Amazon.co.uk Review
Danielle Steel's 52nd novel,
Leap of Faith, a Cinderella-type story that begins when heroine Marie-Ange Hawkins goes from an idyllic French childhood to a loveless upbringing in Iowa after her parents and brother are killed in a terrible accident. Only 11, she's sent off to be raised by her sole relative, cold and callous great-aunt Carole. The only bright spot in her life is her intimate friendship with Billy Parker, a solid American farm boy who loves and respects her from the time they are children; she loves him, too, but thinks of him as a brother. When Marie-Ange turns 18 and wins a scholarship to go to college, her aunt does not help, but Billy buys her a car and she is able to attend. Then a stranger turns up and informs her that she is in fact a very rich woman; her aunt sells the farm, and Marie-Ange decides to return to France. There she meets the current owner of her old home, 40-year-old widower Comte de Beauchamp charming, handsome and so very polite. They fall for one another quickly (though she knows nothing about him, as Billy points out), marry within months of their first meeting and have two children. But cracks start to show in the comte's smooth, convincing exterior: it turns out that her prince charming who never pays his bills, but doesn't mind spending her money excessively, may be a murderer. She refuses to believe this, but when she finally must face the truth, she must strive to save not only herself but her children as well. --
Perry Freeman
Review
There's just no stopping Danielle Steel; with over 450m copies of her books sold, it is fair to say she is one of the world's most popular and successful writers - and this, her 52nd novel, will not fail to satisfy her legions of international fans. Leap of Faith is about the life of Marie-Ange Hawkins from childhood to motherhood. Born to a French mother and American father, her idyllic childhood in France comes to an abrupt and tragic end when she is orphaned aged 11. Sent to live with a mean-spirited great aunt on a farm in Iowa, Marie-Ange spends the next 10 years of her life very much alone - except for the friendship of local boy Billy Parker. Marie-Ange dreams of returning to France, a dream that becomes reality when at 21 she learns of the substantial trust fund left to her by her parents. She immediately visits the childhood home where she once lived - Ch teau de Marmouton, and falls in love with and marries its present occupier Comte Bernard de Beauchamp, 20 years her senior. Children soon follow and once again Marie-Ange's life is filled with happiness - until a mysterious woman from Bernard's past warns that he is a dangerous and evil man, and her life almost turns to tragedy once again. A powerful novel about lies and betrayal.
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