Jewels

By: Danielle Steel

Narrated by: Tim Curry

Length: 2 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

On Sarah Whitfield's 75 birthday, memories take her back to New York in the 1930s. To a marriage that ends after a year, leaving Sarah shattered. A trip to Europe with her parents does little to raise her spirits, until she meets William, Duke of Whitfield. In time, despite her qualms, William insists on giving up his distant right to the British throne to make Sarah his duchess and his wife.

On their honeymoon, the newlyweds buy an old French château, but not long after, the war begins. William joins the allied forces, leaving Sarah; their first child, an infant; and their second child on the way, in France. After the Nazi forces take over the château, Sarah continues to survive the terror and deprivation of the Occupation, unwavering in her belief that her missing-in-action husband is still alive.

After the war, as a gesture of goodwill, the Whitfields start buying jewels offered for sale by impoverished war survivors. With Sarah's style and keen eye, the collection becomes the prestigious Whitfield's jewelry store in Paris. Eventually, their jewelry business expands to London and Rome, as their family grows. Phillip, their firstborn, is stubborn and proud; Julian, their second son, is charming and generous and warm; Isabelle is rebellious and willful; and Xavier, unusual and untamed, is the final unexpected gift of their love. They each find their own way, but will be drawn to the great house of gems their parents built.

In Jewels, Danielle Steel takes the reader through five eventful decades that include war, passion, international intrigue, and the strength of family through it all.

©2000 Danielle Steel (P)2000 Random House Audio

The film does it better than the book

Where does Jewels rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Moderate - I loved the tv movie "Jewels" so I got the book and dvd. The movie is better. The story is what it is , and that is my complaint: somehow, either the narrative, itself, or the reading of it missed the importance of the story - its place in history, sociology and most of all it failed to communicate the romance - the love, the devotion, the passion, the focus to make a stellar experience of life.

What did you like best about this story?

The romance between Sarah and William - yes. It was popular for titled-landed-but-declining old European families to marry American monied folk, who longed for land and titles. It worked for all involved. Their true love was a wonderful "extra" and carried them when all else failed. The rebirth of a dynasty of Jewelers to the Queen and all the life attached to it is quite a story.

Have you listened to any of Tim Curry’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no - I will make note next time - but somehow I did not get the excitement and passion I needed to hear in telling this story. He did not seem to be all that interested.

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

I did .

Any additional comments?

Not really - I recommend the finally-available dvd.

read the hard cover.

I still have the hard cover from1993-I couldn't put it down, love Danielle Steele Thxs

always love Danielle Steel adventures

loved it. her books take me away from life and let me dream. thank you

Audible needs an unabridged version

I purchased this book because Audible does not carry an unabridged version. That's such a shame. It is a heartwarming yet gut-wrenching love story that DESERVES to be read from start to finish. on the plus side, Tim Curry is a great narrator. Read the hardcover and pray Audible uses Tim Curry for an unabridged version in the future.

My favorite Danielle Steel book...

I have read this book so many times. Tim Curry did a fantastic job of narrating. My favorite Danielle Steel book. Highly recommended.

Too abridged

Very disappointed in the shortening. I've listened to lots of abridged novels and normally they are quite good, but this is cut in all the wrong places and really glosses over the details so you can't connect with the characters. Better to stick with the unabridged version. On a plus side, the narration was great!

chopped

chopped up most of the best parts of the book. there is such a good story to the original book that is missed. I say pass and read the book and not this chopped watered-down version.

Jewels

Would you consider the audio edition of Jewels to be better than the print version?

No because this version leaves out a lot of info and skips massive chunks of the book

What other book might you compare Jewels to and why?

Similar to most of her other works. Especially Zoya.

What aspect of Tim Curry’s performance would you have changed?

At times he was very hard to hear.

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

Good story, but too much missing. At just under 3 hours it's very easy to fit it into an afternoon drive.

Any additional comments?

Please make the unabridged version available.

a "gem" of a Story~ one of Danielle's BEST~

PLOT: Sarah an American becomes the Duchess of Whitefield ~ one of the BETTER early Danielle Steel romances.

1939~ American heiress Sarah is in England for "the grand tour" on the wake of World War 2 and she meets the handsome Duke of Whitefield. Sarah is very reserve as she had a "secret"....a divorce from an abusive marriage. The Duke "pursues" Sarah and first must gain her trust let alone her love. a whirlwind romance and marriage has them settling in FRANCE. World War 2 starts and this temporarily separates the couple and Sarah is in "German occupied France". Germans take over her Villa. Sarah develops a friendship with a German who becomes a PROTECTOR of her and her children. As the German are driven back into German Sarah finds her husband is missing....but soon is found very disabled and nearly dead but the love brings the couple back to the love they have. The wealthy Duke and Duchess buys the "Jewels" of the "destitute" French who need the cash to begin again in war ravaged France. The Jewels "dynasty" starts with a string of Jewelry Stores. Time had the loss of the duke and the children and grandchildren at "odds" in the struggle to manage the "Jewelry" dynasty. This is an excellent story...It travels through war and into the Swinging 1960s and has it all .....the jealousy between the 4 children is excellent. This one of the very best of the early Danielle Steel books and Tim Curry is very good and it moves along. I give it 4 out of 5......

AND LIFE GOES ON

This book is a good read. It stays on the subject of the story. The flow of the story keeps you on track as it goes from event to event. It was an easy read