Jewels

By: Danielle Steel

Narrated by: Tim Curry

On Sarah Whitfield's seventy-fifth 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 dutchess and his wife.

On their honeymoon, the newlyweds buy an old French chateau, 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 chateau, 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.

Critic reviews

Praise for Danielle Steel

“Steel is one of the best!”—Los Angeles Times

“Few modern writers convey the pathos of family and material life with such heartfelt empathy.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer

“Steel pulls out all the emotional stops. . . . She delivers!”—Publishers Weekly

“What counts for the reader is the ring of authenticity.”—San Francisco Chronicle

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

I just love anything Danielle Steele

she is the most amazing writer. I have read this book multiple times and watched the movie.

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!