Like many of Ms. Steele’s books, this story covers multiple generations. The story begins with Max’s parents in a Nazi concentration camp and continues the story through Max’s birth and his parent’s 45 year marriage. Max meets his first wife Julie and falls in love with her despite his parents’ fear that she seems to lack character and substance. Unfortunately, his parents are proven correct when Julie decides that she no longer wants to be married to Max or a mother to their four children. Max becomes a wonderful single father to his children, but it takes him several years to get over his wife’s desertion. Eventually, he meets a woman and realizes that his mother was right when she told him that he would know when he met the right woman. This was a lovely story about perseverence and overcoming obstacles.

This was a great read, which I really enjoyed. A scenario involving Holocaust survivors, Jakob and Emanuelle, come to America with nothing after being liberated from the Buchenwald concentration camp, and we have the privilege of watching them rebuild their lives.


But, as their child, Max becomes assimilated in American life, he also becomes obsessed with making his own fortune. His compulsion is not atypical of the children of survivors. He marries his American goddess, but proceeds to neglect her and his children which causes devistating consequences in his personal life.

This book offers many opportunities for reading groups to discuss the paths of survivors and the unending psychological consequences for their families. It is simply a totally enjoyable book.

The book opens with Jakob and Emmanuelle as prisoners of war during the Holocaust. The war is ended, they are freed, and ready to start a new life - together, and in America. The story follows them through their life as they adjust to a new country, new jobs, and new family. As their son grows older, and starts his own career and family, the story follows him and the impact of his parents. I will admit that I kept waiting for a hammer to drop and a conflict to jump out of the pages, but the story just flowed smoothly to tell of the struggles and achievements and life stories of the characters.

This was a great through the decades story. I love books that are multi generation. Jakob and Emmanuelle meet in a concentration camp. They survive the impossible, they both lost their entire families and decide to marry and move to New York to start a life. This book follows them anc then later in life their son . I loved Jakob and Emmanuelle., these are characters of great fortitude, resilience, strength and just likeable! Their son Max, gets so caught up in making money that he forgets to make a life, until circumstances happen and he is forced to see what really matters.
I enjoyed this book and it’s one you should not pass by !

I really enjoyed this book! While I most related to the oldest granddaughter in the story, it was fascinating to follow the family from World War II up through modern day, and to see the dynamics of how events lead to actions which lead to relationships....and the interactions thereof. Some of the characters really got what they deserved, while I would have like to see a little more comeuppance for others. My favorite characters were the ones from the 40s, who worked hard and rose above the challenges. My least favorite was the wife...who was completely despicable in her actions. Danielle Steele never fails to deliver an epic story...

You can never go wrong reading a DS novel. Her latest book is very fulfilling. The opening draws readers In with the end of WWII and a concentration camp. Jakob and Emmanuelle, two survivors, embark on a new life journey to America. Jakob becomes a success, which their son Max inherits, Except in his choice of spouses. Julie is totally superficial and after four children decides she's done. This part of the story is sad, as most of Steel's books inevitably are, Julie is despicable by ditching her kids to run off with a much older millionaire. Max survives and pulls his family together and in the end, the four grandchildren of Jakob and Emmauelle reflect their spirit and determination. Even Max gets a second chance at love.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I really enjoyed the time that this book took place and learning more about the Holocaust. Jakob and Emmanuelle met when they were prisoners and fell in love. They were able to get the America and started their married life very poor. Emmanuelle always had the fear of the Holocaust happening again. I have to say that this was a typical Danielle Steel book. Love, tragedy and death. I also feel like her writing has become very repetitive as regards to saying the same thing a few paragraphs later. There were some parts that really kept my interest and I think that the second half of the book did it for me which is why I am giving it more stars than I thought I would.

Wow! The old Danielle Steel is back! This book was a great read. I loved that it had a back focus on the Holocaust which I love to read about. For a while there her books were becoming so cliche that I stopped reading her for years. Just recently I started to read her again and I am so happy I did. Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book.