Cover Image: The Whittiers

The Whittiers

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Member Reviews

Oh the joy of a new Danielle Steel. You are walking down 5th Avenue and pass one on the big mansions. And wonder about the families that live there. Meet the Whittiers. Recovering from a great loss they move into the house together. Share their heartbreaks, hear their laughter and joy. A great read!!

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Thank you to Random House for granting my wish to review this book by Danielle Steel! This is such a heart-warming and lovely story covering the family dynamic of the Whittiers. It shows how a family can come together in the face of tragedy in spite of their differences. The Whittiers work together to not only navigate their own lives but to begin to take into account how their decisions affect others in the family. One of my favorite aspects of the story is the inclusion of one brother who has autism. He is not just an afterthought in the story or placed there just to say that the storyline is inclusive. He has opinions that are considered and is an integral part of the story as well as having a part in the part in the story—if that makes sense. Although there were tragic circumstances, this book will charm you. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book!

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This is a beautiful story! It starts out describing this crazy, loving family with 2 parents and 6 children. The children are all adults. Their parents were on their yearly honeymoon when tragedy struck. The news brings their children closer as they navigate a world without their parents and find love for themselves. The characters are so well developed and lovable. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

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Another great book by DS, this one all about family. It makes me believe there are good families out there that truly care for each other and will support each other no matter what.
The Whitters are 5 very different children who’s parents are killed and come together in this beautiful house.

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The Whittiers
A Novel
by Danielle Steel
eston and Constance Whittier have built a happy life together, with a brood of six children raised in a beautiful historic Manhattan mansion. Now, with a nearly empty nest, it’s easier than ever for the Whittiers to maintain their tradition of a solo romantic “Wintermoon” ski trip.

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 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.

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 on its walls, feels like yet another devastating loss. Could there be another way, as unconventional as it seems?



Thie Whittiers is a very beautifully written book that touches your heart and makes you smile. A Closed knit family after the loss of the parents becomes close and tougher. I LOVED the ups and downs, and how the ending was just right.

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This is a warm, touching novel that reveals the resilience and loving support of a family on the heels of a tragic loss. At a time when the news headlines carry daily reminders of the sad state of human interactions, this story provided a much-needed, heart-warming respite.

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 character development is solid and engaging. They are realistic, relatable, and likeable (with the exception of one that is severely emotionally damaged). I thoroughly enjoyed this novel with the exception of the author’s repetition of backstory details. This is characteristic of her work and I have made peace with her stylistic device, even though I find it unnecessarily cumbersome.

I only give 5 stars to books I would consider reading again, and this latest offering from Danielle Steel fits that criteria as a feel-good, entertaining read.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

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What can I say? It's Danielle Steel! The Whittiers was predictable, but I fell in love with each of the characters. This was a truly heartwarming story surrounding the six adult siblings of the Whittier family who through extreme circumstances, found themselves back in their childhood home. Each sibling has their own unique story and their characters are well fleshed out so the reader actually cares about them. The story starts out slow and repetitive, but the reader is quickly drawn in. By the end, I was sorry to say goodbye. This family deserves a sequel!

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Danielle Steel is a guilty pleasure. She always delivers a satisfying read where love wins, families are reunited and values are championed. Add luxurious houses, fascinating careers and a strong plot to the mix and you have instant success.
The Whittiers have always been a close knit family but become even closer after the unexpected death of their parents. Preston and Constance Whittier left a generous bequest to each of their six children but expected that they would sell the sprawling, fourteen bedroom home in New York City and divide the profits. After all, the sale would bring at least $50 million.As the adult children gather at the home where they were raised, it is obvious that they want to keep the house.

I always enjoy Ms. Steel's writing and look forward to her books.

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The Whittiers by Danielle Steel. Another wonderful story by Danielle Steel. The Whittiers are a family filled with love, compassion and feeling towards each of their brothers and sisters. What beautiful family feelings. Read this story I think you will love it.

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Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Lyle gets devastating news that he has to share with his siblings. The four older siblings have demanding careers but need to take care of their younger brother who has autism and a sister who left colleges. With al the changes the siblings are living together at their parents estate. I enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one.

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Another book for those die hard Danielle Steel readers. I have not read this author for years but decided to try this on a cold rainy day. A very quick read about a family who comes together after their parents are suddenly killed. Sorrow, hope and happiness are the main themes in this book, for those who want to read something with a happy but predictable ending.

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The Whittiers by Danielle Steel A pleasant and entertaining read. Heartwarming story of how siblings cope after the death of their parents. Another winner for Ms Steel's fans.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

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Once again, a very lovely novel about a very large family. Like all Steel novels, there is hint of magic and a fairy tale in the telling. After the death of their parents, 6 siblings wind up living together in relative harmony. Steel gives each sib a story and closure. There is a sib who is not neuro typical, n but his issues a lovingly handled by the family.

I was charmed by this book and I do appreciate happy endings, which are delivered here for the six.

Thank you Netgalley. Much appreciated while I sit here quarantined with mild Covid.

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The Whittiers have always been a close knit family but become even closer after the unexpected death of their parents. Preston and Constance Whittier left a generous bequest to each of their six children but expected that they would sell the sprawling, fourteen bedroom home in New York City and divide the profits. After all, the sale would bring at least $50 million.

As the adult children gather at the home where they were raised, it is obvious that they want to keep the house. Lyle, the oldest, married without a prenup and is now fighting his soon-to-be ex-wife over his inheritance. The family home is a sanctuary for him and his two young children. Next to youngest son Ben is on the autism spectrum and needs some supervision. Youngest daughter Annabelle has been hitting the party circuit hard since dropping out of college. The twins Charlie and Caro run a successful fashion company but are burned out by the constant, consuming work schedule as is their sister Gloria, a high powered lawyer. As the older children drift back to the family home, they realize that some things are more important than money. During the next months without their parents, all their lives will change.

Danielle Steel is a guilty pleasure. She always delivers a satisfying read where love wins, families are reunited and values are championed. Add luxurious houses, fascinating careers and a strong plot to the mix and you have instant success. Enjoy! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Danielle Steel for this ARC,

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I really liked this, Danielle Steel is very hit or miss me for me, Sometimes she writes great stories and other times... well are incredibly offensive.

Here's what I liked about this book.
- It’s not a story of a woman losing everything..
- It’s a story of a family coming together after a tragedy.
One of the siblings has autism and she writes it in a very respectable way.

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This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

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.
It’s a story of a family coming together, navigating their own lives, stories and issues. One brothers autism isn’t a focus or framed a negative— another star! It’s well done, a quick read. Lovely.

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This is a heartwarming story about adult siblings who are brought back together after the tragic loss of their parents. Their family mansion becomes a home base for them all as they navigate different challenges and very different careers and life journeys. A nice story to read as the siblings strengthen their bonds with each other.

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When readers first meet the Whittiers, they seem like an eccentric but loving family. A tragic turn of events threatens to tear the siblings apart and they must band together to save their home.

Danielle Steel captures the Whittiers' angst and amore by creating charismatic characters that although flawed, stand by each other. Besides dealing with their collective loss, each sibling is facing a difficult situation. Lyle's marriage is unraveling, Gloria is a workaholic, twins Charlie and Caro have a successful fashion business but need an influx of cash to join the big leagues and the younger siblings Benjie and Annabella have a few surprises up their sleeves.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheWhittiers in exchange for an honest review. I eagerly await a new Steel novel and often finish it within the same day. Her books are guilty pleasures filled with family relationships, romance and self discovery. The author takes readers on a rollercoaster journey where often the protagonists don't know where they are headed. Through the highs and lows, with the support of their family, anything is possible.

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I am a huge fan of Danielle Steel books, and this book did not disappoint at all.
The Whittiers are a close family with six children with a big span of ages and stages in life. When their parents are unexpectedly killed in an accident, the siblings are torn with what to do with the house and Benjie, their autistic brother. Each sibling has their own life situations going on, and they soon realize that relying on each other helps them get through everything. The story is fast paced and touches on a wide range of topics from unwed pregnancy, accepting of a gay brother, autism, divorce, and of course the death of a parent. While each sibling works on their own lives, they also help each other blossom and become the best part of themselves.
This is a beautiful story of family, love, loss and forgiveness. Each sibling's life is described beautifully, and the story flows effortlessly from person to person. As always, Danielle Steel tells a story that touched my heart and makes me appreciate my own family and life even more.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Six children…all different…two strong parents…tragedy…love and romance…family problems…disagreements…making up…extended family and friends…themes running throughout this book…although there is just too much information at times…some things must be left to the reader’s imagination, this gifted author has woven a story of a family in a way that one imagines it is a memoir instead of fiction. The characters come alive on the pages. Enjoy. This book was sent to me for review by Netgalley.

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