The Sins of the Mother

A Novel

By: Danielle Steel

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2012 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved (P)2012 Danielle Steel

Made me smile

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! Great read! Amazing job detailing and bringing all the characters to life. Realistic storyline and all around feel good book. Would enjoy reading more into each characters life after the book. Well done!

The Sins of the Mother....

It has been years since I have read Danielle Steel. She was the writer who knocked you down then kicked you in the gut. Her writing was too depressing for me. Read the reviews and thought maybe I could handle this one. Also sick of recent purchases of books written for the younger set. I kept waiting for something to happen. It really didn't...I'm glad no one was killed, the boat wasn't hit by a tsunami or anything. This isjust family&how family is with one another. I really liked it, but didn't find any "Wow" . I liked all the characters. I really like Olivia. I found the transition of Phillip to be somewhat not believeable. I was happy for their successes and realizations. But this is a family story of a very successful family. I think I was holding my breath expecting the heartbreaking event but thankfully my heart wasn't hurt in the reading of this book.

Not the usual Danielle Steel

This was all happy and positive, not the usual tale that keeps my head clogged trying not to cry. I kept reading waiting for the catastrophe to happen, but was pleasantly surprised.

My only negative reaction was to morals portrayed. I guess I'm too old to appreciate the modern attitude toward marriage.

Kept waiting

This book was fairly boring and I found myself always waiting for something to happen. Too neat.

Best Danielle Steel book I've read in a while!!!

loved it. didn't want this one to end. my fav by DS . Highly recommend.

solely about the voice performance

the voice actor's way of pronouncing her Ts and Ks is so weird. boat sounds like boa...T with extra pronunciation on the T and K, it's just strange and takes me half the book to quit focusing on it.

A bit of brain candy

Not much into Danielle Steel but this one was a decent listen. The setting was enjoyable.

Very enjoyable

What made the experience of listening to The Sins of the Mother the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed the story, and the narration was great.

Which character – as performed by Cassandra Campbell – was your favorite?

Alex was my favorite character.

Any additional comments?

I listen to audio books when I run and this one definitely kept my attention. I really enjoyed the story and the great narration.

The Sins of the Mother

A sweet love story of many couples who fall in love and find happiness while working at the family business.

Needs to enrich vocabulary

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Danielle Steel does not use words well. She uses the same old expressions in every book, usually over and over. Example: "It meant the world to him/her...." Her characterizations are also shallow. She writes in superlatives about character traits and appearances. I know she sells a lot of books, but she could improve her literary skills in my opinion. I read many books a month, and her presentation is weaker than many authors. I will admit that her stories can be very interesting, in spite of these distractions.

If you’ve listened to books by Danielle Steel before, how does this one compare?

Fine

Do you think The Sins of the Mother needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No