The Whittiers: The heartwarming new novel about the importance of family from the billion copy bestseller

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I do believe this author has potential, because something about the writing seemed like it could be interesting, I just wish there was an interesting plot as well. I see the author has written a ton of books maybe that's the problem I don't know. Living in a Manhattan mansion, it’s always been the heart of family gatherings and where they all meet up for regular dinners and events. Story centers on the close knit ‘Whittier family’: parents Preston and Constance and their six adult children: Lyle is the oldest at 42, Gloria 39, twins Charlie and Caroline 33, Benjie 28 and Annabella is 21. Preston and Connie Whittier have spent their lives in successful lucrative careers and raising their six children. But with this year’s trip comes tragedy, and suddenlythe Whittiers’ adult children find themselves reuniting in the family home without their parents for the first time ever.The oldest, Lyle, is reaching a breaking point in his marriage and must decide whether a divorce would be best for him and his two children. Gloria’s big job on Wall Street has kept her single at thirty-nine, and growing ever more cynical. The twins, Caroline and Charlie, moved out long ago to start a fashion business that may now be faltering. Benjie, with special needs, is hit hard by the loss of his parents and needs his siblings’ help. And Annabelle, the youngest, drops out of college and starts to spin out of control.

Connie and Preston Whittier raised their six children in a once-grand Manhattan mansion. The children are now adults, but the house remains the heart of the family and somewhere they all love to return to, particularly in times of stress. But on Connie and Peter’s annual skiing holiday in Europe, an avalanche hits their resort, resulting in tragedy.But with this year’s trip comes tragedy, and suddenly the Whittiers’ adult children find themselves reuniting in the family home without their parents for the first time ever. The oldest, Lyle, is reaching a breaking point in his marriage and must decide whether a divorce would be best for him and his two children. Gloria’s big job on Wall Street has kept her single at thirty-nine, and growing ever more cynical. The twins, Caroline and Charlie, moved out long ago to start a fashion business that may now be faltering. Benjie, with special needs, is hit hard by the loss of his parents and needs his siblings’ help. And Annabelle, the youngest, drops out of college and starts to spin out of control. Three weeks after Christmas every year, Preston and Constance Whittier left their home in New York and took a vacation. When the children were younger, their beloved German housekeeper, Frieda, and one of a revolving door of nannies would take care of their six children. They would come home energized and refreshed after a romantic two- or three-­week interlude alone. They both loved to ski, and a favorite spot for their holiday was one of the Three Valleys in the French Alps. They went to Courchevel, Val-­d’Isère, or Megève in France, Zermatt and Saint Moritz in Switzerland. Occasionally they skied in Aspen or Vail in Colorado, but with their kids grown, they preferred to take their annual child-­free vacation in Europe rather than in the States. Danielle Steel delivers a homey and happy story - perfect for Thanksgiving season. If you love Danielle Steel, a complicated family, or just a feel - good story, The Whittiers is for you! #TheWhittiers.

The Whittiers" by Danielle Steel is a comforting and enjoyable read. Steel's books have always been like literary popcorn for me, providing a bubble bath for my brain. Out of all her books in 2022, this one stands out as the best.

As excellent and well known Danielle Steel is as an author, in my opinion her latest novel "The Whittiers" is not one of her best works. The main idea of the book was ambitious but not all that well developed. To summarize, the story follows a total of six siblings and their various storylines in the aftermath of a tragedy (respectfully, I won't divulge the details any further than this for those who decide to read the book). As a fan of Danielle Steel for many years, I am always amazed by her deep and emotional writing style. The Whittiers is another example of Steel's ability to connect with the human spirit. Full of depth and heart-touching moments, the book reached down and touched my soul.

bookcommunity #bookobsessed #bookstagram #goodreads #goodreadschallenge2022 #ilovebooks #booknerdigans #currentlyreading #library But with this year’s trip comes tragedy. Suddenly, their adult children find themselves reuniting in the family home without their parents for the first time ever. The oldest, Lyle, is reaching a breaking point in his marriage and must decide whether a divorce would be best for him and his two children. Gloria’s big job on Wall Street has kept her single at forty, and growing ever more cynical. The twins, Caroline and Charlie, moved out long ago to start a fashion business that may now be faltering. Benjie, with special needs, is hit hard by the loss of his parents and needs his siblings’ help. And Annabelle, the youngest, drops out of college and starts to spin out of control. However, I found the story a bit predictable. I know that romances can be predictable, but for some reason, I found that this book was very predictable, almost as if I’d read it before. But, I still enjoyed the book, as the characters were very compelling. Connie gave up her job to raise the children they planned to have. Eventually Preston became the publisher, and held the job for the rest of his career. Now seventy-­five, he had been retired for ten years. They loved having more time to spend together. He had enjoyed a distinguished career, and they had similar interests. They never tired of being together, and there was still a spark of romance between them, which grew into a steady blaze during their Wintermoons in Europe.

Yes, yes, yes finally a positive novel by the legendary Danielle Steel. It’s not a story of a woman losing everything, a victim of a terribly abusive man, overcoming odds, yet their wealthy and beautiful throughout. They all summered on Shelter Island, in a big family house they had eventually sold, when the children stopped spending summers with them and the house had become more of a burden than a joy. Connie and Preston had begun to streamline their life in recent years, cutting down on unnecessary expenses, and avoiding projects that were too much work for them. In the summers, they rented a house in Maine now, or in the Hamptons, or on Cape Cod, large enough so that the children who wanted to could come and go for a few days or a weekend visit. Renting was easier than owning, and the headache of maintaining a summer home was someone else’s problem, not theirs. The children never came at the same time, so they didn’t need an enormous house. Preston and Connie still clung to the tradition of their Wintermoon, which they called it now, too. It was important to them, and they looked forward to it all year. After forty-­three years of marriage, it still felt like a honeymoon to them. Constance was sixty-­five years old and the time had flown. She couldn’t believe how old her children were, all adults now. Even their “baby” Annabelle, a late surprise, had just turned twenty-­one. The Whittier family, composed of two parents and six siblings ranging in ages from 42 to 21, have always been close, but when tragedy strikes these adult children are drawn even closer to provide emotional and physical support. Five of the siblings return home to the family estate and the story unfolds over the next year. Not only are they coping with their grief, they face an unplanned pregnancy, hostile divorce proceedings, a major business expansion and budding romances.

The entire purpose of the book seemed to have a political agenda to it, but not enough to convince the reader or get the reader to fall in love with the characters. If I had to rate it out of five stars, I would give it one. The eldest four are forced to put aside their personal issues and their grief to keep the family together and support each other and their two youngest siblings. Selling the house, along with all the memories that live in its walls, feels like yet another devastating loss. Could there be another way, as unconventional as it seems? The Whittiers by Danielle Steel is a sweeping family drama that follows a tight-knit family after the death of their parents.As with many of Steel's novels, "The Whittiers" revolves around characters who are wealthy and live charming lives. However, what sets this book apart is its focus on family dynamics and the unexpected challenges they face. The Whittier siblings find themselves divided on how to handle major family issues, but their love and loyalty to one another shine through, making this a heartwarming story. As the beautiful cover indicates winter is special. Every year after Christmas, Preston and Connie go on a trip ~ the children call it their Parent’s “Wintermoon”! This year they went skiing in France ~ unfortunately there was a deadly avalanche. Everything is explained at least 4 times. In case you didn't know Gloria is 39. And yes, the sister Gloria who is 39, is also 39. Oh and then entered Gloria, the sister, aged 39. That's pretty much the first half of the book. There were 6 siblings after all, lots of ground to cover. Now the children must come together and be there for each other while dealing with their own personal demons. In every family, each member has their own personal struggles. The Whittiers are no exception. Lyle is successful but has an unhappy marriage. Gloria is a genius on Wall Street, but lonely. Twins Caroline and Charlie work all hours on their growing fashion brand, but have no time to enjoy life and discover who they really are. Benji has personal challenges, and requires additional support from his home environment. And Annabelle, the baby of the family, is a rebellious teenager who falls in with a bad crowd.