Past Perfect

By: Danielle Steel

Narrated by: Jim Frangione

Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

From number one New York Times best-selling author Danielle Steel, Past Perfect is a spellbinding story of two families living 100 years apart who come together in time in a startling moment, opening the doors to rare friendship and major events in early 20th-century history.

Sybil and Blake Gregory have established a predictable, well-ordered Manhattan life - she as a cutting-edge design authority and museum consultant, he in high tech investments - raising their teenagers, Andrew and Caroline, and six-year-old Charlie. But everything changes when Blake is offered a dream job he can't resist as CEO of a start-up in San Francisco. He accepts it without consulting his wife and buys a magnificent, irresistibly underpriced historic Pacific Heights mansion as their new home.

Shocked by an earthquake the night they arrive, the past and present suddenly collide for them in the elegant mansion filled with tender memories and haunting portraits. The original inhabitants suddenly appear for a few brief minutes. In the ensuing days, they meet the large and lively family who lived there a century ago: distinguished Bertrand Butterfield and his gracious wife, Gwyneth; their sons Josiah and little Magnus; daughters Bettina and Lucy; formidable Scottish matriarch Augusta; and her eccentric brother, Angus. All long since dead. All very much alive in spirit - and visible to the Gregorys and no one else.

The two families are delighted to share elegant dinners and warm friendship. They have much to teach each other, as the Gregorys watch the past unfold while living their own modern-day lives. Within these enchanted rooms, it is at once 1917 and a century later, where the Gregorys realize they have been given a perfect gift - beloved friends and the wisdom to shape their own future with gratitude and grace from a fascinating past.

Past Perfect is Danielle Steel at her bewitching best, a novel for the ages. Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's most popular authors, with over 650 million copies of her novels in print. Her many international best sellers include Magic, Blue, Undercover, Country, Prodigal Son, Pegasus, A Perfect Life, Power Play, Winners, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's book Pretty Minnie in Paris.

©2017 Danielle Steel (P)2017 Recorded Books

Fascinating!

I truly loved this book and the narrator! I wish it was a series! Danielle Steele never lets you down!

Whimsical

This book was very entertaining and fun for my son to listen with me--no bad language or a lot of sex. Also a new twist in a fictional story. One of the best Danielle Steele books I have read.

Awesome

Seriously, This book would be awesome as a movie! I found it to be interesting and humorous and involved a little romantic background.

Boring

This was not the typical Danielle Steel book. It was as if someone else wrote it. I kept waiting for the story to take off but it never did.

BORING, JUVENILE PLOT TIRING

Started well. Lost me with the ghosts!!
Juvenile.. Net meant for an adult.
For teens.

Not up to what I expect from Danielle Steel

This book was about ghosts which I find to be a bit far fetched. I keep thinking it would get better but it didn't.

Ok but not too interesting

Ok but gets a little boring. Just not interesting to me. Her older books are the bomb. Newer, well they are ok and I am a fan so I will listener to all of them.

Finally a poor story by Danielle Steel

I have always been able to count on a memorable book by DS. I read her often. But this story was the worse piece of junk that I have ever read! I would not recommend this to Rex, my dog.

History

I absolutely enjoyed this book. I wish Danielle would write more of these types of books because I enjoy her writing very much.

Past Perfect

I loved loved this book ! It was like getting lost in time , did not want it to end ! If only life and death was really this simple

Unusual

Very good different from her normal style
Not really what I expected but really enjoyable

disappointed

struggled to finish the book. it was very strange and I was waiting for "an explanation" at the end which did not come

charming.

I enjoyed listening to this book. a truly imaginative book. the reader is easy to listen to, but I think often the Scottish accent is actually more Irish. no complaints, I don't think I would listen to this one again, but overall it was ok.

lovely story

What an amazing story couldn't put the book down even adviced my friend to get

Hated the Subject

What did you like best about Past Perfect? What did you like least?

Danielle Steel is an amazing author and like all her other books, this is well written in a true DS style. However, in her intro DS says should wouldn’t normally do a ghost story and neither should she! Ghosts that send emails - really?! Hated the re-appearing ghost family as they are not in the least believable.

Would you recommend Past Perfect to your friends? Why or why not?

No - hated the ghosts!

Have you listened to any of Jim Frangione’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No but no complaints!

Was Past Perfect worth the listening time?

Frustrating and irritating but I did finish it.

very different to her normal books

I struggled getting to grips with this book but persevered to the end.
very imaginative. Not one I would read again, Dissapointed.

Oh Dear Danielle. Have you lost the plot?

I’ve listened to dozens of DS books but over the last couple of years she has churned out 12 or more, all of which aren’t up to scratch. She writes 2 or 3 at once.
Anyhow. PAST PERFECT is the poorest of the bunch. Total fantasy, with a ghost family living with a contemporary family. Of course it stretches our belief system, but it is poorly constructed and not thought out. It seems rushed and has an abrupt ending.
Of course, DS has a huge talent for writing feel good page turners and some may forgive the unbelievably ridiculous behaviour of some of these characters. I laughed out loud more than once. You could say I was entertained. But how I long for a return to a better standard of story telling. I keep listening and hoping.