Steel (Jewels p. 282, etc.), our American Cookson (see above), is a
marvel among writers of hairdryer-and-beachchair hefty romantic
performances. All linked character plots rise or fall in harmony;
the clothes are arresting, the food good; and there's just enough
tremolo sentiment for mini-weeps. This one involves a sizable
hullabaloo about the problem of infertility (featuring heavy gyn
info and the latest news about the vagaries of ova and sperm) as it
affects three California couples. The story begins with weddings:
editor Diana and lawyer Andy's; aspiring showgirl Barbie and
ordinary guy Charlie's (who's grown up in orphanages); and
42-year-old lawyer Pilar and 60-ish judge Brad's. Then, for all
three couples, the baby urge burrows in. Diana, sister of two
highly fertile siblings (both of whom want to know when is she
producing?), learns that she's apparently sterile; Charlie wants
children desperately, but Barbie, with a background of childhood
abuse and many abortions, absolutely refuses; Pilar, in spite of a
callous mother's warnings, decides to "try," with Brad's support.
Pilar and Diana undergo a series of tests and procedures, while
Charlie hears the horrible news that he's sterile - but Barbie
returns from Vegas pregnant! Stormy weather follows for all - with
tears, withdrawal, and bitter words bandied about - but in spite of
one sad little death, there will be rainbows and little bundles,
plus a tot from an orphanage who whispers, "Daddy." Heartstrings
plucked like a banjo and great Steelian lines ("She had endless
legs and breasts that were exploding out of her cleavage"). Watch
for this one also endlessly exploding - on the charts. (Kirkus
Reviews)
In Mixed Blessings, her thirtieth novel, Danielle Steel weaves a powerful tale of three couples who face decisions about having children that will test, in unexpected ways, the ties that bind them as lovers, partners and friends.
Diana Goode and Andrew Douglas are a California couple who seem to have it all, and after their wedding, Diana teases that she will make a baby on their honeymoon. But long afterwards, she is still not pregnant. As they wait out each month with anticipation, only to be bitterly disappointed, they are forced to question just how much they are willing to go through to have a baby and at what cost to their marriage. Charlie Winwood, having grown up as an orphan, dreams of a house filled with children, but his bride, fun-seeking actress Barbie Mason, has other ideas. Their marriage is strained, but Charlie is convinced that a baby will solve it all - only to have to rethink his deepest values. Pilar Graham, a prominent Santa Barbara attorney in her early forties, astonishes her friends by marrying Judge Brad Coleman, in his sixties and the father of two grown children. Pilar begins to wonder if some day she will regret not having a baby with Brad, but it will not be an easy road for them as they encounter the world of high-tech medicine and the bittersweet rewards it brings them.
Through the lives of theses couples, Danielle Steel shows us the mixed blessings we face as we make our modern families. But despite hardship and heartache, she reminds us again of the triumphant spirit of love.
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