Search - Journey

Daniel Steel is known as one of the world's most popular author's but it wasn't until I had to spend a year tending to my sick father that I started reading her romances. I picked up JOURNEY in a hospital gift shop. It is an unusual story because it focuses on abuse of women. The story is about Maddy, a beautiful TV anchorwoman who has it all, including a rich, controlling, and abusive husband. This is Maggie's story; how she comes to the realization that all is not right with her life, how she escapes and how she finds real love in a most unexpected place. Written with wisdom and compassion, this is an entertaining story about a woman with little hope who finally becomes strong enough to seek salvation.

Everyone knows Madeleine and Jack Hunter. Maddy is an award-winning TV anchorwoman. Jack is the head of her network. To the world, theirs is a storybook marriage. But behind the doors of their lush Georgetown home a different story emerges. Maddy has always tried to deny Jack's subtle put-downs, control and jealousy. She has no bruises, only the daggers of fear, humiliation and isolation--as powerful as the gun or the fist, the wounds as deep. It seems impossible that a woman the nation idolizes lives in degradation and fear. Maddy's secrets are well kept, even from herself. Maddy's healing begins when she joins the First Lady's Commission on Violence Against Women. There, she hears eerily familiar stories from terrified wives and girlfriends. And there she comes to know Bill Alexander, a distinguished diplomat. Bill suspects that something is terribly wrong in Maddy's marriage and begs her to open her eyes. As she takes the first steps toward freedom, a remarkable series of events unfolds...a stranger from Maddy's past reappears... White House headlines bring the nation to a standstill...and a devastating tragedy forces Maddy to realize how much has been taken from her. Faced with the most difficult choice of her life, Maddy finds a strength she never knew she had and a gift that will change her life forever.

Last book of Steel's I read was Zoya and I lost interest in Steel after that. I happen to chance upon this copy and I ended up finishing it in one sitting. (I cannot say the same for Klone and I..what the hell was that) She actually touched upon a very real issue (mental and physical abuse) and spun a nice story around it. Of course the heroine is drop dead gorgeous with wonderful personality and lives a very posh, jet setting life (typical Steel setting) but in this case the heroine's affluent lifestyle works effectively in the book to contrast with her problematic abusive husband. If you haven't read Steel in a while, this one I can recommend because it isn't all fluff.

This is a story about abuse, both physical and verbal. Not an easy topic to address, yet Danielle Steele does a good job with a down to earth main character. Anyone fortunate enough not to be in an abusive relationship, I felt the story explained things and answered questions. For the survivors, like me, I wanted to cheer!! Everytime a book or article is written about abuse, the word is getting out and I believe that means help, for all women everywhere.

good read

Good story, typical Steel