Lightning (Danielle Steel) [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Danielle Steel (Author), Howard McGillin (Reader)

Book Description

Series: Danielle Steel | Publication Date: July 1, 1995

As a partner at one of New York's most prestigious law firms, Alexandra Parker barely manages to juggle husband, career, and the three-year-old child she gave birth to at forty.  But Alex feels blessed with her life and happy marriage--until lightning strikes her.  Suddenly a routine medical check-up turns her world upside down when tests reveal shattering news.

Sam Parker is a star venture capitalist, a Wall Street whiz kid, and is as proud of his longtime marriage to Alex as he is of his successful career.  As a major player in New York's financial world, Sam is used to being in control--until he is caught off guard by Alex's illness.  Terrified of losing his wife and family, and haunted by ghosts from his past, Sam is unable to provide any kind of emotional support to Alex.

Unable to cope with her needs, Sam takes his distance from her, and almost overnight she and Sam become strangers.  As lightning strikes them yet again, Sam's promising career suddenly explodes in disaster, and his very life and identity are challenged.  With their entire future hanging in the balance, Alex must decide what she feels for Sam, if life will ever be the same for them again, or if she must move on without him.

What happens to people when every aspect of their lives and well-being is threatened?  In Lightning, Danielle Steel tells the story of a family thrust into uncertainty and explores whether the bonds of love and marriage can withstand life's most unexpected bolts of lightning.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

With a fabulous career, wonderful husband, and adorable child, Alexandra Parker's life is perfect--until devastating news from a doctor turns her world upside down. Can the bonds of love and marriage withstand this unexpected bolt of lightning, or will Alexandra have to seek a completely new life? --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

The latest offering from the indefatigable Steel is as much a cancer-survival manual as it is a romance novel. Alexandra Parker has it all?a partnership at one of New York's most prestigious law firms, a lovable husband of 17 years and a beautiful little girl. Then a routine checkup reveals breast cancer. Like lightning, her whole world is shattered. At 40, Alex loses not only her breast and hair but also her husband and happy home. Wall Street wizard Sam Parker loves his wife, but Alex's illness terrifies him (his mother died of cancer). So, instead of supporting her, he turns to a younger, healthier woman. Alex, devastated by Sam's emotional abandonment and scared to death of what is happening to her body, is ready to give up on herself and life when in steps a wonderful younger man who helps her regain her spirit, her courage and her sense of worth. Planning to remarry, Alex is about to ask Sam (now living with his girlfriend) for a divorce when lightning strikes again. This time, it's Sam who's on the brink of disaster: his partners have embezzled their clients' money. Suddenly, Sam realizes how much he needs and loves a cancer-free Alex; but will the spurned heroine return to him? Steel's message?that women are stronger than men but more foolish in love?may annoy some readers, but Alex's brave struggle to survive is inspiring and will have most of the author's fans cheering as usual by the novel's sentimental, three-handkerchief finale. Major ad/promo; rights: Janklow & Nesbit.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Random House Audio; Abridged edition (July 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553473646
• ISBN-13: 978-0553473643
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,730,386 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Books on Cassette > Authors, A-Z > ( S ) > Steel, Danielle

More About the Author

Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's most popular authors, with over 590 million copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include 44 Charles Street, Legacy, Family Ties, Big Girl, Southern Lights, Matters of the Heart, One Day at a Time, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Give me a break!, January 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Lightning (Danielle Steel) (Audio Cassette)

Alexandra Parker is battling breast cancer and her husband, Sam, is being a real jerk because he can't deal with her illness. His mother died of cancer and he just can't face the trials and tribulations his wife has to go through to conquer her illness. I don't know what Danielle Steel was thinking when she wrote this book, but the characther of Alexandra should not have taken her husband back after his terrible treatment of her immediately after she was diagnosed. And then he has an affair to boot with a self-centered, social climbing twit. While cancer is very hard on family members, and some spouses cannot cope, I feel that Ms. Steel took this to the extreme... and some of the scenarios just happened much to quickly after Alexandra was diagnosed.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book with good plot but disappointing ending., October 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lightning (Mass Market Paperback)

I really enjoyed reading this nearly 400-page book. It took me two days to read all of it, but I think that it was well worth my time.

This book was very sad and emotional for me to read, but I really felt for Alex Parker, the protagonist in this story. Her mean husband, Sam, goes on a high-fledged affair with lots of intimate "doing-it" when his wife is suffering from chemotherapy/mastectomy.

I hated the ending, Sam should have gone to prison instead of probation, and I think she should have went & married Brock, who was no doubt my favorite character here. Brock was the nice one, caring for Alex while she was sick, but in the end, Alex went back to that no good cheating lunatic Sam, while she left Brock to go back to Illinois. Bad ending.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good....but sad, January 14, 2005

By 

booklover (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lightning (Danielle Steel) (Audio Cassette)

This one was really good, but the fact that Alexandra gets cancer and her husband dosen't support her is horrible! Also, when she helps him in the end when he didn't help her. It's heartbreaking, but good!