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The Sins of the Mother
Every woman makes choices. And no one has made more difficult choices than Olivia Grayson. The enormously successful businesswoman missed out on much of her children’s lives while she built her legendary home-furnishings empire. In Danielle Steel’s character-rich new novel, Olivia faces the past, tries to balance the present, and makes amends where due, while still running her vastly successful business.
THE SINS OF THE MOTHER
As a way of making up to them for time lost, Olivia spends months every year planning a lavish holiday that everyone in her family will enjoy. This summer she has arranged a dream trip in the Mediterranean on a luxurious yacht, which she hopes will be the most memorable vacation of all. Her lavish gesture every year expresses her love for them, and regret at all the important times she missed during her children’s younger years. Her younger daughter, Cassie, a hip London music producer, refuses the invitation altogether, as she does every year. Her older daughter, Liz, lives in her mother’s shadow, with a terror of failure as she tries to recapture her dream of being a writer. And her sons, John and Phillip, work for Olivia, for better or worse, with wives who wish they didn’t. In the splendor of the Riviera, this should be a summer to remember, with Olivia’s children, grandchildren, and daughters-in-law on board. But as with any family gathering, there are always surprises, and no matter how glamorous the setting things don’t always turn out as ones hopes.
Family dynamics are complicated, old disappointments die hard, and as forgiveness and surprising revelations enter into it, new bonds are formed, and the future takes on a brighter hue. And one by one, with life’s irony, Olivia’s children find themselves committing the same “sins” for which they blamed their mother for so many years. It is a summer of compassion, important lessons, and truth.
The Sins of the Mother captures the many sides of family love: complex, challenging, funny, passionate, and hopefully enduring. Along the way, we are enthralled by an unforgettable heroine, a mother strong enough to take more than her fair share of the blame, wise enough to respect her children for who they really are, and forgiving enough to love them unconditionally.
THE SINS OF THE MOTHER
As a way of making up to them for time lost, Olivia spends months every year planning a lavish holiday that everyone in her family will enjoy. This summer she has arranged a dream trip in the Mediterranean on a luxurious yacht, which she hopes will be the most memorable vacation of all. Her lavish gesture every year expresses her love for them, and regret at all the important times she missed during her children’s younger years. Her younger daughter, Cassie, a hip London music producer, refuses the invitation altogether, as she does every year. Her older daughter, Liz, lives in her mother’s shadow, with a terror of failure as she tries to recapture her dream of being a writer. And her sons, John and Phillip, work for Olivia, for better or worse, with wives who wish they didn’t. In the splendor of the Riviera, this should be a summer to remember, with Olivia’s children, grandchildren, and daughters-in-law on board. But as with any family gathering, there are always surprises, and no matter how glamorous the setting things don’t always turn out as ones hopes.
Family dynamics are complicated, old disappointments die hard, and as forgiveness and surprising revelations enter into it, new bonds are formed, and the future takes on a brighter hue. And one by one, with life’s irony, Olivia’s children find themselves committing the same “sins” for which they blamed their mother for so many years. It is a summer of compassion, important lessons, and truth.
The Sins of the Mother captures the many sides of family love: complex, challenging, funny, passionate, and hopefully enduring. Along the way, we are enthralled by an unforgettable heroine, a mother strong enough to take more than her fair share of the blame, wise enough to respect her children for who they really are, and forgiving enough to love them unconditionally.
354 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
Danielle Steel
829 books15.1k followersDanielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 642 reviews
April 16, 2013
I used to LOVE Danielle Steel books- my go to for reading... back in the day! I don't know if my taste for fiction has improved or the quality of DS's books have declined. I still keep picking up and reading her books hoping that this next book just might do her earlier works justice. But recently - they have disappointed.
One of the main peeves is her repetitive style of writing. She repeats the same idea over and over again as if the reader is slow and doesn't get it the first 5 times she mentions it. I find the constant repetition insulting to my intelligence - like I could not possible source out what she is trying to say.
It irks me that problems are resolved so easily - the victories just came so easily. For example, Liz's attempt to sell her manuscript not only lands her a fat book deal (the most lucrative deal the agent has been able to land) but a movie deal AND hot agent to boot! Yes, Liz has failed in her many previous attempts to write a successful book, but now the tide has turned, nothing seems to go wrong in her life. Can we not have a small success.
This book especially had very little character development. Perhaps the fault lies attempting to cover so many characters. Plus like many of DS's books, it is full of the lifestyle of the uber rich. That kind of a lifestyle is so completely beyond the realm of most people's reality - that it becomes removed and I found myself ignoring that part because I cannot relate to it.
Overall, if you are a Danielle Steel fan, you will enjoy this latest addition to her impressively long list of books. If you are not, this one will not turn you into one.
One of the main peeves is her repetitive style of writing. She repeats the same idea over and over again as if the reader is slow and doesn't get it the first 5 times she mentions it. I find the constant repetition insulting to my intelligence - like I could not possible source out what she is trying to say.
It irks me that problems are resolved so easily - the victories just came so easily. For example, Liz's attempt to sell her manuscript not only lands her a fat book deal (the most lucrative deal the agent has been able to land) but a movie deal AND hot agent to boot! Yes, Liz has failed in her many previous attempts to write a successful book, but now the tide has turned, nothing seems to go wrong in her life. Can we not have a small success.
This book especially had very little character development. Perhaps the fault lies attempting to cover so many characters. Plus like many of DS's books, it is full of the lifestyle of the uber rich. That kind of a lifestyle is so completely beyond the realm of most people's reality - that it becomes removed and I found myself ignoring that part because I cannot relate to it.
Overall, if you are a Danielle Steel fan, you will enjoy this latest addition to her impressively long list of books. If you are not, this one will not turn you into one.
March 8, 2013
I used to LOVE Danielle Steel books- my go to for guilty pleasure reading... back in the 90s! I don't know if my taste/ standard for fiction has improved or the quality of DS's books have declined- drastically. I still keep picking up and reading her books hoping that this next book just might do her earlier works justice. But every time recently, they have disappointed.
One of the main peeves is her repetitive style of writing. She repeats the same idea over and over again as if the reader is slow and doesn't get it the first 5 times she mentions that Olivia was driven but a loving mother, that her mother didn't mind, she loved taking care of her children, that her husband was so loving and didn't mind being the wind beneath her wings. They're not even difficult concepts that the reader might need a couple of renditions to grasp. It sort of feels insulting of the reader's intelligence.
It irked me that problems were resolved so easily for all the characters. Besides the minor conflicts over which any respectable protagonists must endure and triumph, the victories just came so easily. It only took minor conflicts and short tense moments then all of it was resolved. For example, Liz's attempt to sell her manuscript not only lands her a fat book deal (the most lucrative deal the agent has been able to land) but a movie deal AND hot agent to boot! Yes, Liz has failed in her many previous attempts to write a successful book, but now that the tide has turned, nothing seems to go wrong in her life.
There is very little character development. Perhaps the fault lies attempting to cover so many characters. To do each character justice, only a saga might have been better suited (and with much less repetition of the same sentence!) Not much insight into the motivations, thoughts, inner mind of the character was presented. For example, it was hard to buy that John, who seems so laid back and understanding (I was especially fond of his reaction to finding out about Olivia's affair), would react in such a shocking way to his son's news. The names he called his son! It just didn't seem in character with how he had been portrayed. Philip's wife was off-the-charts Machiavellian and self-centered that frankly, it was hard to buy.
This book, like many of DS's books, is full of the lifestyle of the uber rich. In this point, she did not disappoint. I love reading and fantasizing that one day I too might be able to visit those cities and restaurants and hotels that only the super rich frequent.
I wished there was less coverage of each character and more depth.
One of the main peeves is her repetitive style of writing. She repeats the same idea over and over again as if the reader is slow and doesn't get it the first 5 times she mentions that Olivia was driven but a loving mother, that her mother didn't mind, she loved taking care of her children, that her husband was so loving and didn't mind being the wind beneath her wings. They're not even difficult concepts that the reader might need a couple of renditions to grasp. It sort of feels insulting of the reader's intelligence.
It irked me that problems were resolved so easily for all the characters. Besides the minor conflicts over which any respectable protagonists must endure and triumph, the victories just came so easily. It only took minor conflicts and short tense moments then all of it was resolved. For example, Liz's attempt to sell her manuscript not only lands her a fat book deal (the most lucrative deal the agent has been able to land) but a movie deal AND hot agent to boot! Yes, Liz has failed in her many previous attempts to write a successful book, but now that the tide has turned, nothing seems to go wrong in her life.
There is very little character development. Perhaps the fault lies attempting to cover so many characters. To do each character justice, only a saga might have been better suited (and with much less repetition of the same sentence!) Not much insight into the motivations, thoughts, inner mind of the character was presented. For example, it was hard to buy that John, who seems so laid back and understanding (I was especially fond of his reaction to finding out about Olivia's affair), would react in such a shocking way to his son's news. The names he called his son! It just didn't seem in character with how he had been portrayed. Philip's wife was off-the-charts Machiavellian and self-centered that frankly, it was hard to buy.
This book, like many of DS's books, is full of the lifestyle of the uber rich. In this point, she did not disappoint. I love reading and fantasizing that one day I too might be able to visit those cities and restaurants and hotels that only the super rich frequent.
I wished there was less coverage of each character and more depth.
March 14, 2013
Steel has sunk to new lows with this book. The only good thing I can say about it was it gave me a chance to practice speed reading! I know I'll hear from some Steel fan that I missed the plot since I sped read it! Maybe I did but I suggest for someone reading it to do this:
1. Read the first chapter or two to get the characters down
2. Skip to the middle of the book for the story [there actually is a so called plot in the last half. The first half is nothing but a vacation on a yacht that an ultra rich family takes repeating over and over the personality traits each of them have- which you can read in the first chapters!]
1. Read the first chapter or two to get the characters down
2. Skip to the middle of the book for the story [there actually is a so called plot in the last half. The first half is nothing but a vacation on a yacht that an ultra rich family takes repeating over and over the personality traits each of them have- which you can read in the first chapters!]
November 21, 2012
I just needed something..anything...to read. I downloaded it for free on my Kobo.
This is the first Danielle Steel book I have read in years. While her early books are good (Fine Things, Mirror Image, Malice, Family Album), her newer books are not.
Her books seem to follow a specific pattern. I knew by the end of the fifth chapter that her grandson was going to state that he is gay. I knew right from when she said that he is more into sports than girls. I don't know if it is because I have read so many of her books that I know what to expect or if her writing has just become generic to sell as many as she can in a specific amount of time.
The books is also very repetitive. I know her she feels bad because she was not there for her children as they were growing up, it does not need to be repeated every three sentences. And I don't know why she feels bad, she obviously loves her job and works hard at it and it was stated she never wanted children in the first place. She cried when she found out she was pregnant because it would hurt her career.
Sometimes the book states that she kind of stumbled upon her success. It was not stumbled upon, she left her kids with her mother and husband to work on her career. There is nothing wrong with this, just please take responsibility for it.
The mother bothered me in this book. She is supposed to be a successful business woman, ahead of her time...yet that doesn't stop her from being rude about her daughter in-law just because she would rather buy used clothes. The particular scene I am discussing is when they are on the boat and Liz showed the book to her mom after the daughter in-law did not like the book, so they decided to insult her fashion sense, or lack there of.
This is the first Danielle Steel book I have read in years. While her early books are good (Fine Things, Mirror Image, Malice, Family Album), her newer books are not.
Her books seem to follow a specific pattern. I knew by the end of the fifth chapter that her grandson was going to state that he is gay. I knew right from when she said that he is more into sports than girls. I don't know if it is because I have read so many of her books that I know what to expect or if her writing has just become generic to sell as many as she can in a specific amount of time.
The books is also very repetitive. I know her she feels bad because she was not there for her children as they were growing up, it does not need to be repeated every three sentences. And I don't know why she feels bad, she obviously loves her job and works hard at it and it was stated she never wanted children in the first place. She cried when she found out she was pregnant because it would hurt her career.
Sometimes the book states that she kind of stumbled upon her success. It was not stumbled upon, she left her kids with her mother and husband to work on her career. There is nothing wrong with this, just please take responsibility for it.
The mother bothered me in this book. She is supposed to be a successful business woman, ahead of her time...yet that doesn't stop her from being rude about her daughter in-law just because she would rather buy used clothes. The particular scene I am discussing is when they are on the boat and Liz showed the book to her mom after the daughter in-law did not like the book, so they decided to insult her fashion sense, or lack there of.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2012
The story was good but once again all Danielle Steel can seem to write about is rich people doing fancy things and dropping designer names along the way. How about a nice normal every day person in one of your books? Not sure she knows what the "little" people are like. Always tell myself I am done with her and then give her another chance to be disappointed all over again.
January 10, 2013
I keep hoping Steel's books will return to her previous level of good reading. This one was one of the worst so far. No editing- repeated errors in wrinting. No plot - rich mama built big business, kids whined as she did not spend time with them. Name-dropping - Hermes, Chanel etc -was rampant. Repetition - the first 40 pages went on and on about how rich they were. yuck yuck yuck
December 11, 2017
3,4,
Fiquei muito indeciso entre o 3 e o 4, acho que essa indecisão é o reflexo do que senti com esta leitura.
Agora mais a frio o balanço é positivo mas esperava mais, apesar de um início mais lento, por vezes demasiado repetitivo, quando a acção começa a avançar, sobretudo quando começa a viagem em família, a história ganha um novo ritmo e conseguimos captar as personalidades de cada membro daquela família.
Esta é a história de uma mãe que teve que ser ausente dos seus filhos para poder criar um império, agora perto dos seus 70 anos tenta recuperar esses laços quebrados com os seus filhos, tais pecados que pelo menos dois deles nunca lhes conseguiram perdoar.
A relação dela com os netos também contrasta com a que teve com os filhos.
A história é sem dúvida sobre perdão, viver os nossos sonhos, ser feliz sem medo dos julgamentos, a história de uma família marcada pela perda do pai, pela ausência da mãe... e será que ainda se vai a tempo de dar as mãos?!
Fiquei muito indeciso entre o 3 e o 4, acho que essa indecisão é o reflexo do que senti com esta leitura.
Agora mais a frio o balanço é positivo mas esperava mais, apesar de um início mais lento, por vezes demasiado repetitivo, quando a acção começa a avançar, sobretudo quando começa a viagem em família, a história ganha um novo ritmo e conseguimos captar as personalidades de cada membro daquela família.
Esta é a história de uma mãe que teve que ser ausente dos seus filhos para poder criar um império, agora perto dos seus 70 anos tenta recuperar esses laços quebrados com os seus filhos, tais pecados que pelo menos dois deles nunca lhes conseguiram perdoar.
A relação dela com os netos também contrasta com a que teve com os filhos.
A história é sem dúvida sobre perdão, viver os nossos sonhos, ser feliz sem medo dos julgamentos, a história de uma família marcada pela perda do pai, pela ausência da mãe... e será que ainda se vai a tempo de dar as mãos?!
October 15, 2014
I may have to bail on this one. Danielle Steele is like that annoying friend that talks too much. You want to shake her and say "Just fucking spit it out already."
March 24, 2013
Just finished reading-as always was not disappointed!!!! Couldn't put the book down; when I did, I kept thinking about was going to happen next. This book is full of family values and a mother who would do anything for her children to provide them a better life even if it meant being away from them while they were growing up. But, in the end, family is all that matters and what makes each person happy. This book will not disappoint the reader. It will make you laugh, cry, maybe see yourself in some of the story too. Can't wait to read her other new ones. Danielle Steel is by far my favorite author and always will be.
December 13, 2012
That was awful. I haven't read any Danielle Steel in years, and now I remember why I stopped. Ugh. Most predictable story ever? Yes.
And seriously, the whole angsty main character who didn't really want kids and had her mom/husband raise the kids while she created a world empire, and then later regretted the whole thing because YOU CAN NEVER GET THAT TIME BACK OMG? UGGGGGGGGH. SERIOUSLY? SERIOUSLY?
And seriously, the whole angsty main character who didn't really want kids and had her mom/husband raise the kids while she created a world empire, and then later regretted the whole thing because YOU CAN NEVER GET THAT TIME BACK OMG? UGGGGGGGGH. SERIOUSLY? SERIOUSLY?
November 13, 2012
I just couldn't get into it. I found a lot of it redundant and I could not force myself to finish until the end. I normally will read a boring book anyway simply because I bought it but I didn't have it in me this time. I've never read a Danielle Steel book before and I seriously doubt that I'll try another one. Sorry, this just wasn't for me.
July 6, 2013
I haven't read a DS novel in many years. I used to love them in her earlier days, and my HS days. But after reading a dozen or so, I think I had run through all of her basic plots and could see that her "new" books simply substituted new characters into the same formula, and got bored. Then today I saw this at the library and thought "why not, haven't read her in a very long time, maybe she has improved." She has not, and this is just plain bad. Very simplistic writing, sentences and ideas repeated numerous times with different words. Sounded like it could have been written by a high-schooler. Maybe that's why I enjoyed them back in HS!! Except for any graphic scenes they may contain, her books really are best suited for a HS level reader.
April 26, 2014
I can't believe I wasted a few hours reading this book. It was supposed to be a light diversion instead it was a lesson in how NOT to write. I have a few lessons to give the author on showing versus telling that I've taught sixth graders. The whole effort toward the creation of this book seemed lazy. This book was one if the most poorly written books I've ever read and while I didn't expect a literary masterpiece I at least expected a guilty pleasure. Please don't read this. It doesn't get any better which is what I kept hoping as I went through it.
June 17, 2014
Some may find Danielle Steel's books corny but I beg to differ. Every book I've read thus far; I've never been left disappointed and this book is no different. It's never easy been a mother; more so a single one building a career and at the same time trying to give one's children everything. The triumphs and disappointments; it's never easy and even as a mother though we are suppose to know everything, we never really actually do. All for the fact we, too are also mothers.
November 11, 2012
I love DS, this book reminds me of another book though that I have read from another author [Barbara Taylor Bradford]. Although I managed to read this book from start to finish I knew what the ending was going to be, happy ever after :(
August 11, 2021
Interesting story, but not my favorite by the author.
January 8, 2013
Sins of the Mother is the latest of Danielle Steel books, and it brings what fans have come to expect in a Danielle Steel novel - beautiful people, beautiful places, and emotional drama. In this case, the mother is Olivia Grayson. She has spent her life building a worldwide business empire. She has provided for her four children in every way except that she was rarely present during their childhood. Now that they are all adults, that fact and their emotions surrounding it still continue to impact their relationships both with their mother and with others in their lives.
To look at this book, I have to separate it into two parts. The Grayson family is enormously wealthy. The book begins as Olivia Grayson charters a private luxury yacht to sail the Italian Riviera for two weeks with her children, their spouses, and grandchildren. That kind of a lifestyle is so completely beyond the realm of my reality - and most people's reality - that it becomes removed. I almost found myself ignoring that part because I cannot relate to it.
On the other hand, the family dynamics, relationships, and emotions are what I do relate to. As a parent, I understand the desire of wanting to do the best for my children and the choices never being easy. Family relationships and drama transcend economic boundaries - people are people regardless of their economic circumstances
To look at this book, I have to separate it into two parts. The Grayson family is enormously wealthy. The book begins as Olivia Grayson charters a private luxury yacht to sail the Italian Riviera for two weeks with her children, their spouses, and grandchildren. That kind of a lifestyle is so completely beyond the realm of my reality - and most people's reality - that it becomes removed. I almost found myself ignoring that part because I cannot relate to it.
On the other hand, the family dynamics, relationships, and emotions are what I do relate to. As a parent, I understand the desire of wanting to do the best for my children and the choices never being easy. Family relationships and drama transcend economic boundaries - people are people regardless of their economic circumstances
April 15, 2013
Deserves one star but gave it the two because the story line was bearable.
"Who are you, and what did you do with Danielle Steel?"
Seriously there is something amiss here! I haven't picked up a D.S. book in forever and after reading 'The Sins of the Mother' I know why. Once upon a time, she could write but now......
Colour me very disappointed. Her work of days gone by, 'The Ring' was lovely and enjoyable. This was an okay premise but I felt as if she were writing to a 10 year old reader. ( Nothing against 10 year olds, but you get what I'm saying.)
I was insulted thinking the author has no regard for the intelligence of her audience and the topping on the cake was a line in the book and I quote:
(spoiler alert)
"The midwife let Danny cut the cord and hand his baby to Cassie, and then they handed 'it' to Olivia"..blah blah... I assume the 'it' is the brand new baby son and not the cord. That is just not acceptable. He is a'him' not an 'it!'
Finally, just no no no and no.
"Who are you, and what did you do with Danielle Steel?"
Seriously there is something amiss here! I haven't picked up a D.S. book in forever and after reading 'The Sins of the Mother' I know why. Once upon a time, she could write but now......
Colour me very disappointed. Her work of days gone by, 'The Ring' was lovely and enjoyable. This was an okay premise but I felt as if she were writing to a 10 year old reader. ( Nothing against 10 year olds, but you get what I'm saying.)
I was insulted thinking the author has no regard for the intelligence of her audience and the topping on the cake was a line in the book and I quote:
(spoiler alert)
"The midwife let Danny cut the cord and hand his baby to Cassie, and then they handed 'it' to Olivia"..blah blah... I assume the 'it' is the brand new baby son and not the cord. That is just not acceptable. He is a'him' not an 'it!'
Finally, just no no no and no.
December 12, 2016
This started like lots of other Steel books, with repetition. She wanted to make clear just what the main character, Olivia was like. It's so unnecessary when she does this! We get it, Olivia is the best business woman the world has ever seen, her only flaw being that she didn't get to spend much time with her kids.
Once we had that sorted out (like a chapter later) we finally get onto the story which was pretty decent. All Olivia's kids are grown up now but some of them are still resentful of Olivia being away so much. They go on a family holiday every year for two weeks, this year they are sailing around the Mediterranean in a luxury yacht and they are finally putting the past to bed.
I did really like this book but it was let down at the start with everything being repeated and for a while it also started to flounder with more repetition in the middle of the book. They literally swam, had dinner and watched a film on the boat almost everyday! Great for fans of Steel who are used to her writing style.
Once we had that sorted out (like a chapter later) we finally get onto the story which was pretty decent. All Olivia's kids are grown up now but some of them are still resentful of Olivia being away so much. They go on a family holiday every year for two weeks, this year they are sailing around the Mediterranean in a luxury yacht and they are finally putting the past to bed.
I did really like this book but it was let down at the start with everything being repeated and for a while it also started to flounder with more repetition in the middle of the book. They literally swam, had dinner and watched a film on the boat almost everyday! Great for fans of Steel who are used to her writing style.
April 11, 2017
I was expecting some kind of interesting perspective about the price of success, forgiveness and family love, but I got absolutely nothing out of this book. It's extremely repetitive, superficial and boring. Every problem is solved way too easily and the whole story is just unrealistic and even ridiculous.
August 12, 2020
More like 2,5/5
It might not be a piece of literature, but it was an enjoyable commercial book
However the writer seemed like she has Alzheimer giving the fact how much she repeated certain details about the characters.
The second part was better and I liked that it finished so fast. It is good to read something easy to relax (without looking for any specific value).
It might not be a piece of literature, but it was an enjoyable commercial book
However the writer seemed like she has Alzheimer giving the fact how much she repeated certain details about the characters.
The second part was better and I liked that it finished so fast. It is good to read something easy to relax (without looking for any specific value).
April 25, 2022
Pretty boring read. Disappointing
March 11, 2018
Oh my God! This book! What I subject myself to hoping for some stress relief! Damn it, Danielle, I gave you a second chance but fool me once, shame on you etc etc.
So this is a book about a family with a hell of a lot of grievances which btw all resolve themselves within a fucking year. Now for those of you out there with REAL grievances, you know and I know that they don't just go away. They're always there. Eating you up. Lurking within till you blow this particular pop stand and let's just hope they don't follow you into the after-life. Some people might find therapy helpful but I trust psychologists about as far as I can throw them and I can't even throw a bloody basketball. Well, I threw one once and it ended up smacking me in the face because gravity hates me.
So back to the bloody book. These grievances.... Hang on to your hat, ya filthy animal, beause you're in for a shock! This powerhouse of a woman Olivia Grayson set up a bloody empire (it's basically IKEA) and she also had four kids with a now dead husband whom she adored. Did she leave said kids with a bevy of heartless nannies? Did she ship them off to some dreary boarding school? Were they abused? No! While she was running her empire the kids were looked after by their adoring dad and grandma. So what's their problem? They resent her for being away so much. That's it. These are very serious issues. Nothing like, say, silly problems like:
Can I afford rent?
Can I afford food?
Can I afford the hospital bill?
Can I afford tuition?
Can I manage to work full-time and study at the same time?
No these minor issues are things these kids will never have to deal with. And besides if you do have these problems it's all your fault since you lack a protestant work ethic or you're a lazy, degenerate, stupid fuck, amiright?
So Olivia feels guilty for her "sins" and tries to redeem herslf by being there for her kids and grandkids as much as possible and taking them on paradise holidays worth millions every year. But the brats don't back down until certain events make the realise that they're full of shit. And every problem is solved. And everybody lives happily ever after (except for the 90 plus-year-old grandma who dies in her sleep and whose funeral brings them all together and makes them all forgiving and amenable to marriage and shit). And Fuck them.
And don't even get me started on how bad the writing is! I think there are 12-year-olds writing fan-fic who've done better and she just repeats the same points over and over again. Argh.
Danielle, I'm done.
So this is a book about a family with a hell of a lot of grievances which btw all resolve themselves within a fucking year. Now for those of you out there with REAL grievances, you know and I know that they don't just go away. They're always there. Eating you up. Lurking within till you blow this particular pop stand and let's just hope they don't follow you into the after-life. Some people might find therapy helpful but I trust psychologists about as far as I can throw them and I can't even throw a bloody basketball. Well, I threw one once and it ended up smacking me in the face because gravity hates me.
So back to the bloody book. These grievances.... Hang on to your hat, ya filthy animal, beause you're in for a shock! This powerhouse of a woman Olivia Grayson set up a bloody empire (it's basically IKEA) and she also had four kids with a now dead husband whom she adored. Did she leave said kids with a bevy of heartless nannies? Did she ship them off to some dreary boarding school? Were they abused? No! While she was running her empire the kids were looked after by their adoring dad and grandma. So what's their problem? They resent her for being away so much. That's it. These are very serious issues. Nothing like, say, silly problems like:
Can I afford rent?
Can I afford food?
Can I afford the hospital bill?
Can I afford tuition?
Can I manage to work full-time and study at the same time?
No these minor issues are things these kids will never have to deal with. And besides if you do have these problems it's all your fault since you lack a protestant work ethic or you're a lazy, degenerate, stupid fuck, amiright?
So Olivia feels guilty for her "sins" and tries to redeem herslf by being there for her kids and grandkids as much as possible and taking them on paradise holidays worth millions every year. But the brats don't back down until certain events make the realise that they're full of shit. And every problem is solved. And everybody lives happily ever after (except for the 90 plus-year-old grandma who dies in her sleep and whose funeral brings them all together and makes them all forgiving and amenable to marriage and shit). And Fuck them.
And don't even get me started on how bad the writing is! I think there are 12-year-olds writing fan-fic who've done better and she just repeats the same points over and over again. Argh.
Danielle, I'm done.
May 11, 2013
This is your typical Danielle Steel novel. It portrays the inside hard life of New York's elite. It starts out really slow with too much of her trying to explain the same thing in different ways. Yes I get it already is what I want to say. But I liked the story line of the role switch from the lost father role to the lost mother role. The main character Olivia Grayson was a hard nose business woman who built an empire that would support her family for generations to come. But in doing this she missed out on the importance of being a mother. She of course loved her children and showed it to them when she was there but her role was that of the provider and not the house wife.
She later lost her husband and then started these yearly vacations with her children to try and connect with them. Little by little she does but not before going down a bumpy rode. Her grandson Alex, with whom she has a close relationship with comes out to her as being gay, his parents are in complete disapproval but she quickly fixes that situation. He eldest son Phillip is in a love less relationship with a money grubbing bitch as far as I'm concerned. He finally realizes this also and meets this fresh breath of air and falls in love, something he never thought was possible. Her eldest daughter Liz is like the black sheep of the family who seems to most things wrong, primarily with her relationships. She has 2 beautiful daughters and is a struggling writer. She ends up writing a great piece and submits it. She gets an immediate response from her agent and then shortly the 2 start dating which turns out to be a really good relationship for her. Then there's the youngest who wrote of her family and didn't want anything to do with any of them especially Olivia. Then the death of the grandmother comes and the youngest reconnects with the family and finds a love for her mother that just grows. In the end they all come together as a family with a few surprises and happy endings for them.
It was a good read. I can't say I loved it but once the story got going I couldn't put it down and I stopped skipping over parts that just seemed to go on forever on the same topic. It made me smile and also laugh a couple times.
She later lost her husband and then started these yearly vacations with her children to try and connect with them. Little by little she does but not before going down a bumpy rode. Her grandson Alex, with whom she has a close relationship with comes out to her as being gay, his parents are in complete disapproval but she quickly fixes that situation. He eldest son Phillip is in a love less relationship with a money grubbing bitch as far as I'm concerned. He finally realizes this also and meets this fresh breath of air and falls in love, something he never thought was possible. Her eldest daughter Liz is like the black sheep of the family who seems to most things wrong, primarily with her relationships. She has 2 beautiful daughters and is a struggling writer. She ends up writing a great piece and submits it. She gets an immediate response from her agent and then shortly the 2 start dating which turns out to be a really good relationship for her. Then there's the youngest who wrote of her family and didn't want anything to do with any of them especially Olivia. Then the death of the grandmother comes and the youngest reconnects with the family and finds a love for her mother that just grows. In the end they all come together as a family with a few surprises and happy endings for them.
It was a good read. I can't say I loved it but once the story got going I couldn't put it down and I stopped skipping over parts that just seemed to go on forever on the same topic. It made me smile and also laugh a couple times.
December 11, 2012
The world knows Olivia Grayson as a consummate businesswoman; a powerhouse CEO who built her company from the ground up. Her four children see her as the woman who was too busy with work to be their mother. Her youngest child has written her off entirely, and she knows it will take a monolithic effort on her part to keep the other three from doing the same.
Outwardly calm and unaffected, Phillip Grayson feels betrayed by his mother’s decision to allow his father and grandmother to raise him as a child. As his own marriage crumbles, he is forced to reconsider everything he thought was truth. It will take the warmth and affection of someone totally unexpected to thaw the ice from Phillip’s heart and teach him not only love, but forgiveness.
John Grayson is happily married to a woman nothing like his mother. When he is not working at the family office, he is utterly absorbed in his wife and his painting. So wrapped up in his own version of comfortable, John cannot see his own son struggling to find an identity. It will take the help and startling insight of his mother to set things right. Liz feels like the black sheep of her overachieving family. Her writing has never amounted to anything, and her beautiful daughters are her only claim to success. Just when she worries she will be forever a failure, she meets a new agent. Not only does he think she is a talented writer, he convinces her of her allure as a woman.
This is a fantastic story with beautifully complex characters that truly draw the reader in to experience their heartrending emotional ups and downs. That said, the book reads as though it were an executive summary of a really great story. There is the promise of such depth, and so much information streaming into the reader’s mind all at once that it is a little overwhelming.
Kaitlin
Reviewer for Coffeetime Romance & More
December 1, 2012
Sins of a Mother
Olivia Grayson is a successful businesswoman who transformed a small hardware store into a huge chain of stores called The Factory.
She married a wonderful man, Joe and had four children much quicker then expected.
What she did not expect to do is have to make a choice work or children and she choose her career. Joe her husband was the CFO of the company and an accountant and tried to spend as much time with the children as possible and Olivia’s mother Maribelle became their fill in mom.
Yes the children were loved and when Olivia was around she tried to plan fun and exciting things to do but she just was not around enough.
Two of her sons John and Philip had decided to join the family business. Cass the youngest moved away and wanted nothing to do with her cause she was not a real mother to her. Liz her other daughter was understanding but had made two bad choices in her life and wondered if not having her mother around was the reason???
It is very common in today’s society for a mother to work but Olivia was obsessed and put her work before her children and as a result you see the way each of her four children act.
Each of the children must face challenges, disappointment, failure and mistakes but rise above them after much confrontation and forgiveness
This is a very involved story and shows the ups and downs of all the members in the family It is written very well.
Olivia Grayson is a successful businesswoman who transformed a small hardware store into a huge chain of stores called The Factory.
She married a wonderful man, Joe and had four children much quicker then expected.
What she did not expect to do is have to make a choice work or children and she choose her career. Joe her husband was the CFO of the company and an accountant and tried to spend as much time with the children as possible and Olivia’s mother Maribelle became their fill in mom.
Yes the children were loved and when Olivia was around she tried to plan fun and exciting things to do but she just was not around enough.
Two of her sons John and Philip had decided to join the family business. Cass the youngest moved away and wanted nothing to do with her cause she was not a real mother to her. Liz her other daughter was understanding but had made two bad choices in her life and wondered if not having her mother around was the reason???
It is very common in today’s society for a mother to work but Olivia was obsessed and put her work before her children and as a result you see the way each of her four children act.
Each of the children must face challenges, disappointment, failure and mistakes but rise above them after much confrontation and forgiveness
This is a very involved story and shows the ups and downs of all the members in the family It is written very well.
February 20, 2013
The Sins of the Mother by Danielle Steel
Olivia Grayson, head of the home furnishings regrets not having time for her kids. The annual family vacation she hopes makes up for it all...
Book concentrates on her 70th birthday family vacation where we learn about the children, now adults with families of their own and what they do in their lives.
Why they dread the vacation email announcement every year and what they like about it...a two week cruise with everything on board and then some. they cruised around the Mediterranean, St. Elba, Sardinia, Corsica...
They went through various storms at sea and the 37 foot yacht was rolling and crashing into the next wave.
Olivia spends a lot of time with the grandkids and offers one just finishing college a job at the factory...another confides in her about his sexuality...
Upon their return, she handles many problems with many of the divisions in other countries and looks forward to seeing the lawyer for the business.
Book alternates between all the brothers and sisters and their spouses to Olivia and her mother Mirabella.
Deaths, births, new careers, new loves, etc They are drawn together for their grandmothers' funeral and find themselves all together, something that's not happened even on the annual event vacation.
I found because of all the children the book a bit confusing as not a lot of time was really spent to get to know them-you do but it's scattered all over.
Love the book though.
Olivia Grayson, head of the home furnishings regrets not having time for her kids. The annual family vacation she hopes makes up for it all...
Book concentrates on her 70th birthday family vacation where we learn about the children, now adults with families of their own and what they do in their lives.
Why they dread the vacation email announcement every year and what they like about it...a two week cruise with everything on board and then some. they cruised around the Mediterranean, St. Elba, Sardinia, Corsica...
They went through various storms at sea and the 37 foot yacht was rolling and crashing into the next wave.
Olivia spends a lot of time with the grandkids and offers one just finishing college a job at the factory...another confides in her about his sexuality...
Upon their return, she handles many problems with many of the divisions in other countries and looks forward to seeing the lawyer for the business.
Book alternates between all the brothers and sisters and their spouses to Olivia and her mother Mirabella.
Deaths, births, new careers, new loves, etc They are drawn together for their grandmothers' funeral and find themselves all together, something that's not happened even on the annual event vacation.
I found because of all the children the book a bit confusing as not a lot of time was really spent to get to know them-you do but it's scattered all over.
Love the book though.
March 4, 2013
AUTHOR: Steel, Danielle
TITLE: The Sins of the Mother
DATE READ: 02/23/2013
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS: Fiction/2012/Random House/354 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE: Stand Alone
TIME/PLACE: Present/NY, France
CHARACTERS: Olivia Grayson, Business Maven & Mother
FIRST LINES: Olivia Grayson sat in the chairman's seat at the board meeting, listening intently to the presentations, her intense blue eyes taking in each member of the board.
COMMENTS: Every D Steel book is a connection to my mother -- she loved her books, so there is always a fondness for me when I pick up her latest book & think my mother would have enjoyed this one if she were still here. Olivia Grayson has been a driven & dedicated entrepreneur for all of her life. She started w/ a family hardware business of one store and grew it into a very successful group of international design stores. She had a very supportive husband and mother who were able to be there at home for the family when work priorites prevailed. She felt she was balancing her priorities and made the right choices. After her husband passes and she has to deal more directly w/ her grown children she is widening her perspective and trying to make more time for family. Her children now in their 40's are also finding a new way of looking at their childhood & understanding their mother's decisions.
TITLE: The Sins of the Mother
DATE READ: 02/23/2013
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS: Fiction/2012/Random House/354 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE: Stand Alone
TIME/PLACE: Present/NY, France
CHARACTERS: Olivia Grayson, Business Maven & Mother
FIRST LINES: Olivia Grayson sat in the chairman's seat at the board meeting, listening intently to the presentations, her intense blue eyes taking in each member of the board.
COMMENTS: Every D Steel book is a connection to my mother -- she loved her books, so there is always a fondness for me when I pick up her latest book & think my mother would have enjoyed this one if she were still here. Olivia Grayson has been a driven & dedicated entrepreneur for all of her life. She started w/ a family hardware business of one store and grew it into a very successful group of international design stores. She had a very supportive husband and mother who were able to be there at home for the family when work priorites prevailed. She felt she was balancing her priorities and made the right choices. After her husband passes and she has to deal more directly w/ her grown children she is widening her perspective and trying to make more time for family. Her children now in their 40's are also finding a new way of looking at their childhood & understanding their mother's decisions.
April 27, 2017
Olivia was eighteen years old when she started working at her mother’s company. Olivia’s mother inherited the company from her lover. Olivia married the company’s accountant and they had four children: Philip, Liz, John and Cassie. Olivia spent much of her time away from her family leaving the raising of her four children to their dad and Olivia’s husband Joe, and her mother, Maribelle. Liz and John enjoyed their childhood understanding and accepting what their mother sacrificed to ensure they enjoyed the good life. Phillip, the oldest, and Cassie, the youngest, refused to forgive Olivia for her absences during their childhood.
Phillip’s wife, Amanda, wanted Phillip to grow some balls and combine forces with his brother, John, in ousting their mother from her company so he could take her place as head of the company. Amanda’s request opened Phillip’s eyes as to who Amanda was: a social climber who married him for his mother’s contacts, prestige and money.
I liked the way author Steel flushed out the characters. She told their stories giving us enough information to keep us turning pages.
Cassandra Campbell was not the voice of the characters. Miss Campbell didn’t appear to have taken the time to get to know the characters. I prefer author Steel sticking with male readers as their storytelling always makes me cry. Cassandra Campbell did not make me cry.
Phillip’s wife, Amanda, wanted Phillip to grow some balls and combine forces with his brother, John, in ousting their mother from her company so he could take her place as head of the company. Amanda’s request opened Phillip’s eyes as to who Amanda was: a social climber who married him for his mother’s contacts, prestige and money.
I liked the way author Steel flushed out the characters. She told their stories giving us enough information to keep us turning pages.
Cassandra Campbell was not the voice of the characters. Miss Campbell didn’t appear to have taken the time to get to know the characters. I prefer author Steel sticking with male readers as their storytelling always makes me cry. Cassandra Campbell did not make me cry.
November 29, 2012
The Sins of the Mother is an appropriate title for the book. It starts out slower then I would like and did not provide much in the line of entertainment for me as a reader until well over 50 pages. Yet the book does not disappoint me as Danielle Steel well made up for it after that.
D.S. may not be considered a literary writer but after selling 600 million books over the years, she certainly proven herself to be one of the most prolific authors of our time and I am sure the multitude of readers and fans would agree as they continue to place her books at the top of their reading lists.
Her stories take us on a journey we would not have otherwise known as she brings us into the world of fiction with personable,characters that appear quite human and generally tug on our heart strings such as can be found in this book; The Sins of the Mother.
D.S. may not be considered a literary writer but after selling 600 million books over the years, she certainly proven herself to be one of the most prolific authors of our time and I am sure the multitude of readers and fans would agree as they continue to place her books at the top of their reading lists.
Her stories take us on a journey we would not have otherwise known as she brings us into the world of fiction with personable,characters that appear quite human and generally tug on our heart strings such as can be found in this book; The Sins of the Mother.
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