A few years ago, I had a Danielle Steel phase. Her books are great to read. She writes about the power a family has, the power a mother´s love has, and how a family comes together when tragedy strikes. No matter how hard life hits you, the moment a family stands together can be a healing one. Her story “Sisters” shows that in a sensitive but powerful way.
Sisters*
by Danielle Steel Publisher Delacorte Press on February 14, 2007
Genre Novel
Pages 352
Format Hardcover
Source Knaur
Goodreads
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Four sisters, a Manhattan brownstone, and a tumultuous year of loss and courage are at the heart of Danielle Steel's new novel about a remarkable family, a stunning tragedy--and what happens when four very different young women come together under one very lively roof.Candy-it's the only name she needs - is blazing her way through Paris, New York, and Tokyo as fashion's latest international supermodel. Her sister Tammy has a job producing the most successful hit show on TV, and a home she loves in L.A.'s Hollywood Hills. In New York, oldest sister Sabrina is an ambitious young lawyer, while Annie is an American artist in Florence, living for her art. On one 4th of July weekend, as they do every year, the four sisters come home to Connecticut for their family's annual gathering. But before the holiday is over, tragedy strikes and their world is utterly changed. Suddenly, four sisters who have been fervently pursuing success and their own lives - on opposite sides of the world - reunite to share one New York brownstone, to support each other and their father, and to pick up the pieces while one sister struggles to heal her shattered body and soul. Thus begins an unscripted chapter of their lives, as a bustling house is soon filled with eccentric dogs, laughter, tears, friends, men . . . and the kind of honesty and unconditional love only sisters can provide. But as the four women settle in, they are forced to confront the direction of their respective lives. As the year passes and another July Fourth approaches, a season of grief and change gives way to new beginnings - as a family comes together to share its blessings and a future filled with surprises and, ultimately, hope.
Story
The four sisters Tammy, Sabrina, Annie, and Candy wanted to spend the fourth of July together and happily with their parents in their childhood home, as they do every year, before returning to their respective lives as producers, lawyers, art students, and models. But a terrible accident destroys all plans. The mother dies at the scene of the accident and Annie is critically injured and hospitalized. When it is certain, a little later that she will remain blind to that, a world collapses for Annie and everything changes for her sisters. They decide to take care of Annie and rent a house to enable her to start an independent life. While the father is left alone in the house of her childhood and takes care of the sisters' dogs. The sisters experience a year full of ups and downs, catastrophes, and despair. But also joy, success, happiness and happy chaos accompany these months of healing and self-discovery.
Style
In her gentle and soulful style, Danielle Steel has once again put on paper a wonderful novel about family and the power of love, which is full of pain, tragedy, love, and togetherness. The author describes the scenes, locations, and characters using a few, but carefully chosen loving details that are far more effective than long and detailed descriptions. It fits perfectly into the plot and gives the reader a comfortable and flowing reading pace. With the sometimes shorter and sometimes longer chapters, Danielle Steel did an excellent job of bringing the drama and consequences that can develop from such a tragedy closer to the reader, without losing speed or feeling. The plot always remains varied and awaits the reader with a few surprises that are both positive and negative. By that I mean especially the experiences Candy goes through at some point during the plot.
Characters
Danielle Steel cleverly brings out opposites within the characters, and in the case of one or the other character, she falls back on typical occupational diseases without falling into clichés. Lovingly but not uncritically, she brings the reader closer to the typical values of a well-off American family. At first glance, everything seems harmonious and idyllic, the main characters are happy and content. But after the unexpected death of the mother and wife, a completely different side gradually emerges with the sisters and the father. Not necessarily negative, but indicative of the plot and structure of a family. One of them takes on the role of the deceased mother and unconsciously pushes the rest into the role of children. Another sister evades this role in a rather selfish way, the third sister plunges into her unsteady way of life while the second youngest defiantly lashes out. All of this happens so convincingly and realistically that on the one hand it almost tears your heart apart with compassion, on the other hand, I almost burst my collar over the stubborn and childish behavior of two of the four sisters. But it was still a pleasure.
Conclusion
A poignant novel, full of drama and emotion. Excellent for enjoyable and relaxed reading.
Happy reading
*I read the German edition published by Knaur on January 9, 2009
Danielle Steel
Danielle Steel is one of the most successful authors in the world – with around 600 million books sold and published in almost 50 countries. Almost all her 78 novels made it onto the New York Times bestseller list. In addition to writing, the mother of nine children devotes herself intensively to her family and is involved in various social foundations. Danielle Steel now lives in San Francisco and spends several months of the year in France.
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