In His Father's Footsteps - Danielle Steel

I haven't read a book of Danielle Steels in forever, but reading the blurb on this one I picked it up off the shelves for a bit of holiday reading.  Jakob and Emmanuelle are rescued from Buchenwald Concentration Camp and face a long time to recover from all that they endured in the war.  Sponsored for a job and home in New York, they set sail for a new country with no money and no family or friends.  They are able to rebuild their lives and establish themselves with help from new friends and I enjoyed their story.

I did struggle with the 2nd part of the book which is more the story of Max their son and his wife, which for me felt quite forced and I felt a bit distanced from these two spoiled characters.  Still it was easy light reading. 3/5

Pure Joy - Danielle Steel

This is a simple little book.  Author Danielle Steel has lived a life filled with children, a few husbands and a variety of dogs.  But recently she purchased a little Chihuahua puppy Minnie, who was small enough to travel on planes with her between houses in the US and France.  This book is about the special bond she has with this little dog, and something that most pet owners can related to.

Quick and easy to read, this was a quick hours read while resting in the cool of the library on a hot summers day!!  3/5