Precious Gifts

A Novel

By: Danielle Steel

Narrated by: Dan John Miller

Handsome, widowed, sophisticated, utterly charming, Paul Parker won the heart of a wealthy young Frenchwoman - the daughter of an American financier, the granddaughter of a major French art dealer - as his second wife. In two marriages, he fathered a challenging son and three very different daughters. But as irresponsible as he was irresistible, he ultimately shrugged off the demands of marriage and parenting to pursue life as an international bon vivant.

Raised by their mother with all the care and resolve their father lacked, the three Parker sisters have become vibrant, self-reliant young women: Timmie, the oldest, a fiercely dedicated social worker in New York; sweet, nurturing Juliette, proprietor of a fledgling bakery in Brooklyn; and their younger sister, Joy, who is struggling to build an acting career in Los Angeles. While they love their mostly absent, glamorous father, he has left them with a legacy of impermanence and uncertainty in their own relationships with men. And with no strong role model to guide him, Paul's son has gone from one failure to another, even while his stepmother makes excuses for him, as he seethes with jealousy of his younger sisters.

Now, after a long illness, Paul has slipped away peacefully in his sleep, and his family has gathered together to read his will. As his final wishes are revealed, his son is forced to face reality as an adult. And his daughters see a new side to their father - one that shows a caring man trying to redeem himself with a different, lasting legacy. He has made a very personal bequest to each of his children, carefully designed to help them achieve their own unique dreams and find true happiness. But Paul has saved the biggest surprise for his ex-wife, Véronique: a secret from the past that shakes her world and sets her free. He leaves her a gift that remained a mystery for their entire marriage, and she begins a search to discover its history and rightful owner.

The story of a man's last wish to make a difference - and of the loved ones he leaves behind, fulfilling their destinies at last - Precious Gifts is bursting with indelible characters and emotional complexity as it takes listeners from New York and Los Angeles to the art capitals of Europe and the South of France. Inspiring and uplifting, it is a deeply moving exploration of the rich territory of loss, inheritance, and reawakening - Danielle Steel at the height of her literary prowess.

©2015 Danielle Steele (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Enjoyable but distracting

I enjoyed the story line however, the accents were very distracting. It seemed at times that the French accents passed on to the characters that should not have had accents. Having a man narrate the book with primarily female characters also made it difficult to engage. I would recommend the book for reading but not this audio version.

Another great one

Just trust her..... she always comes through! Worth the read and the annoying parts ;) ha

Surprised

I have listened to most of Danielle Steell's books and only a few have surprised me.

Donna

I loved it very much and look forward to listening to the next book, Danielle Steel has always been my favorite author

Great!

I loved this story. It started out blah, but quickly turned around. Daniel Steel is my favorite author. I can't wait to read the next book.

Excellent

A very enjoyable story even the the storyline was predictable. The characters were believable. However Aiden was not very likeable to me.

I really liked this book

Would you listen to Precious Gifts again? Why?

It was good, but not sure I would listen to it again. Too many other books to read!

What did you like best about this story?

The story line. Single mother with grown daughters all trying to find their way and happiness.

What about Dan John Miller’s performance did you like?

I LOVE his voice and he really does accents well. He's done a few other books of Danielle Steel and does a great job, even when the main character is a female.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Not sure, single mother finds love?

Any additional comments?

I've been reading Danielle Steel books since I was a teen (many years). I have read all her books. Over the past few years they have gotten a bit better.

Everything comes to a fine conclusion

DS's normal happily-ever-after ending was good. Nice story told of riches and poverty, love and strife but all ended well. Predictable but very Enjoyable.

Easy to follow. Family interactions.

At first there was a lot of time discussing the characters. But as the story moved along, I could see why. Four lives had different paths.

I Like Danielle Steele

I like Danielle Steel but his one is not among my favorites. Whinny children and a story line that keeps trying to get somewhere. The end could be very touching but I just couldn't summon much excitement.