Empires And Legacies

In His Father’s Footsteps by Danielle Steel is both a historical and contemporary epic novel that follows the fortunes of a family.

The reader travels from Buchenwald to America, from poverty to wealth, from family to empire. The novel is a journey to discover the true meaning of wealth – and that is always found in people. The wealthiest people in the story are not those with the most money but those who lived, loved and survived Buchenwald. They are the ones who realised the true wealth was in people as they witnessed the fragility of life. “Being Jewish had become a death sentence overnight.” Survival was a lottery.

The legacy of the camps was fear. It hung over lives forever – the fear that it might happen again. It was not something that could be shaken off. Family was precious. Money was a necessity. It could buy life. “Don’t live by what we were afraid of.” Passing fear down to the next generation is not a good idea.

As the novel progresses, the reader sees love being eroded and characters being seduced by wealth. “Diamonds always helped.” The reader projects the end before a character does. Wealth can bring choice but it can also be a prison to be trapped in a cycle of work – money – more work – more money etc.

Empires are built but the true empire is our family. They are to be treasured. What legacy will you leave for the next generation? If riches are all you leave, the next generation will be poor indeed.

I have dipped in and out of Danielle Steel since I first ‘discovered’ her in the summer of 1977 as I bought her second book Now And Forever. I really enjoyed In His Father’s Footsteps, Danielle Steel spun a compelling tale.

JULIA WILSON