Journey
It's amazing to think thatJourneyis Danielle Steel's 50th  novel. What's even more amazing is the high standard she has maintained  throughout all her books: when an author is this prolific, there is usually a  falling off in inspiration, but Steel seems able to add new elements to each  book that keep the level of invention fresh.Journeyuses elements  familiar from earlier Steel bestsellers, but manages a totally novel spin on the  private problems of a very public marriage.Madeleine and Jack Hunter are one of Washington's glittering couples. Jack is  the head of a TV network, while Maddy is an award-winning anchorwoman. All  around, people regard them as a golden couple: he advising the president on  media issues, she at the top of the tree in her profession. Needless to say, the  relationship we are shown behind the closed doors of their lavish Georgetown  home is far more troubled than the public could ever know. As Maddy enjoys more  and more career success, Jack's resentment and desire for control grow daily,  and her life becomes hell in this fracturing marriage. Steel manages, as always,  to convey character in concise paragraphs:The diamond studs and her eight-carat engagement ring were her prize  possessions. Not bad for a kid from a trailer park in Chattanooga, she often  admitted to him, and he called her "poor white trash" when he wanted to really  tease her. It was obvious that he thought calling her that was  funny...When Maddy joins the president's wife in the latter's newly formed commission on  violence against women, the grim stories she hears from other terrified wives  start her on a journey which will help her break the cycle of fear she is living  through. Steel makes this situation resonate with a strong emotional impact, and  the dark marriage is painted with the kind of skill we have come to expect from  her. When Bill Alexander, a high-flying scholar and diplomat, enters the  narrative and realizes what is happening in Maddy's marriage, the story is taken  to a powerful new level, with their growing affection treated intelligently and  sympathetically.--Barry Forshaw--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.