No Greater Love [Hardcover]

Danielle Steel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1991

It was the maiden voyage of the Titanic, the greatest ship ever built, and in one fatal, unforgettable night, the sea shattered the lives and future of an extraordinary family, the Winfields. Edwina Winfield, retuming from her engagement trip to England with her fiancé and her family, instantly becomes a woman mourning the death of her parents and the man she loved. She retums to San Francisco with her five younger siblings and takes responsibilities at the family newspaper and at home that are overwhelming and unexpected. Edwina is intent on keeping the family together and Phillip, the oldest boy, tries to help before going on the Harvard and the Great War. But madcap George, the source of laughter in the family, is drawn to Hollywood, and his sister Alexis eventually follows him, courting both excitement and disaster in the film world. For twelve years Edwina carefully avoids any romantic involvements, but as each child sets off on his or her own—to Hollywood, to Europe, and elsewhere—Edwina frees herself from the ghosts of those se loved and lost on the Titanic. Her life is far different than it would have been, but in some ways far more exciting than she expected.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

While hearts may go on after a tragedy occurs, they are never the same. Prolific bestselling author Danielle Steel revisits this familiar theme in No Greater Love. Twenty-year-old Edwina Winfield is forced to assume the role of head of the household, becoming both mother and father to her five younger siblings after her parents and beloved fiancé drown during the disastrous sinking of the Titanic. Determined never to marry, Edwina must also run the family newspaper until her younger brothers are old enough to step in. But next-in-line Phillip heads first to Harvard and then is tragically killed during World War I. Fun-loving George is wooed by the lights of Hollywood and exquisite sister Alexis follows in his footsteps. While tending to the youngest children, Fannie and Teddy, Edwina must assist the rest of her siblings out of their many scrapes and escapades. Along the way, she comes to terms with her loss and is finally able to put the events of the fateful night of April 15, 1912, the night the Titanic made its final voyage to the bottom of the sea, behind her and let love into her heart once more. --Alison Trinkle --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Steel ( Heartbeat ) shamelessly plucks her readers' heartstrings in this predictably sentimental novel. In 1912, during a harrowing Atlantic crossing, 20-year-old Edwina Winfield loses her parents and fiance in the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic . She bravely shoulders full responsibility for her younger siblings--sensible Philip, wiseacre George, angelic Alexis and toddlers Fannie and Teddy--and resigns herself to spinsterhood, certain she will never wish to marry. Financially if not emotionally secure in San Francisco, she ponders the fate of their father's newspaper business, capably mothers her brood and politely declines the amorous advances of a family friend. Additional tragedy awaits in the form of WW I and, again, tears are shed, but the indomitable Winfields prevail, eventually gaining access to glamourous 1920s Hollywood. As George develops a career in the movie industry and stunning blonde Alexis dreams of stardom, readers will begin to suspect that long-suffering, virtuous Edwina might have another chance at happiness (read: true love). Steel can never be accused of subtlety, but fans of her brand of romance won't be disappointed. Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club main selections; author tour.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Delacorte Press; Limited edition (October 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385305109
• ISBN-13: 978-0385305105
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,146,328 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not meant to be a history lesson, April 18, 2000

By 

Anne Cahill (Groton, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No Greater Love (Paperback)

From the tone of some of the other reviews, it's apparent that the reviewers didn't check the publication date of this book -- written LOOOONG before Leo and Kate jumped on board the "Titanic" and made a little movie. When I read the book all those years ago, I didn't know much about the "Titanic" or the historical details that may be inaccurate in this novel, so in fairness perhaps that's why my enjoyment wasn't diminished at all. The sinking of the ship occurs very early in the book, and the reason for that is that it is a story about how this disaster affected one family long-term. I found Edwina to be a very realistic character -- more realistic than most of Ms. Steel's heroines. She was concerned with keeping the family together and due to the selfishness of her mother (going down with the ship and her husband), she is forced to grow up too soon and be a mother to 5 children. She does the best that she can but they are only children for so long -- then they grow up and want to live their lives independently, leaving Edwina feeling abandoned and proud at the same time, and realizing that it is finally "her time" to live life. I've read this several times and I always enjoy it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An addictive story!, April 6, 1999

By 

Jessica McClanahan - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Greater Love (Paperback)

This was my first Danielle Steel novel I read, however, having read some of the negative reviews it recieved, I would have to disagree. I decided to read this book not because I was curious about Ms. Steel, but because I am a Titanic freak, and when I heard that she had written a book about the famous ship disaster, I immediately ran out and bought it. At first I was disappointed, because the actual ship disaster happened before I was through 1/4 of the book, and other Titanic books I have read in the past have depicted the entire tragety from cover to cover, but I really admired Edwina for selflessly giving up her personal happiness to raise her five brothers and sisters. I think Danielle Steel tried to depict Edwina's mother as a heroine for romanticly going down on the ship with her husband, but I found her to be quite selfish for that! She left behind 6 children, the youngest being only two years old! Although I don't have children of my own, I am one of those people who believe that one's children should be their top priority, and when given the chance to live, you should jump at it! Overall, this book had everything: you will laugh out loud, cry out loud, and most of all, you won't be able to put it down!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The writing drags and the characters are lifeless, December 17, 2005

By 

Penmouse - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: No Greater Love (Paperback)

Perhaps I've been reading too many DS books, and this is why reading No Greater Love palls, because the book has lifeless characters and a plodding storyline. I will finish this book, but it's been tough sledding as No Greater Love has lots of promise but is in need of tighter, pithy writing. Also, the characters needed more depth so each one could grab the writer's heart and imagination.