Book
Answered prayers / Danielle Steel.
Record details
- ISBN: 0385335431
- Physical Description: 326 p. ; 24 cm. : ill.
- Publisher: New York : Delacorte Press, c2002.
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Friendship > Fiction. Families > Fiction. Married women > Fiction. Marital conflict > Fiction. Secrecy > Fiction. New York (N.Y.) > Fiction. |
| Genre: | Religious fiction. Love stories. |
Available copies
- 4 of 5 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Elkford Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 5 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elkford Public Library | FC STE (Text) | 35170000195719 | Adult Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Monthly Selections - #1 September 2002
Steel's latest novel doesn't veer from her tried-and-true formula, so her loyal fans can happily anticipate enjoying this one without any surprises. Faith Madison, a beautiful, wealthy Manhattan housewife, has begun to question her life. Her two daughters are more or less raised; her husband, while cold and standoffish, remains a dependable partner; and their family is comfortably wealthy and fairly happy. Faith's nagging need for change is stimulated further when her stepfather dies. At the funeral, as painful memories from her sad past resurface, she runs into an old friend, Brad Patterson. Brad, who shares a close bond with Faith (due to some shared grief from the past), is also trapped in an unhappy marriage. As Faith's marriage deteriorates, she begins a long-distance correspondence with Brad, and although the two assure themselves that their relationship is purely platonic, things steadily heat up between them. In the meantime, spouses, children, and other events conspire to keep them apart. But as Faith slowly begins to believe in herself and her dreams, both she and Brad find the courage to overcome these obstacles. Steel's fans will be waiting for this one--librarians should stock up. ((Reviewed September 1, 2002)) Copyright 2002 Booklist Reviews - Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2002 August #2
Glum second-chance romance.The indefatigable Steel gives it her all, but with mixed results, to energize this all-too-familiar tale of a neglected middle-aged wife. Faith Madison knows there's no hope for her marriage to Alex, a New York investment banker, and there's little else in her life to look forward to now that her darling daughters Eloise and Zoe are grown and gone. All she seems to be doing lately is going to funerals for relatives, including her stepfather Charles. He was a pillar outwardly but cold to his new family, and much too strict with her beloved brother Jack. At least Charles didn't sexually molest Faith as her real father did. She tried to tell her mother about it for years--backed up by Jack--but she refused to listen, accusing Faith of lying. Thus, Faith learned to endure misery in noble silence. She put her energy into raising her daughters and doing charity work, plus being Alex's perfect wife. But the death of her brother Jack a few years ago shattered her tranquil world and raised the Big Question: Will she ever find happiness? Pondering this at Charles's funeral, she suddenly hears a voice from the past--yes, the sexy baritone of her brother's best friend Brad Patterson, in New York briefly from the West Coast. He's an attorney and thinks Faith's plan to go back to law school is a super idea, though Alex heartlessly points out that she'll be 50 by the time she graduates. Nonetheless, Brad and Faith e-mail each other, and inevitably fall in love. Contrived complications ensue: a pair of thong underwear is found in Alex's bed, though daughter Eloise has the cheek to blame Faith for the marriage's breakup; and Brad's son Jason is comatose after an accident. Will all prayers be answered? Yup.Routine fare from megaselling Steel, apparently suffering from plot fatigue. Copyright Kirkus 2002 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved - Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 2002 July #1
Faith has a secret, and when childhood friend Brad shows up at her stepfather's funeral, she finally has someone in whom she can confide. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2002 August #3
One thing remains unchanged in an ever-changing world, as evinced by Steel's 56th novel: the author's middle-aged principals never look their age or run to fat. After a childhood marred by unspeakable abuse, New Yorker Faith Madison has everything a woman could want: marriage to an investment banker, two nice daughters, a lovely home. Now that her daughters are grown, however, Faith is faced with empty-nest syndrome. Her answer? Go back to law school. Her boorish husband, Alex, tells her she can't; when she runs into childhood friend Brad Patterson at a funeral, he reassures her that she can. Brad is in a similarly stifling marriage on the West Coast, and the two begin firing off e-mails of friendly support. Neither is aware of the growing depth of romantic feeling between them. Both being churchgoers, once they do become aware, how will they reconcile what they want with the fact that they are each being married to someone else? Alex and Faith's retro attitudes about her return to school are a little too pre-1960s for 40-somethings living in the current year, and the e-mails exchanged between Faith and Brad are vapid in their painful mundanity ("...Otherwise, nothing new here... Send me another email when you have time"). Steel seems to assiduously court the currently lucrative CBA market Brad gives Faith rosary beads rather than the usual diamonds and some readers may find her protagonists' relationship maddeningly chaste, but the smooth plotting and practiced heartstring tugging achieve the desired effect. (Nov. 5) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
