The story of a young woman's dream, an old man's gift, and the surprises that await us behind every closed door. Great story.
Sarah Anderson, a beautiful, successful thirtysomething attorney, is having a midlife crisis. She's become a workaholic, spending 60- to 70-hour weeks at the office, and she is involved in an unhappy relationship with a man she only sees on weekends, who refuses to involve her in any other aspect of his life. She lives in a dumpy apartment, which contains the same furniture she used in college, and she has no outside interests other than the sometime boyfriend and her job. Everything changes, however, when an eccentric, elderly client of Sarah's dies and leaves her a small fortune and a message: to use the money for something wonderful, to live well, and to think about something other than work. Following this advice, Sarah purchases the dilapidated old mansion the client had lived in (after finding out that it was her own grandfather who originally built it), breaks up with the cheating boyfriend, and focuses all of her attention on rehabbing the old house. As she works to restore the place, she finds contentment in her new pastime; a nice, normal boyfriend in the architect who is helping her; and familial contentment as both her mother and grandmother find happiness in the purchase of this house. A typical Steel fairy tale
Awesome - once again - Danielle Steel keeps you guessing of what will happen and how. I love her books - have yet to be dissapointed.

Judy S. (
DrJ) wrote on 1/23/2007...
Restoration of a majestic old home provides an exhilarting backdrop fo Steel's 66th bestseller. A story of a young woman's dream, an old man's gift and surprised behaind every closed door. (A hardcover book)
Perched on a hill overlooking San Franciso, the house was magnificent, built in 1923 by a wealthy man for the woman he adored. For her and for this house, he would spare no expense and overlook no detail from the endless marble floors to ther glittering chandeliers.. Almost a century later, with the once-grand house now in desrepair, a young woman walks through its empty rooms. Sarah Anderson, a perfectly sensible estate lawyer, is about to do someting utterly out of characther. An elderly client has died and left her 2 gifts. one is a generous inheritance, the other, a priceless message to use his money for something wonderful, something daring, and in this old house surrounded by crumbling grandeur, Sarah knows just waht it is..
Wonderful story. Typical Danielle Steel. I felt she rushed through the final few chapters though. Otherwise, heartwarming, engaging, entertaing, and a quick read.
It is a great easy read for an afternoon. Good story great ending

Terry R. (
trich) wrote on 11/6/2006...
HOW MUCH OF WHO WE ARE IS OUR PAST? AN ATTORNEY BUYS A HOUSE BUILT BY HER GREAT-GRANDFATHER AND LEARNS ALL ABOUT LOVE AND FAMILY
Steel never disappoints. Another amazing story of courage and love
Sarah Anderson, a beautiful, successful thirtysomething attorney, is having a midlife crisis. She's become a workaholic, spending 60- to 70-hour weeks at the office, and she is involved in an unhappy relationship with a man she only sees on weekends, who refuses to involve her in any other aspect of his life. She lives in a dumpy apartment, which contains the same furniture she used in college, and she has no outside interests other than the sometime boyfriend and her job. Everything changes, however, when an eccentric, elderly client of Sarah's dies and leaves her a small fortune and a message: to use the money for something wonderful, to live well, and to think about something other than work. Following this advice, Sarah purchases the dilapidated old mansion the client had lived in (after finding out that it was her own grandfather who originally built it), breaks up with the cheating boyfriend, and focuses all of her attention on rehabbing the old house. As she works to restore the place, she finds contentment in her new pastime; a nice, normal boyfriend in the architect who is helping her; and familial contentment as both her mother and grandmother find happiness in the purchase of this house. A typical Steel fairy tale.
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