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The Long Road Home Audiobook
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(3.01) - 3,879 listener ratings
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Bestselling novelist Danielle Steel takes us on a harrowing journey into the heart of America's hidden shame in a novel that explores the power of forgiveness, the dark side of childhood, and one woman's unbreakable spirit. From her secret perch at the top of the stairs, Gabriella Harrison watches the guests arrive at her parents' lavish Manhattan townhouse. At seven, she knows she is an intruder in her parents' party, in her parents' life. But she can't resist the magic. Later, she waits for the click, click, click of her mother's high heels, the angry words, and the pain that will follow. Gabriella already knows to hide her bruises, certain she is to blame for her mother's rage--and her father's failure to protect her. Her world is a confusing blend of terror, betrayal, and pain. Her parents' aristocratic world is no safeguard against the abuse that knows no boundaries, respects no person, no economic lines. Gabriella knows that, try as she might, there is no safe place for her to hide. Even as a child, her only escape is through the stories she writes. Only writing can dull the pain of her lonely world. And when her parents' marriage collapses, Gabriella is given her first reprieve, as her father disappears, and then her mother abandons her to a convent. There, Gabriella's battered body and soul begin to mend. Amid the quiet safety and hushed rituals of the nuns, Gabriella grows into womanhood in a safe, peaceful world. Then a young priest comes into her life. Father Joe Connors never questioned his vocation until Gabriella entered the confessional and shared her soul. Confession leads to friendship. And friendship grows dangerously into love. Like Gabriella, Joe is haunted by the pain of his childhood, consumed by guilt over a family tragedy, for which he blames himself. With Gabriella, Joe takes the first steps toward healing. But their relationship leads to tragedy as Joe must choose between the priesthood and Gabriella, and life in the real world where he fears he does not belong, and cannot cope. Exiled and disgraced, and nearly destroyed, Gabriella struggles to survive on her own in New York. There she seeks healing and escape through her writing again, this time as an adult, and her life as a writer begins. But just when she thinks she is beyond hurt, Gabriella is once again betrayed by someone she trusts. Brought to the edge of despair, physically attacked beyond recognition and belief, haunted by abuse in her present and her past, she nonetheless manages to find hope again, and the courage to face the past. On a pilgrimage destined to bring her face-to-face with those who sought to destroy her in her early life, she finds forgiveness, freedom from guilt, and healing from abuse. When Gabriella faces what was done to her, and why, she herself is free at last. With profound insight, Danielle Steel has created a vivid portrait of an abused child's broken world, and the courage necessary to face it and free herself from the past. A work of daring and compassion, a tale of healing that will shock and touch and move you to your very soul, it exposes the terror of child abuse, and opens the doors on a subject that affects us all. The Long Road Home is more than riveting fiction. It is an inspiration to us all. A work of courage, hope, and love.
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"I haven't read DS in a while but came across this one and was intrigued. This is about a child who was hated and abused by her wealthy mother while her father ignored it. The book takes you through childhood and adulthood. Very different for DS but very good. "
— Jann (4 out of 5 stars)
The Long Road Home Listener Reviews
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" as i remember it was my first book to read "
— Reem, 2/19/2014 -
" Um longo caminho para casa "
— Fernanda, 2/15/2014 -
" Poor girl, she had a hard life, but as usual it has a happy ending. "
— Mary, 2/9/2014 -
" Seriously my favorite book of this authors! "
— Kayla, 2/6/2014 -
" Wow, this was incredible.. Reminded me too much of my childhood and was difficult to get thru but I loved it. "
— Michele, 1/25/2014 -
" This book is worth reading but warning found myself mad at the actors in the book. "
— Patricia, 1/11/2014 -
" My favorite Danielle Steel book. "
— Danielle, 1/11/2014 -
" It is a great story and it was my first book that I read by Danielle Steel. "
— Susan, 1/7/2014 -
" Danielle Steel is an excellent storyteller. I usually battle with books dealing with emotional trauma (I do much better with crime novels) but couldn't put this down. Her descriptions are so vivid that she takes you into the world of her characters. Good! "
— Sally, 12/25/2013 -
" I loved the book, but I hated the tragedy in it "
— Esraa, 12/23/2013 -
" It had a good ending but definately a very depressing book. Not one of my favorite DS books. "
— Sarah, 12/22/2013 -
" Oh this poor girl. You want to keep reading to see if everything works out for her in the end. "
— Rebecca, 12/19/2013 -
" Great book! Very hard to put down. The more you read the more you want to read. "
— Nancy, 12/12/2013 -
" read this book in a day, not the authors usual plot really enjoyed it "
— Nina, 11/8/2013 -
" This is the saddest book I have ever read yet I could not put it down. It was distressing to read about this womans life and how every turn had some sort of tragedy happen to her. "
— Shell, 10/25/2013 -
" A heart-wrenching story of a girl who is abused. "
— Ayla, 8/21/2013 -
" Children are blessings 4rm God. No matter the circumstances surrounding u before or after their birth,love and care 4 them, don't maltreat them.Bring them up in the right way.Blessings come in disguise. In the middle of difficulties lies oppurtunites. "
— Adaora, 7/30/2013 -
" My one and only interaction with Ms. Steel. Never again. So hilariously bad and melodramatic. "
— K, 5/18/2013 -
" This book was more than heartbreaking, beautiful and breathtaking... It was the first Danielle Steel book I read and it stays with me to this day "
— Jennah-lee, 9/8/2012 -
" This is my second favorite book of DS. I like to read her books for quick reads when I'm not into another series. "
— Leslie, 9/1/2012 -
" This is a heart-pounding story of how a girl finds courage to establish herself as a strong-willed woman. "
— Danica, 8/13/2012 -
" This one had some sad parts to it but overall another wonderful book. "
— Carla, 7/26/2012 -
" This book is really sad but good. It's about a girl's struggle to overcome her childhood, and discover who she is. "
— Ginnie, 5/30/2012 -
" I read this book when I was really young, my mom gave it to me. It was very sad and I have read it more than a few times, a bit more emotional now that I have children. Great book! "
— Jessie, 3/24/2012 -
" I found this to be very heavy and depressing. How much can her characters endure. If I had gone through all that in my life I might not be here. Reading it really brought me down. I kept reading to find a happy ending and really didn't find one. "
— Karen, 3/23/2012 -
" One of my favorite books from Danielle Steel. "
— Jennifer, 3/21/2012 -
" The first book to make me cry. It reminds me of the strength we can find within ourselves after we over come adversity. "
— Adel, 11/11/2011 -
" Not as repetitive as some of her other books but I still didn't love the writing style. "
— Janine, 8/18/2011 -
" My daughter's name is Gabrielle, same as the main character so at times this book was extremely hard to read. The events in girls life as she becomes a women just makes you want to sob and cheer. "
— Cynthia, 5/6/2011 -
" My one and only interaction with Ms. Steel. Never again. So hilariously bad and melodramatic. "
— Kaylan, 4/29/2011 -
" This book was more than heartbreaking, beautiful and breathtaking... It was the first Danielle Steel book I read and it stays with me to this day "
— Jennah-lee, 2/24/2011 -
" Definitely one of my favorites of her novels. Did not want to put it down. Topic this time is child abuse. Difficult to read then and even more so now because I am a mother. "
— Mona, 12/9/2010 -
" This is a story that touched me deeply, reading about the abuse that the heroine went through wasn't easy. But I wouldn't change even one word of this book - it's just perfect the way it is! "
— Maldivianbookreviewer, 12/4/2010 -
" The story still schoked me as much as it did the first time I read it years ago... real tear jerker! "
— Lily, 10/26/2010 -
" Really good book. Tugs on the heart strings. "
— Desiree, 10/23/2010 -
" Really sad. Made me cry in lots of parts "
— Andrea, 8/20/2010 -
" This is the saddest book I have ever read yet I could not put it down. It was distressing to read about this womans life and how every turn had some sort of tragedy happen to her. "
— Shell, 8/10/2010 -
" Children are blessings 4rm God. No matter the circumstances surrounding u before or after their birth,love and care 4 them, don't maltreat them.Bring them up in the right way.Blessings come in disguise. In the middle of difficulties lies oppurtunites. "
— Adaora, 8/5/2010
About Danielle Steel
Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world’s most popular authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include many acclaimed novels. She is also 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; 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.