Steel, Danielle

(US, 1947– )

Steel is mother of nine, and a bride four times over. Her lifestyle is reflected in her novels which are glamorous and feature women who juggle many different roles. Steel appeals to massive audiences and often covers more than one generation, following the lives of her strong female characters. Full Circle (1985) follows Tana Roberts on her travels from New York to the South through the ‘turbulent’ civil rights struggles of the 1960s as she strives to become a successful career woman. In Accident (1995) Page Clarke's ‘perfect’ world is thrown into turmoil when her daughter sneaks out on a date and is involved in a car crash. The tragedy forces Page to question her comfortable life. In Granny Dan (1999) the discovery of a box of keepsakes reveals a roller-blading grandmother's secret past as a prima ballerina in turn-of-the-century Russia.

Penny Vincenzi, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Mary Wesley  CJ