The restoration of a majestic old home provides the exhilarating backdrop for Danielle Steel’s 66th bestselling novel, the story of a young woman’s dream, an old man’s gift, and the surprises that await us behind every closed door…. Perched on a hill overlooking San Francisco, the house was magnificent, built in 1923 by a wealthy man for the woman he adored. For her and for this house, he would spare no expense and overlook no detail, from the endless marble floors to the glittering chandeliers. Almost a century later, with the once-grand house now in disrepair, a young woman walks through its empty rooms. Sarah Anderson, a perfectly sensible estate lawyer, is about to do something utterly out of character. An elderly client has died and left her two gifts. One is a generous inheritance. The other, a priceless message: to use his money for something wonderful, something daring. And in this old house, surrounded by crumbling grandeur, Sarah knows just what it is. A respected attorney and self-described workaholic, Sarah had always lived life by the book. With a steady, if sputtering, relationship and a tiny apartment that has suited her just fine, Sarah cannot explain the force that draws her to the mansion and its history–to the story of a woman who once lived in the house, then mysteriously left it, to a child who grew up there, and a drama that unfolded in war-torn France…and to a history she never knew she had. Taking the biggest risk of her life, Sarah enlists the help of architect Jeff Parker, who shares Sarah’s passion for bringing the exquisite old house back to life. As she and Jeff work to restore the home’s every detail, as one relationship shatters and another begins, Sarah makes a series of powerful discoveries: about the true meaning of a dying man’s last gift…about the extraordinary legacies that are passed from generation to generation…and about a future she’s only just beginning to imagine. In a novel of daring and hope, of embracing life and taking chances, Danielle Steel brilliantly captures one woman’s courageous choice to pour herself into a dream–and receive its gifts in return.
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"I really enjoyed House Girl by Tara Conklin. The subject matter (reparation for blacks/African Americans) is one that I've always been interested in...but this is the first time, I'm aware, that it's ever been taken on in a novel. Conklin wrote parrallel stories, one that transported us back to the 1800 when slavery was still alive and well, the other during modern day. The transitions were seamless and it was easy to flashback or move forward without getting lose. I must admit I'm generally pissed and upset when I read about slavery, especially the horrors of it all as far as my ancestors were concerned. And Conklin didn't disappoint...I felt a range of emotions (actually rage) as I read the stories of Josephine, Lewis, Boo, Lula and all the others who came before them or experienced the same cruelty. I'm not sure I know of any other group of people who were tramautized and treated as poorly as black folks in America...who have NOT been paid reparations. To which I say, why not and for how long do we have to wait? Actually, why do black folks always have to wait! Thankfully, I'm not waiting as I don't believe, at least during my lifetime, that the US will ever make good on this matter. House Girl was engaging, informative and enlightening. I listened to the audiobook(which was 14 hours long) and finished it in two days because it was such a compelling read. I highly recommend House Girl to those who enjoy historical fiction and books about strong women of color as well as book clubs as this is a book that will make for a great discussion and one that you will probably think about long after you've read. My only disappointment was the ending...I felt like the author punked out...since it was fictional I believe a more unpredictable ending could have been written...in this case it would have been okay to take creative license to explore and travel a different road."
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Yasmin (4 out of 5 stars)