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The Sins of the Mother (Abridged): A Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,296 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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 novel, Olivia faces the past, tries to balance the present and make amends where due, while still running her vastly successful business.
As a way of making up to them for time lost, Olivia spends months each year planning a 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 one 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.
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"I really liked this book. It showed that mothers do the best they can and what they think is best for their children. Does not always mean its what everyone else believes is right. And that you should not judge someone because you may find yourself in a similar situation."
— Kristal (5 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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A USA Today bestseller
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A #1 Publishers Weekly bestseller
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A New York Times bestseller
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A Washington Post bestseller
The Sins of the Mother Listener Reviews
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" Olivia Grayson built a business empire from the ground up. In doing so her children felt neglected. There are lots of colorful family members that live in a world of wealth. "
— Ethel, 2/18/2014 -
" I loved the book up until the last chapter. The last chapter seemed rushed and thrown together!!!!! "
— Dyan, 2/17/2014 -
" Main character is Olivia Grayson- Story concerns this family- How they held together in the hard times and celebrated in the good ones-They have forgiven one another their mistakes and learned from one another "
— Kathy, 2/12/2014 -
" Why do I continue to read Danielle Steele? They all turn out exactly the same. The good part is I can skip lots of the book and still not get lost. "
— Lorahl, 2/10/2014 -
" 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. "
— Cathy, 2/8/2014 -
" I read Danielle steel after so long and this book disappointed me totally. I stopped reading her books earlier because there was always some tragedy happening;loss. death of loved one or so. May be I picked every book dealing with some loved one's death by chance and I found that hard to read. However, I always liked her writing style, storyline and everything actually. This book was not usual Danielle Steel I remembered. The story was so predictable, plot less than ordinary and very ordinary writing. It was complete waste of time for me. I would not recommend it to anyone! "
— Neena, 1/29/2014 -
" I admit to reading every book ever written by Danielle Steel even though they are basically the same story with different characters and different settings. All have a great love and a great tragedy . Guess I am hooked on mindless escapism . "
— Joan, 1/18/2014 -
" This is only the second Steele novel I have read so I'm still not completely sure if I should continue to read her books or not. The previous novel "Friends Forever" that I read I loved! I did like this book but at times found some parts repetitive. I don't know if this is to exaggerate a point or what. The only other thing is that a few parts I found predictable. Not the entire novel which is why I did enjoy the book. However some things I totally saw coming, but that has been the case in several things I have read. Overall Danielle Steele provides a good interesting story & I now see her books as fun reads! "
— Brandy, 1/7/2014 -
" I enjoyed this quick read . Enjoyed the family dynamics of the Grayson family. "
— Lynne, 1/6/2014 -
" I know this author is formulaic, but I always enjoy each of her books - this one did not disappoint. It was a very quick read. "
— Jane, 12/31/2013 -
" Every woman who is a mom can relate to this story. It was a touching story of a Mom's journey with her children. "
— Elaine, 12/6/2013 -
" Pretty typical Danielle Steel book, good entertainment, with all the necessary ingredients. She's really good at getting you to like or dislike the characters. Don't think this title covers the content best. "
— Irene, 12/3/2013 -
" Olivia Grayson has become a very successful business woman and has grown a corporation that 2 of her sons work in , but along the way she lost closeness with her children. She had a wonderful husband and husband that supported her and took care of the children. "
— Susan, 10/22/2013 -
" Typical DS. Love the easy read. "
— Rachel, 10/5/2013 -
" great book to read by Danielle steel. Was slow in the beginning but then started getting good about half way through the book "
— Rosamaria, 10/1/2013 -
" It's Danielle Steele--I always read and enjoy her books. "
— Sheri, 9/29/2013 -
" It's was a very good book. "
— Virginia, 9/26/2013 -
" Quit after 3 chapters....monotonous and redundant. Not one of her better novels "
— Kris, 8/25/2013 -
" This was your basic Danielle Steel book. The same plot different names and different city and year. "
— Donna, 8/5/2013 -
" Typical Danielle Steel but still a good story. It is a quick read too if that is what you are looking for. "
— Mytha, 7/17/2013 -
" This was good as usual. Not too much different than any of her others but it was good. "
— Virginia, 4/28/2013 -
" Why oh why do I continue to read DS? I keep thinking she will write another book like some of her earlier works but so far, she has not. Her books are usually a quick read though. "
— Dawn, 4/5/2013 -
" One of Steel's best book so far! "
— Vickie, 3/19/2013 -
" Terrible! I've read all her books and this is very disappointing and depressing "
— Heather, 2/7/2013 -
" Why do I read her crap?? Ughhhh...... "
— Cathie, 11/30/2012 -
" I loved this book an I will always be a Steele fan. "
— Debbie, 11/10/2012
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.
About Cassandra Campbell
Cassandra Campbell has won multiple Audie Awards, Earphones Awards, and the prestigious Odyssey Award for narration. She was been named a “Best Voice” by AudioFile magazine and in 2018 was inducted in Audible’s inaugural Narrator Hall of Fame.