shipping costs. Let me know quickly or it'll be donated to the library.

[Sarah ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

قَالَ لهَا بهدوء : " أَحيَاناً يتبعُ سوءَ الحَظْ أفضَلُ حَظ في العالم" ..

ــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ

رواية بسيطة جدا وجميلة :)
أعجبت كثيراً بصبر فيث ، بطيبتها .. وتأثرت بـ نقاءها اللامحدود ..
افتقدت كثيرا القراءة لدانييل ... لدرجة يبدو أنني نسيت كم يكون من الرائع القراءة لها ..
( لم أقرأ لـ دانييل ستيل منذ أكثر من عامين ).

[Marianne Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

When your in "just the right mood", Danielle Steel is just amazing. Love, despair, hope .... all of those wonderful words just resonate with you.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of those books that you realize you hate after you are knee deep into it..and then your OCD requirement to finish what you started takes over. Not recommended.

[Genevieve · Rating 1 out of 5]

Last Danielle Steel I'm ever going to read. None of her female characters have any backbone. They let themselves get walked over, never ask for what they want. They sacrifice in silence. Makes me want to barf. This one really made me angry. No more.

[Sherri Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danielle Steel used to be an auto-buy author for me; I couldn't get enough of her books. Over the years, I found myself disappointed many times and the stories seemed to all sound the same. I was afraid this book would follow the same pattern. It started out a little depressing with the history of Faith's marriage and how Alex treats her but then draws the reader in as Faith's journey to finding herself begins with her decision to go back to school. The reader is given an inside look into not only Faith's life, but her marriage of 26 years and what her quest to have a life does to her marriage. The reader is uplifted at the recollections of Faith's past, her painflul childhood, her brother, and her friend Brad, who reenters Faith's life when she most needs a friend. I thought the author handled the blooming friendship and enventually the romance with style and grace.

I also enjoyed being drawn into Brad's life as well. All too often, a story centers around one central character with supporting characters adding flavor throughout. I enjoyed that the reader gets to know Brad and you see his personality come alive on the pages. The author has created characters in this story that the reader will care about.

Overall, a very enjoyable story about family and friendship.

[Lois Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Answered Prayers. Yes

An emotional story of wasted years, sacrifices, and not listening to you head and heart. Faith the warm caring woman, who had many thing that molded her life in the end made her a stronger woman, one who at times w a s broken by her domineering husband. There were a couple of places in the story that I wanted to rewrite, when you get there let me know how you feel. Then the relationship between Brad and Pam that was cold and self gratifying. And a faith that GOD answers prayers when you wait long enough.
Enjoy reading.

[Antonia Litsinger · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so bad, it made me laugh. I usually find Danielle Steel's books interesting and a good romantic diversion, but the characters were so wooden and their actions were so unbelievable at times. The line that made me drop my book with laughter was the line "He broke my heart with a thong." I'll light a candle for Danielle Steel and hope that she doesn't continue to write after she's sipped too much of the Communion wine. (I know, MEOWW!)

[Sarah Elmeshad]

my rating is zero stars...horrible horrible writing

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very predictable summer beach read with little plot development. 2.5 stars

[Pepi Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m giving it 4 stars since it’s an entertaining novel, I’ve finished it in one sitting. I’ve ended up being fond of the main character, Faith. It’s the second book I read by Danielle Steel. It’s definitely an easy read, able to distract you and free your mind. What I don’t like is that she writes a lot about looks, money, man-woman relationships with happy endings…I guess I’ll have to read more of her books to find out if all of her novels are so traditional and shallow.

[Sandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Years ago I read 2 or 3 Danielle Steele books and on a whim decided to download this audiobook to listen to at the gym. Now I know why I never read more of her books. Repetition, repetition, repetition. This could have been a short story if the author didn't continuously say the same things over and over and over. I felt like she had a a page quota. Little character development and a thin story line--how can the author even look at herself in the mirror after writing this book?

[Bhavya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I am being harsh, or unreasonable or maybe I am not good enough a person, but I can never love, or even like a person like Faith. And when you can't love the person the story is centred around, no story can do much for you. Having said that, the second star is for the ending, because, I am a sucker for happy ending. (But shhhh, that's one of my many embarrassing secrets)

[Shelly Boltz-Zito · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it in 2 hours!

Great book, fantastic story. Makes a person believe in the power of Answered Prayers, the belief of family, true love and that life works in mysterious ways. Another fantastic book by a fantastic author!

[Jozie | Cozy Romantasy Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Answered Prayers was a lighthearted contemporary romance about to old friends who are both trapped in bad marriages.

Faith has been married to Alex for decades. They have two adult children who are leaving the nest to attend college. With the girls gone, she realizes just how alone she is in her marriage. Her husband is constantly out of town for work, and when he is home, he is emotionally unavailable. When Faith attends her stepfather's funeral, without Alex by her side, she encounters an old friend, Brad. Once Brad flies back home, they begin talking to each other daily. Brad is in a similar situation with his wife; however, he has come to terms with it but refuses to divorce her.

Danielle Steel always writes heartwarming romances. I thought the relationship between Faith and her daughters was relatable. One daughter was close to Faith, while the other was close to her dad. Of course, when a situation occurred, they took sides and blamed the other parent without knowing the truth. Faith and Brad's relationship was sweet. They were a shoulder to cry on for each other and showed no judgment toward each other. They just wanted the other to be happy. If you are looking for a strong FMC, this is not it. It is understandable why Faith acts the way she does and allows her husband to degrade her, but at times it was annoying, and I questioned why she would put up with all of it.

contemporary romance • drama • friends to lovers • new york

[Payton Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have heard all the hype about Danielle Steel so I thought I’d give her a read. While I’m not counting her out after one book, I can’t say this was my favorite style of writing. I also realized I cannot stand to read books written in the third person.

The characters were a little too out of my age range to be able to identify with, so I got a little bored. I felt the plot was too thin and while I love a good, cheesy happy ending in a romance novel, this ending was a bit much and VERY rushed. The entire novel was so wishy washy and then it rushed through any sort of ending.

[Rihan · Rating 3 out of 5]

طيبة، حكمة، شجاعة.. والأهم.. الإيمان بأن صلواتنا وأبتهالنا الى الله سيعود بالنفع علينا عاجلاً ام أجلاً
فيث كانت مثالية في زواجها ومع بناتها وأيضاً حتى بعد إنهيار حياتها.. لم تترك الحقد والكراهية ان تُذهب بعقلها..ولكنها تمسكت بإخلاصها وإيمانها الى ان إجتازت محنتها . ف��انت "صلوات مستجابة" ل "دانييل ستيل" رواية بسيطة وجميلة وتحمل الكثير من المعاني الرائعة التي نفتقدها في أيامنا هذه.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A typical Danielle Steel. Nothing special. I am getting tired of reading novels about women with no backbones.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book recommended

[Katarina ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une belle histoire qui montre qu'un couple heureux n'est pas forcément celui qui est marié depuis longtemps. J'ai adoré Faith et sa volonté de devenir indépendante suite à la trahison d'Alex, son mari. Il y a évidemment un happy end sans surprise.

[Charlie]

This is a 'It's not you, it's me' situation. I used to love Steel's books when I was younger, but I can't do it anymore. They all feel exactly the same to me and reading the same things put into different sentences OVER and OVER gets sucky after a while. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get rid of all of her books.

[Payal Ghorpade · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Answered Prayers" by Danielle Steel


By Payal Ghorpade.

I had been lately in conversation with an old friend of mine about my desire to read a novel based on family and friendship. Thus, she forced me to read 'Answered Prayers' by Danielle Steel. Well, the title of the book was enough to give me goosebumps as I thought it to be some pale religious book which I wasn't seeking at all. Having heard an earful from her, finally much to her delight I gave it a try. Bingo!

About The Author:

Danielle Steel is an American writer . She has written 174 books, including over 141 novels. She is the forth bestselling fiction author of all times with her books translated into 43 languages out of which 22 have been adapted for television that have received Golden Globe nominations.

The Cover-Page:

The cover page of the book shows a candle lit in the dark black background. At my first impression about the book, I thought it signifies that there is a light somewhere in the dark. Well turns out, it has much to do with the plot of the p book. The cover page itself speaks volumes about the content of the book. The Christians are accustomed to light a candle in the church to make a wish or pray for someone special. Lighting a candle is a belief that the warmth and the light of the candle will reach the Almighty and their prayers will be answered. Serves well with the cover page.

Characters:

1) Faith Madison (the protagonist): a homemaker in her forties, married to an investment banker, mother of two daughters, beautiful, stylish, generous, kind and religious woman. She is the glue sticking the family together with her selfless sacrifices.

2) Brad Patterson (the protagonist): criminal defense attorney for kids, husband of a high profile successful corporate lawyer, father of two twin boys, well build and fairly handsome man, childhood friend of Faith and her brother Jack.

3) Alex : a hot shot investment banker, Faith's husband,irresponsible towards family, a workaholic with cold and bossy attitude, narrow minded thinking , a cruel man who has his own ways to get through things.

4)Pam: a high profile successful corporate lawyer, Brad's wife, a powerful woman of high rank and superiority living a luxurious life, cool headed, visionary, quite clear with what she wants in her life. Her corporate rich and famous clients are paramount to her above all.

5)Eloise: Elder daughter of Alex and Faith, 24 years old, lives independent life in London, cold and outrageous much like her father, highly supportive of her Father's decisions and holds him in high prospects.

6) Zoe: Younger daughter of Alex and Faith, 18 years old, student at Brown, outspoken and enthusiastic, full of life, supportive of Faith, highly dismissive of Alex.

7) Jason and Dylan: Twin sons of Brad and Pam, adventurers, fond of social service to the underprivileged Africans, Visionary about their future prospects, Kind, helpful and compassionate, Close to Brad than Pam.

Themes:

1) Theme of Loneliness: Faith has retired from the post of a full time mother. Her husband, Alex is often out for business tours or busy working in the office. He pays no affection to Faith and has no time for her. Faith often grieves over the loss of her brother Jack. and others who embraced death one after the other. She feels everything is slipping off her catch. Having nothing concrete to do and no one to talk to She feels she had served her purpose as a homemaker and now is non existent to the world. It can be seen that she is often lonely and solitary.

2) Theme of Friendship: Faith and Brad are childhood friends and are always there in each other's good and bad times. They appreciate and encourage each other to work harder. Both are determined to keep in touch with each other. They treasure their friendship in it's purest form. They know each other so well not to hit on each other's sensitive matters. Brad shows respect to Faith's beliefs by gifting her Rosary beads. While Faith admires his dedication for his work by gifting him law books. They take care of each other much like Friends do. Both are all ears to the other one and extremely supportive in the time of crisis.
One should also admire the sweet friendship bond shared between a daughter and a mother. Zoe supports her mother's desire to study law and keenly makes sure that she pursue what she wants. She keeps on motivating Faith to achieve her targets just like friends do. She also teases Faith with the name of Brad just like friends do.

3) Theme of Religiosity: Faith often goes to the church to pray for her brother Jack. She attains masses at church twice or more than that in a week. She has certain set of her own religious beliefs and she doesn't like to impose those religious sentiments on her daughters or her husband forcing them to come to the church with her.She likes to dip her finger in holy water at church and make cross.This makes her happy. She appreciates Brad's gift of Rosary beads. She also confesses her feelings for Brad in the confession room of the church swearing that she wouldn't do anything that would cause harm to her family and set a bad example in society. Brad loved to go to the church with Faith's mother and Jack in his childhood. When in New York, he visits church with Faith and lights a candle for Jack. He feels at peace to go to the church all alone on Christmas Eve and light a candle.

4) Theme of Learning and Ambition: Faith was a bright student in her tender years and wanna continue studying law at School. She spends hours in her study room to do her assignments and prepare for exams. She is a sincere student and has a passion for learning. Although, she meets a turmoil in her life, she doesn't fail to keep up her A grades at school. This shows her love for learning and her ambition to prove herself.

5) Theme of Love: After surviving through a failed marriage Faith and Brad realizes what true love is, what qualities they seek in their partners, and how much they love each other. Finally, they make the right choice and get married with each other.

Plot:

The plot is neatly woven around the lives of Faith Madison and Brad Patterson . Faith Madison have had some dark secrets of her childhood which has greatly impacted her entire life and the way she dealt with everyone around. Her daughters have grown up and are living an independent life in other states for career and education. Her husband, being bossy doesn't pay much heed to her and doesn't have enough time for her.He clutches most dearly to his narrow minded believes that homemakers life's purpose must only be to serve their family and look after it.She often misses her brother Jack with whom she shared a special bond. Inorder to curtail the loneliness off her life, she wanna study law much against her husband's wishes.
Brad Patterson is childhood friend of Faith and her brother Jack. They meet each other at Faith's step-father's funeral after many years. Brad is himself unhappy in his married life but determined enough to continue it till his last breath as he doesn't want to follow suit lead by his parents, to his twin sons. As the plot continues, Brad and Faith help each other in their good and bad times unleashing their own true feelings of love for each other. Meanwhile, Faith dares to share the dark secret of her childhood which she has bared in her heart to Brad.

My Review:

Well, I feel that the story was well written and brought to life by the author. I could neatly visualize the scenes playing around Faith's and Brad's life. The way the author has carved the emptiness and pain in a homemaker's life is noteworthy. I could feel one with Faith's struggle to rise high in her career fulfilling her household responsibilities. This is the universal struggle of every woman who wishes to balance between the doldrums of career and family responsibilities. Danielle Steel showcased the picture of a noble selfless mother in it's true spirit. I liked the way the author tried to warn us about how the marriage with a wrong partner can turn one's life upside down and make one cold. The author reminds us about the power of prayers and the healing it brings in our life.
I also feel that there were some points in the novel that could have been shortened. The author quite irritated me by repeatedly reminding me the bond of Jack and Faith, how she misses her brother always and her relations with both her fathers. You don't need to repeat the points. Please, trust your readers. They are duly following your story.
The novel is written in easy language and is a good read for beginners. I like the ending of this story and I also appreciate the author's introduction to the climax.
Overall, I would say, the title "Answered Prayers" justifies the novel as both the protagonists prayers were answered just in the nick of time. And it's a good read for anyone who wishes to read on family and friendship.

Favorite Quotes:

"We'd all like to run the world if we had a chance. But we can't run each other."
"It was reflection of their reality, not realization of the dreams."
"You sacrifice a lot when you compromise, especially when you are willing to let someone else set the terms."
"Sometimes prayers take a long time to be answered, but the right ones are."

Ratings:

I would give this book - 3/5

[Dana Burda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romanul binecunoscutei autoare de bestsellers romantice Danielle Steel a fost tradus in limba romana cu titlul " Rugaciuni ascultate" si a aparut la editura Litera in colectia " Carti romantice" in anul 2012. Romanul original aparuse inca din 2002. De fapt acum l-am recitit pentru ca acest gen de carti i mai ales cele ale acestei talentate autoare au marele merit de a fi foarte aproape de realitatea pe care o traim, nu neaparat ca evenimente ci mai mult ca sentimente, trairi, tipuri de decizii si de realtii pe care le legam sau dezlegam de-a lungul vietii. Actiunea romanului se invarte in jurul personajului principal Faith Madison p femeie inca tanara cu ceva peste patruzeci de ani dar deja cu peste doa decenii de casatorie, doua fete mai plecate de acasa,cea mare la Londra ca sa lucreze, cea mica la univesitatea Brown ca sa-si urmeze studiile. In acea toamna, dupa plecarea fetelor este tot mai convinsa ca viata ei a ajuns la o cotitura in care trebuie sa ia decizii ce face mai departe. Cand se nascuse fiica ce mai cu 23 de ani in urma renuntase la studiile de drept pentru a se coupa de copil, apoi de copiii, de sot si de casa. Dupa mai bine de doua decenii se trezeste fara obiectul muncii, doar cu sotul ei Alex tot mai indepartat, mai rece, mai taciturn si mai dictatorial si cu ocupatii casnice pe care le putearezolva in foarte scurt timp. Intrebarea care o macina era cum sa-si ocupe atat de mult timp ramas? Sa faca munca d ecaritate, sa joace bridge cum o sftuia sotul era prea putin si prea nesemnificativ. Se gandea tot mai mult sa-si continue studiile de drept pentru a vedea daca nu descopera ao alta Faith dect cea care tragea dupa ea amintiri mai mult decat dureroase din mica copilarie cand fusese abuzata de tatal biologic si neglijata d etatal vitreg sub ochii indiferenti ai propriei mame. Dorea sa se rup de sentimentul dureros al singuratatii pe care il tria dupa lecarea fetelor, raceala sotului si moareta fratelui ei Jack cu care avea o relatie deosebita. In mijlocul acestei dileme are loc moartea tatalui vitreg Charles la care trebuie s aparticipechiar daca realtia lor nu a fost prea apropiata. La inmormantare apare si Brad Patterson pritenul lui Jack dar si al ei din timpul copilariei. Era ca si cum destiul ii aducea pe cineva drag din trecut sa umple golul pe care il simtea in suflet. Cei doi s ebucura de revedere si decid sa tine legatura telefonica si prin email pentru ca Brad locuieste la San Francisco unde este avocat pentru minori si sotia sa Pam lucreaza la firma prestigioasa de avocatura a tatalui ei. Si el are doi fii care sunt plecati in Africa. Si el are o relatie rece si de fatada cu sotia lui. Aceasta prietenie adevarata o ajuta pe Faith sa-si infranga toate temerile si sa decida sa sa-si reia studiile la drept in ciuda opozitiei sotului si a fiicei celei mari montata de tatal ei. Cea mai mare parte a romanului cuprinde framantarile sufletsti ale lui Faith care isi da seama ca abuzurile la care a fost supusa nu au incetat odata cu moartea tatalui ei biologic ci ea le-a acceptat si de la sotul ei si acum de dragul unei false armonii si intelegeri si de la fiica ei cea mare. Cea mai mare lupta o da chiar cu ea insasi, cu temerile ei, cu dorinta ei de a pastra neatins ceea ce construise o viata. Prezenta calda, intelegatoare si generoasa a lui Brad ca si permanentul sprijin al fiicei ei mi mici o ajuta pe Faith sa decida sa-si continue studiile si sa isi faca ordine in viata. O lectura mai mult decat placuta , o lectura pe care trebuie sa o facem ori de cate ori avem nevoie de un imbold ca sa facem o schimbare in rutina de zi cu zi, pentru ca e cat se poate de adevarat ca o carte este cel mai bun prieten.

[Catalina Méndez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muchas veces me frustré con este libro ya que la protagonista no tenía carácter a causa de su infancia, vivió una mala vida junto a un pésimo hombre a su lado que jamás la ayudó pero en su mente él hacía todo por ella y su familia, hasta engañarla y culparla a ella por su separación, porque claro, llevar dinero a la casa es suficiente para tener a una esposa contenta, ella de seguro no se aburrirá ni querrá trabajar o estudiar… este personaje fue un ejemplo de con quién no casarte, ya que te prohíbe todo con la excusa de que dejarás a tu familia y a la casa botada.

Las hijas del matrimonio se dividió en dos bandós, un bando del lado del padre y otro bando del lado de la madre, ambos lados me parecen ridículo ya que las hijas no tendrían que involucrarse en los problemas de los padres pero como ambos son inmaduros dejan que ellas se metan y discutan.

La relación amorosa la vi un poco forzada ya que en todo momento solo vi señales de amistad y acciones en ámbito de amistad pero como que de la nada hubo amor o nació el amor.

En resumen fue un libro fácil de leer, entretenido hasta cierto punto, pero siento que la autora hace miles de libros para vender, siento que sus libros son muy comerciales, que buscan vender y vender sin importar si el libro es muy bueno o no.

[Mariateresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

il premio del peggior libro letto a gennaio va a …………… questo qua!!!
Ripetitivo, urticante prevedibile e lunghissimo.. già a pag 80 vien voglia di lasciarlo giù, il finale è già intuibile e ci sono dinamiche così disfunzionali che Freud si sarebbe sfregato le mani: un esempio? sono evidentissimi da subito l’egoismo e la possessività di Alex (un marito così, ma cosa se ne fa Faith???). mi spiego con una citazione:

“le era venuta non so più che idea pazzesca di riprendere gli studi di giurisprudenza fino a quando io non le ho fatto notare che era un po’ troppo vecchia per una cosa del genere, altrimenti per la festa del ringraziamento dell’anno prossimo ci ritroveremmo qui a mangiare tartine spalmate di burro d’arachidi perché lei sarebbe impegnata a studiare per gli esami” (…) .questa era una delle cose che divertivano enormemente Alex.
Capito il cagone??!! Prende in giro la moglie – in questo caso di fronte alle figlie, ma anche quando sono soli - di continuo. Si diverte proprio, questo pezzo di sterco! E Faith muta. Solo Zoe prova a difendere la madre, ma niente da fare. E quindi l’uomo glaciale prosegue:
“in ogni caso la mamma un lavoro ce l’ha e a tempo pieno: è mia moglie”( immaginatevi i miei conati di vomito) ”l’argomento è chiuso” e la storia peggiora quando a metà libro i due sono ad un punto di rottura e Faith domanda ad Alex:

“il nostro matrimonio non ha significato niente per te?” e lui risponde:
“ Non più di quello che ha significato per te quando hai deciso di smettere di essere mia moglie per diventare avvocato” . e peggiora con: “quello che è successo te lo sei cercato tu stessa” ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Ho dovuto prendere un lungo, luuuungo respiro: ma come si fa a ragionare così? Ma veramente? E soprattutto: l’uomo che tu dici di amare (e lei lo ribadisce millemila volte, a rassicurare nell’ordine: se stessa, Brad e il lettore) e che ti dovrebbe amare ti tradisce, e ti addossa la colpa in quel modo lì e tu ti senti male e ti domandi se davvero è colpa tua? Ti fai scrupoli?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Ma c’è persino da pensarci su?!! Ma un briciolo di amor proprio!!!
(eccheppalle, lo so che il trauma infantile ti ha segnata, ma santo cielo, tra il fratello defunto, Zoe e il tuo migliore amico, che sì, ok, è solo amicizia, e sì ok è come un fratello e lo ripetiamo fino allo sfinimento casomai ci venisse il dubbio vi possiate innamorare – uh uh sai che colpo di scena- ti dicono che vali, che sei in gamba e che Alex è praticamente un'emorroide (volevo scrivere altor, ma mi bannano) parlante... forse un fondo di verità c’è! Manca solo che te lo dica l’universo con una scritta nel cielo, e TI FAI SCRUPOLI???!!) arrrg!
E questo è solo uno dei tanti momenti così nel romanzo.
Ci sono una marea di dialoghi assurdi sul matrimonio ( es: Brad non prede in considerazione il divorzio però può tradire la moglie lei può tradire lui, a patto che non divorzino… Ma che senso ha? Che ipocrisia è???) e sul rapporto tra migliori amici.
Per pagine e pagine si dice che tra Brad e Faith c’è solo amicizia, che si sentono come l’uno il fratello dell’altra, e viceversa. Perché ripeterlo fino alla nausea? ( lo so già perché cara la mia Steel!)
Ma ad un certo punto eccoli lì, scemo e più scema che si guardano e si chiedono: perché non ci siamo innamorati l’uno dell’altra?? E parte l’analisi psicologica dell’uno o dell’altro o di chiunque graviti nella loro orbita…. Ma perché?? Ma che ci frega a noi che leggiamo???? Anche BASTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.
Anche perché tolte le ripetizioni, tolte le analisi, resteranno sì e no 100 pagine dove succede questo:
Faith (che ha 47 anni ma ragiona come una vecchia )e si sente senza scopi nella vita perché le figlie sono grandi e vanno al college, il marito Alex lavora sempre e ,quando c’è, c’è solo per sminuirla; così dopo aver ritrovato il migliore amico Brad che la incoraggia, decide di riprendere gli studi in giurisprudenza che aveva interrotto con l’arrivo della prima figlia. Non sia mai! Alex si indigna manco avesse un altro uomo: una moglie che lavora? Ma allora le attività di beneficenza cosa le hanno inventate a fare? Eleonore (la più grande delle figlie) dà man forte al padre, consigliandole di non essere ridicola , mentre Zoe ( la piccola )la sostiene e le dice di proseguire, infischiandosene.
Scoppiano litigi, si vola altissimo – come i dialoghi riportati dimostrano- e Faith si fa mille scrupoli, sentendosi sempre in colpa ( una colpa che le deriva da molestie subite dal padre nell'infanzia. Cosa che ha confidato solo al fratello che era la sua roccia, a che è mancato in un brutto incidente). Ma la presenza di Brad via email e poi e sempre più spesso in persona, e di Zoe, la spronano ad andare avanti.
Alex non ci sta e chiede il divorzio, lei crolla. Brad la consola. Discorsi inutili su quanto sarebbe strano essere sposati con il proprio migliore amico/fratello, e Faith che confida a lui il suo segreto. Brad che si scopre innamorato e che durante una cena parla di preghiere esaudite. Loro che vanno insieme in chiesa. E accendono candele e pregano. E si fanno paranoie sul fatto che si stanno innamorando. Poi succede qualcosa ai figli di Brad che fanno volontariato in Africa. Breve momento di tensione che porta chiarezza (solo ai personaggi, il lettore l’ha capito a pagina 25 come sarebbero andate le cose). Lieto fine a suon di rosari sgranati, candele accese, figlie che riconoscono quando è carogna il padre, divorzi e dichiarazioni d’amore. ah sì, e intanto Faith studia per diventare avvocato.
1 stella è il mio voto. il problema più grosso è stato vedere come ragionavano i personaggi, spesso senza senso!! non so chi fosse il più insopportabile tra tutti, c'era l'imbarazzo della scelta!!
La cosa più bella è stato il rosario regalato da Brad a Faith, me lo sono immaginato stupendo. Per il resto è stato come stare in una caverna dentro una eco infinita delle battute dei personaggi e delle descrizioni – inutili- di cibo e vestiti.
Meglio un Harmony! Poche pagine, dialoghi assurdi ma non ripetitivi, scene spicy e azione.
Qui, invece, mi è sceso il latte ai garetti!
Se avete avuto la pazienza di leggere fin qui e vi è sembrata lunga la recensione- sfogo, immaginatevi il libro.
Se potessi riassumere con una gif, sarebbe quella di Aldo Baglio che dice” Bastaaaaa! Non ce la faccio più!” .
Ecco.
Steel? Mai più!
Buone letture e alla prossima!

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a very large stack of books that I bought in the late 90s, about half of them Danielle Steel books. I put my Kindle to the side and decided to read this stack and donate them to the local book box. Occasionally there will be a really good 4-5 DS novel and then I’ll read two 1-star or 2-star ones in a row and begin considering just having a massive Danielle Steel book burning party so that no one else has to be subjected to some of this lousy excuse for writing.

This one made me so angry. I really hope there aren’t very many spineless women out there who allow themselves to be treated the way the main character of this book was treated. Her husband was a horrible man who did deplorable things and then made her feel badly when all she did was tend to his needs and take care of him. The point that he tried to turn one of her daughters against her with blatant, cruel lies (and did for a while) was over the top. I didn’t even feel sorry for this character because there is nothing respectable about allowing someone to walk all over you. The children were grown and out of the house, and she had nothing for a life. The only good character in this book was Zoe. She had integrity and stood up for herself and for her Mom.

Still deciding on the book burning party. I know there has to be a few good ones in there though.

[Chloe Lapreziosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay, Danielle Steel always comes up with interesting plots, but her writing style and grammar is incredibly deplorable. Also, I'm not religious, so that constant theme in the book was a bit irritating to me.
I'm completely against divorce, and going into the book I was annoyed because I thought Faith and Brad would just figure out they love each other and get divorced and married to each other. I was incredibly happy with how the divorces turned out. Unfaithfulness and a husband who a) wants to kick you out of your house, b) thinks that going back to will defer your duties to him (um, excuse me, how old fashioned can you be?), and c) refuses to even talk to you or see your opinion on things, is completely horrible and mentally draining and abusive for someone. I thought that Pam not showing up when her son could have been dying was an incredibly insensitive thing for her to do and was proud of Brad for finally taking a stand.
However, I thought Brad telling Pam he wanted a divorce, then immediately flying to New York, Zoe instantly liking him, and him proposing to Faith was WAY too fast and just seemed like a hasty was to end the book.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the premise of the book was good; a woman spends 24 years raising her daughters then they move away to school and to work. During those 24 years she caters to her husbands every wants and demands - he wants her home, cooking, cleaning, doing charity work, and being available to attend his social functions through his work. When empty nest syndrome sets in and she decides to return to college to become a lawyer, her husband's old fashion ways become an obstacle to what she wants and what she needs. Enter a childhood friend who she confides her, who happens to be her deceased brother's best friend and who is also in a loveless marriage. The rest was pretty predictable - which daughter sided with her, which with her husband; the relationship that developed with her childhood friend; her decision to go to law school or not based on her husband's threat 'beware of the consequences'. The premise made me think about the women who came of age in the 1960s, and whose husbands thought it wrong for them to want to have a life fulfilled.

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 2 out of 5]

If this were the first book that I had ever read by Danielle Steel then it would probably be the last.
Faith is the most spineless, wishy-washy woman ever born and should just go out and buy an endless supply of t-shirts that proudly proclaim - "Walk all over me. I like it!"
The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars is because it did make me laugh out loud several times with the pure ridiculousness of what I had just read.

"He broke my heart with a thong."
Indeed, that line is in this book.
ROFLOL