Joy - by Danielle Steel (Hardcover)

Joy by Danielle Steel tells the story of Allegra Dixon, a resilient woman, who leads a lonely, sad life. The story is easy to read, and it is just the right length (256 books). If the repetitive details were removed, it would be even shorter. Despite the title, Joy is a depressing story. It does become better near the end when it ends abruptly. I wish that the story was not so predictable (nor so dismal). There were some small bright spots, but they were fleeting. I was not a fan of the cheesy and abrupt ending. Joy is not what I would consider an escapist novel (not a story that you wish to read at the beach or while lounging by the pool). My favorite line from Joy is, “It took courage to hang to on joy, and determination not to lose it. The bad people and the bad times made one grow stronger and appreciate joy even more when one found it again, still intact, its light shining even brighter than before.” While Joy was not joyful, I am looking forward to reading Danielle Steel’s next novel. I have been reading this author’s books since I was twelve and I am not about to stop now.