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. Now the children must come together and be there for each other while dealing with their own personal demons. 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. 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.

I enjoy romances so I like that many of the siblings find love during the course of the story. There is representation as one of the siblings comes out to the family. Something they couldn’t do while the father was alive. One brother is on the high end of the autistic spectrum and needs extra attention and care. It helps that everyone in the family is likable. Even the oldest sister who has some harsh things to say to the the youngest. The oldest son is going through a divorce so his wife is the only villain in the story. I don't know what to say about this book except that it made me feel good and that all is NOT wrong with the world. It's not accurate to real life, but it is great escapism. Connie and Preston had met for the first time at her debut in New York, when she was presented to society, in an antiquated social rite her family still clung to. Preston was ten years older and didn’t pay attention to her. She was just one of twenty-­five eighteen-­year-­old girls in pretty white dresses who curtsied to the assembled company and had escorts their own age. They met again at Connie’s first job, after she’d graduated from Vassar. She was a junior editor at a publishing house, where Preston was already a respected senior editor. He noticed her immediately and found her intelligent and beautiful. They married the following summer and started their family immediately. 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.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.

I enjoyed this story and liked the characters very much. All five children are strong characters with their own issues and problems. I loved the way all the children came together and eventually helped each other out. 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 Preston’s annual skiing holiday in Europe, an avalanche hits their resort, resulting in tragedy. 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.There may be some spoilers but it's not like anything substantial happens in this book so whatever: 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. Their mother, Connie, had inherited a small amount from her aristocratic parents and grandparents, but their fortune had never equaled Preston’s, and what she’d inherited had dwindled to very little over the years. But Preston supported them well. 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.

The Whittiers by Danielle Steel is a sweeping family drama that follows a tight-knit family after the death of their parents. A large family drama, New York, an autistic sibling and dogs. What else do you need to create a great character read? It was not a deep read and was wildly predictable but I still enjoyed this. I feel sometimes you just need a lighter read and this fit the bill perfectly.

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.

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. There were also some love stories going on, but even that didn't have much meat to it. The partners the characters had fallen in love with had also been flat, and the storyline of how they got together seemed too easy and set up.

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. Benjie has personal challenges and requires additional support. And rebellious Annabelle has fallen in with a bad crowd. 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.