Annie Ferguson was one of Manhattan's brightest young architects. But overnight she became mother to her sister's three orphaned children. It wasn't the life she'd planned, but one that rewarded her tenfold for every sacrifice she'd had to make. Now, at forty-two, with a satisfying career and a fulfilling family life, Annie has reconciled herself to being single. With the children now grown into young adults and confronting major challenges of their own, she is navigating a parent's difficult passage between lending them a hand and letting them go. Then, an accident leads Annie to a man who will tempt her to reconsider her belief that it isn't too late to fall in love, after all...

About the Author

DANIELLE STEEL is one of the world's most popular and highly acclaimed authors, with eighty international bestselling novels in print and 600 million copies sold. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death. She lives in California and Paris. Visit the Danielle Steel Web Site at www.daniellesteelbooks.co.uk

Reviews

Steele's sprawling narrative concerns the efforts of 42-year old architect Annie Ferguson to juggle her career and budding romantic life with worry over the travails of her now grown nephew and nieces, whom she raised following the untimely death of her sister. For better or worse, the story line includes a wide array of soap opera elements, ranging from fashion photography in France to volatile issues of religious and family identity in Iran. Susan Ericksen demonstrates competence and attention to detail in bringing the dialogue to life. Yet in conjunction with the material, the listening experience-engaging as it may be at points-is overloaded with Hollywood caricatures, particularly in the cross-cultural experiences between the West and the Middle East. A Delacorte hardcover (Reviews, May 17). (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Young architect Annie Ferguson's life is turned upside down when her sister and brother-in-law die in a plane crash. Aunt Annie suddenly becomes the guardian of her sister's three young children and, at the expense of her love life, spends the next several years raising them and establishing herself as an architect. Once the kids (a fashion magazine editor, a law student, and an art student) are of adult age, Annie struggles to let them make their own decisions and mistakes. She also tries to let romance back into her life by way of a handsome TV news anchor. Verdict After Steel sums up 16 years in less than 20 pages, she slows down and allows the reader to become somewhat invested in the characters' lives. Although it's predictable at times (OK, most of the time), this modern-day novel is not an unpleasant way to spend a few hours, thanks to the various characters and story lines. When it comes to Danielle Steel books, public libraries know what to do (i.e., buy multiple copies. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/10.]-Samantha J. Gust, Niagara Univ. Lib., NY Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.