This is one of those novels; I had a hard time putting down until I finished it.  Danielle Steel brings together an unlikely couple – Ms. Beata Wittgentstein, 20 years old, Jewish and from Germany and 32 y/o Antoine de Vallerand, French and Catholic.  There meeting and love starts from pure circumstance.  It isn’t natural for Jews or French to marry outside their religion, but Beata and Antoine are bent on being together.

Will they go against their family’s wishes?  Will they marry and have a family of their own?  Where will they stay if they are outcast by their families?  Who is the Zubers?  Will Beata become a Catholic so she can marry Antoine?  Will they be happy?  Will Antoine live to take over his father’s estate?  He held the title of Count of the estate when his father passed away.

Antoine and Beata do marry and have two beautiful daughters, Amadea and Daphne.  Amadea helps raise Daphne until she decides to become a nun.  With the persecution of Jews, Amadea finds out her real heritage and tells Superior Mother.  They keep her as long as they can before sending her away so as not to compromise the rest of the sisters.

The plot thickens as Amadea is put into hiding.  As the Nazi’s grow near, she is forced to run for her life.  Will she be caught?  Will she be able to survive the prison camp?  Will her faith in God carry her through?  Will she find love at last, despite being the only surviving member of her family?

I loved how all the characters were developed in this novel. Overall, the plot isn’t that bad, it is a love story like none other.  I felt like I was in the story experiencing everything the characters were going through.

It was sad when the Hitler demise of Jews was added to the plot.  I was saddened when Antoine’s life was short lived.  But, even sadder when Beata and Daphne became victims of Hitler’s demise of Jews and Amadea was left alone in the world without any family, or was she?

Copyright 2004
Hardback – 325 pages

Thanks for reading,
frzldmm

Recommended: Yes