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Book Reviews of The Gift

The Gift
The Gift
Author: Danielle Steel
ISBN-13: 9780552142458
ISBN-10: 055214245X
Publication Date: 11/9/1995
Rating:
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 2

3.3 stars, based on 2 ratings
Publisher: Transworld Pub
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

49 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed The Gift on + 588 more book reviews
The time is the 1950's, when life was simpler, people still believed in dreams, and family was, very nearly, everything. The place is a small midwestern town with a high school and a downtown, a skating pond and a movie house. And on a tree-lined street in the heartland of America, an extraordinary set of events begins to unfold. And gradually what seems serendipitous is tinged with purpose. A happy home is shattered by a child's senseless death. A loving marriage starts to unravel. And a stranger arrives--a young woman who will touch many lives before she moves on.

She and a young man will meet and fall in love. Their love, so innocent and full of hope, helps to restore a family's dreams: And all of their lives will be changed forever by the precious gift she leaves them.
reviewed The Gift on
Predictable but enjoyable.
reviewed The Gift on + 67 more book reviews
On a June day, a young woman in a summer dress steps off a Chicago-bound bus into a small mid-western town. She doesn't intend to stay. She is just passing through. Yet her stopping here has a reason, and it is part of a story that you will never forget.
reviewed The Gift on + 64 more book reviews
On a June day, a yong woman in a summer dress steps off a Chicago-bound bus into a small midwestern town. She doesn't intend to stay. She is just passing through. Yet her stopping here has a reason, and it is part of a story that you will never forget.
The time is the 1950's, when life was simpler, people still believed in dreams, and family was, very nearly, everything. The place is a small midwestern town w/ a high school & a downtown, a skating pond and a movie house. And on a tree-lined street in the heartland of America, an extraordinary set of events begins to unfold. And gradually what seems serendipitous is tinged w/ purpose. A happy home is shattered by a childs senseless death. A loving marriage starts to unravel. And a stranger arrives--a young woman who will touch many lives before she moves on. She and a young man willmeet and fall in love. Their love, so innocent and full of hope, helps to restore a family's dreams. And all of their lives will be changed forever by the precious gift she leaves them.
reviewed The Gift on + 70 more book reviews
The time is the 1950's when life was simpler, people still believed in dreams, and family was, very nearly, everything. The place is small midwestern town with a high school and a downtown, a skating pond and a movie house. And on a tree-lined street in the heartland of America, an extraordinaryset of events begins to unfold. And gradually what seems seredipitous is tinged with purpose. A happy home is shattered by a child's senseless death. A loving marriage starts to unravel. And a stranger arrives-a young woman who will touch many lives before she moves on. She and a young man will meet and fall in love. Their love, so innocent and full of hope, helps to restore a family's dreams. And all of their lives will be changed forever by the precious gift she leaves them.
reviewed The Gift on + 77 more book reviews
This is a beautiful story.
reviewed The Gift on + 90 more book reviews
This is a book of reality and substance and a book of moral and truth. It is also a book of love and supreme sacrifice.
reviewed The Gift on + 475 more book reviews
On a June day, a young woman in a summer dress steps off a Chicago-bound bus into a small midwestern town. She doesn't intend to stay. She is just passing through. Yet her stopping here has a reason and it is part of a story that you will never forget.

The time is the 1950s, when life was simpler, people still believed in dreams, and family was, very nearly, everything. The place is a small midwestern town with a high school and a downtown, a skating pond and a movie house. And on a tree-lined street in the heartland of America, an extraordinary set of events begins to unfold. And gradually what seems serendipitous is tinged with purpose. A happy home is shattered by a child's senseless death. A loving marriage starts to unravel. And a stranger arrives--a young woman who will
touch many lives before she moves on. She and a young man will meet and fall in love. Their love, so innocent and full of hope, helps to restore a family's dreams. And all of their lives will be changed forever by the precious gift she leaves them.

The Gift, Danielle Steel's thirty-third best-selling work, is a magical story told with stunning simplicity and power. It reveals a relationship so moving it will take your breath away. And it tells a haunting and beautiful truth about the unpredictability--and the wonder--of life.
reviewed The Gift on + 3 more book reviews
This book was really good!! Had a hard time putting it down. It is a real tear jerker. It is about 2 families brought together by heartache and then by love. Got to read it!!!
mountainreader avatar reviewed The Gift on + 113 more book reviews
a quiet, unforgetable series of family portraits. A book of love and supreme sacrifice.
reviewed The Gift on + 149 more book reviews
The Gift is Steel to perfection. A small work, it tells the tale of two 16-year-olds whose meeting restores life to both. The death of Tommy's little sister wrecks a family's happiness. The unwanted pregnancy of Maribeth threatens to ruin her attempt to lift herself out of an anti-intellectual and sexist environment. But when the two meet, love, support, sensitivity, and some much-needed wisdom redeem the bleak circumstances of their lives and bring the story to its satisfying conclusion. Cliched, sentimental? Maybe, but Steel believes in the goodness of her characters and here, more than ever before, shows absolute faith in a simple tale of rewarded virtue. This is the author at her best: mature, to the point, refreshed by the tale of her young lovers.
reviewed The Gift on + 3 more book reviews
This is definately one of DS best! I have recommended it to many people wether they are fans or not.
reviewed The Gift on + 81 more book reviews
I love her books. This is one of the smaller books that she has written.
scrapbooklady avatar reviewed The Gift on + 472 more book reviews
"The Gift" was the most original, heart warming book that Danielle Steel has ever written.
reviewed The Gift on + 10 more book reviews
Excellant book, It makes me mad, happy and sad at differant times, the only reason I am giving this one up is because I know someone out there will get as much out of it as I did
reviewed The Gift on + 8 more book reviews
Very beautiful and touching story. I could see the predictable ending coming a mile away but I still enjoyed reading it. Steel is very good at getting her reader to feel emotions along with the characters in her books. Its a great book to have tucked in your purse for waiting rooms, easy to pick up and easy to remember where you left off.
reviewed The Gift on + 2 more book reviews
I would like for there to be a squeal to this story. I enjoyed this story but I cannot say that it is one of Danielle Steel's best. The main character reminds us that while you can try really hard to always to right, one small mistake can change your whole life.
bookworm01 avatar reviewed The Gift on + 138 more book reviews
Excellent book! Incredible writing! So heartfelt!
reviewed The Gift on
I thought this was a very good book.
reviewed The Gift on + 8 more book reviews
Wonderful romance book by Danielle Steel.
reviewed The Gift on + 4 more book reviews
Another good Steel book!
reviewed The Gift on + 10 more book reviews
This is a wonderful book! I loved this story!
Susanaque avatar reviewed The Gift on + 422 more book reviews
This was a great book and a wonderful read. Have kleenex handy!
reviewed The Gift on + 71 more book reviews
From the Publisher:

On a June day, a young woman in a summer dress steps off a Chicago-boundbus into a small midwestern town. She doesn't intend to stay. She is justpassing through. Yet her stopping here has a reason and it is part of a storythat you will never forget.

The time is the 1950s, when life was simpler, people still believed in dreams,and family was, very nearly, everything. The place is a small midwestern townwith a high school and a downtown, a skating pond and a movie house. And on atree-lined street in the heartland of America, an extraordinary set of eventsbegins to unfold. And gradually what seems serendipitous is tinged withpurpose. A happy home is shattered by a child's senseless death. A lovingmarriage starts to unravel. And a stranger arrives--a young woman who willtouch many lives before she moves on. She and a young man will meet and fallin love. Their love, so innocent and full of hope, helps to restore a family'sdreams. And all of their lives will be changed forever by the precious giftshe leaves them.

The Gift, Danielle Steel's thirty-third best-selling work, is a magicalstory told with stunning simplicity and power. It reveals a relationship somoving it will take your breath away. And it tells a haunting and beautifultruth about the unpredictability--and the wonder--of life.
reviewed The Gift on + 228 more book reviews
A very touching, sweet story!
reviewed The Gift on + 471 more book reviews
On a June day, a young woman in a summer dress steps off a Chicago-bound bus into a small midwestern town. She doesn't intend to stay. She is just passing through. Yet her stopping here has a reason, and it is part of a story that you will never forget. The time is the 1950s, when life was simpler, people still believed in dreams, and family was, very nearly, everything. The place is a small midwestern town with a hight school and a downtown, a skating pond and a movie house. And on a tree-lined street in the heartland of America, an extraordinary set of events begins to unfold. And gradually what seems serendipitous is tinged with purpose. A happy home is shattered by a child's senseless death. A loving marriage starts to unravel. And a stranger arrives-a young woman who will touch many lives before she moves on. She and a young man will meet and fall in love. Their love, so innocent and full of hope, helps to restore a family's dreams. And all of their lives will be changed forever by the precious gift she leaves them.
reviewed The Gift on
Set in a small midwestern town during the 1950's, a happy home is shattered by a child's useless death. A loving marriage begins to unravel. A young woman arrives in town and offers hope for restoration of the family's dreams.
reviewed The Gift on
My absolute favorite of Danielle Steel's. I read it about 11 years ago for the first time, and have since read it another 3 or 4 times. An absolute tear-jerker, with a very touching story behind it about family. This is the book that got me hooked on Danielle Steel.
joycemessin avatar reviewed The Gift on + 2 more book reviews
This story grabbed me from the very beginning. I have a young daughter and I could only imagine how the mother in this story must have felt. I couldn't put this book down and read it in one night, cried many times, and was very satisfied with the ending.
reviewed The Gift on + 43 more book reviews
Typical Danielle Steel--easy to read. Relatively simle story about life in the 50s.
reviewed The Gift on + 168 more book reviews
First I would like to explain that I am the kind of person who prefers the old movies over the new "modern" movies. The reason is that I prefer movies to have a happy ending, and many of the movies of today have endings that leave me wanting something different. Also, I don't like watching movies where 10 people are shot down and killed in the first few minutes... yuck. I don't like sappy romance stories or reading through page after page of steamy sex scenes. So....
Although Danielle Steel has written a lot of books, I think THE GIFT was her 34th best seller, this is the first one that I have read of hers. I read some reviews that said it was different from her usual work, but I wouldn't know.
Having explained all that, I have to say I really liked the story. It was sweet and poignant. I guess some would describe it as Chick-lit. Whatever! I read it in one day and I thought it was a very nice story. Life in the 1950s was different than life today, but people still had to make difficult choices and live through hardship and pain.
reviewed The Gift on + 3 more book reviews
An ok read, abit of a tearjerker in parts
reviewed The Gift on + 7 more book reviews
Honestly, this book wasn't much to my taste. It's not that it was horrible. The story is about a teenage girl who gets pregnant and her family sends her away to a convict. Instead, the girl finds a family to live with until she has her baby.
heavenboundlj avatar reviewed The Gift on + 232 more book reviews
This book will touch your heart and lift your spirits. Things do work out in the end! You'll read this one in one setting.
reviewed The Gift on + 109 more book reviews
Set in the 50' in a small midwestern town. A childs senseless death and a marriage starts to unravel. A stranger and peoples lives are changes by a precious gift she leaves them. I you like Danielle Steel you will like this book.
Mikivanmom avatar reviewed The Gift on + 38 more book reviews
this one is a fun one by Steele - I enjoyed it!
melliebelle avatar reviewed The Gift on + 33 more book reviews
Great read - very heartwarming
whitetrashprincess avatar reviewed The Gift on + 89 more book reviews
From Publishers Weekly:
Steel deviates sharply from her usual romance formula in this tender if sometimes sappy story about bad things happening to good people. It's 1952, and the Whittakers are the perfect happy family. But when five-year-old Annie dies of meningitis the day after Christmas, their lives fall apart. Teenager Tommy begins frequenting a diner where he meets 16-year-old waitress Maribeth Robertson, who's pregnant and has been thrown out of her home. The two lonely adolescents slowly fall in love; Tommy offers to marry Maribeth, but she refuses, claiming that they are too young to be parents; she plans to give the child up for adoption. Meanwhile, Tommy's parents have drifted far apart, but the fear that their son may soon be a father temporarily reunites them. Eventually, the Whittakers, parents and son, help Maribeth to cope with her pregnancy and her family's rejection, while she helps them accept the death of their beloved Annie. Reading more like a novella than a full-fledged novel, the narrative has well-meaning characters, uplifting sentiments and a few moments that could make a stone weep. Nice as it is, however, her fans will no doubt crave for the day when Steel returns to her tried-and-true one-woman/two-great-loves potboilers. One million first printing; major ad/promo; Literary Guild and Doub le day Book Club main selections; simultaneous Spanish edition, El Regalo, available in trade paper (
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
reviewed The Gift on + 506 more book reviews
On a June day, a young woman in a summer dress steps off a Chicago-bound bus into a small midwestern town. She doesn't intend to stay. She is just passing through. Yet her stopping her has a reason, and it is part of a story that you will never forget.
reviewed The Gift on + 14 more book reviews
a very good book that i've enjoyed reading more than once.
reviewed The Gift on + 209 more book reviews
Another good one for Steel fans!
reviewed The Gift on + 20 more book reviews
Good read.
hlz21 avatar reviewed The Gift on + 11 more book reviews
Really great book! I cried.
reviewed The Gift on + 13 more book reviews
It was a good book, I don't remeber what it is about. It's been 14 or so years since I have read it.
reviewed The Gift on + 8 more book reviews
The time is the 1950\'s, when life was simpler, people still believed in dreams, and family was, very nearly, everything. the place is a small midwestern town with a high school and downtown, a skating pond and a movie house. A child dies. A marriage begins to unravel. A woman brings a gift that changes many lives.
CraftyTJ avatar reviewed The Gift on + 381 more book reviews
Gift is Steel to perfection. A small work, it tells the tale of two 16-year-olds whose meeting restores life to both. The death of Tommy's little sister wrecks a family's happiness. The unwanted pregnancy of Maribeth threatens to ruin her attempt to lift herself out of an anti-intellectual and sexist environment. But when the two meet, love, support, sensitivity, and some much-needed wisdom redeem the bleak circumstances of their lives and bring the story to its satisfying conclusion. Clich{}ed, sentimental? Maybe, but Steel believes in the goodness of her characters and here, more than ever before, shows absolute faith in a simple tale of rewarded virtue. This is the author at her best: mature, to the point, refreshed by the tale of her young lovers. Not great art, perhaps, but in its own way almost perfect.
(Amazon Review)
reviewed The Gift on + 3 more book reviews
This was a heart warming & touching book. I highly recommend it.
reviewed The Gift on + 90 more book reviews
very good
reviewed The Gift on + 181 more book reviews
Very good book.