Past Perfect - by Danielle Steel (Paperback)

About the Book

In her latest "New York Times" bestseller, Steel delivers a spellbinding story of two families living a hundred years apart, who come together in time in a startling moment, opening the doors to rare friendship and major events in the early 20th century.

Book Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The latest from Danielle Steel, Past Perfect is a spellbinding story of two families living a hundred years apart who come together in time in a startling moment, opening the door to rare friendship and major events in early-twentieth-century history.

Sybil and Blake Gregory have established a predictable, well-ordered Manhattan life--she as a cutting-edge design authority and museum consultant, he in high-tech investments--raising their teenagers Andrew and Caroline and six-year-old Charlie. But everything changes when Blake is offered a dream job he can't resist as CEO of a start-up in San Francisco. He accepts it without consulting his wife and buys a magnificent, irresistibly underpriced historic Pacific Heights mansion as their new home.

The past and present suddenly collide for them in the elegant mansion filled with tender memories and haunting portraits when an earthquake shocks them the night they arrive. The original inhabitants appear for a few brief minutes. In the ensuing days, the Gregorys meet the large and lively family who lived there a century ago: distinguished Bertrand Butterfield and his gracious wife Gwyneth, their sons Josiah and little Magnus, daughters Bettina and Lucy, formidable Scottish matriarch Augusta and her eccentric brother Angus.

All long since dead. All very much alive in spirit--and visible to the Gregorys and no one else. The two families are delighted to share elegant dinners and warm friendship. They have much to teach each other, as the Gregorys watch the past unfold while living their own modern-day lives. Within these enchanted rooms, it is at once 1917 and a century later, where the Gregorys gratefully realize they have been given a perfect gift--beloved friends and the wisdom to shape their own future with grace from a fascinating past.

Past Perfect is Danielle Steel at her bewitching best, a novel for the ages.

Review Quotes

Praise for Danielle Steel

"Steel is one of the best!"--Los Angeles Times

"Few modern writers convey the pathos of family and material life with such heartfelt empathy."--The Philadelphia Inquirer

"Steel pulls out all the emotional stops. . . . She delivers!"--Publishers Weekly

"What counts for the reader is the ring of authenticity."--San Francisco Chronicle

About The Author

Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's most popular authors, with over 650 million copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include Fairytale, The Right Time, The Duchess, Against All Odds, Dangerous Games, The Mistress, The Award, Rushing Waters, 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; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.