what I’m reading: fall from grace by danielle steel.

My college roommate introduced me to books by Danielle Steel. I remember reading Star, No Greater Love, and The Gift and loving them. So, when I was in Target a while back browsing their book section, I saw this book by Danielle Steel and I decided to pick it up.

Sydney Wells’s life is changed when her husband Andrew is killed in a motorcycle crash. She is devastated to learn that he had never changed his will after they were married so all their wealth and properties end up going to his two daughters from his first marriage. Sydney is forced to move and, as she has no money, starts looking for a job. Sydney used to be a fashion designer but quit working when she married Andrew and, as she has been out of the workforce for long, she is unable to find a job as no one wants to hire her. She ends up taking a designing position with a not so reputable fashion designer who sets up Sydney to take the fall for importing stolen goods. Sydney goes to jail but is let out on bail and starts up a new design company with a former co-worker. Their clothing is a success, the not so reputable fashion designer is found out and goes to jail, and Sydney finds love again.

I have a lot of thoughts about this book. Either Danielle Steel has drastically changed her writing style in the past 15 years (which could totally be true) or I do not remember the books that I loved so much accurately at all.

First, what I didn’t like about this book:

The main character’s name is Sydney and she also has two daughters from her first marriage named Sabrina and Sophie. One of the things I hate in books is when characters have similar names or names that start with the same letter because I find it super confusing to remember who is who because the names sound so alike. It took me at least half the book to figure out who was the mother and who were the daughters and I was a good 2/3 of the ways into the book before I could figure out which daughter was which. Sydney also has two step-daughters named Kellie and Kyra. Again with the names beginning with the same letters but they are twins so I guess their names can be similar. I never figured out who was who but these characters were not that big in the book so I guess it didn’t matter.

There is so much repetition in this book! It seemed like every other page we had to hear about how if only Andrew hadn’t died without changing his will, Sydney wouldn’t be in this situation. I think the readers get it – there’s no need to keep repeating the same thing over and over.

We also had to hear about what everyone was wearing every time they showed up on the page. I know this book is about fashion but I didn’t really need to know what Sydney was wearing to Thanksgiving dinner (an all-white cashmere outfit, in case you were wondering).

I found the fact that Sydney could not find a job to be quite implausible. Apparently, Sydney used to be a famous designer that everyone had heard of. The not so reputable boss had heard of her and told Sydney he wanted to create a clothing and accessory line using her name (showing us that her name had weight). The co-worker that she ends up creating the new design company with had done a school project on a coat line of Sydney’s. When she gets arrested, it is all over the fashion news. And, when she makes her comeback, everyone is super excited, so clearly people know who she is but she can’t get a job? That just seemed really far-fetched.

I also did not have a good opinion about either of Sydney’s daughters. They both are grown and work at high-end fashion houses and know that their mom needs a job, but neither of them offers to help her. Then, when Sydney does take the job with the not so reputable designer they yell at her and ask her how she could do that to them and say that everyone will make fun of them because of where their mom works. They seem horrified that their mom had stooped so low because of where she was working but nowhere in the novel do they offer to help her get a job or introduce her to someone who could help her.

What I liked about this book:

I liked the general plot. I enjoy a good redemption and survival story which is what this book was. There are a lot of emotions as Sydney processes everything that has and will happen. But like all Danielle Steel characters, she pulls herself up and lands on her feet. The good guys all win and the bad guys all lose.

I might try another Danielle Steel book in the future, but maybe I will read one of her older stories.

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