The Dark Side by Danielle Steel

 

One of Steel's best work. Omg! It kept my heart beating fast... palpitations even.

The book starts with a family of four - a loving couple and their two daughters, Rose and Zoe. In a sad turn of events, one child dies due to some rare cancer. The other is left to fend for herself. That itself should have been the warning bell. Can we blame a parent to mourn continuously and forget life at hand? Can we blame a parent for losing a child? Obviously not. That pain is inconsolable and unimaginable.

Fast forward to Zoe grown up and in Danielle Steel style - she was pretty, amazingly competent at work, a great career woman, finds a fantastic partner, has an enviable life so to speak. But something goes wrong when she has her daughter. Is it wrong to be over concerned about our children and their upbringing? Do we not fuss over their sleeping and playing and eating habits? Do we not panic when things go wrong? Can someone wrong you for loving your child?

But how much is too much? When does concern become obsession? When does it become madness when you're out to prove that you truly do know the best for your child? To what extent would you go to ensure you're the best judge and person for your child?

For these answers, read the book. The book does start off with long drawn details in the beginning and you're wondering if 274 pages is going to be like this. But with every turn of the page, there is a new detail to absorb and by now you're expecting things to happen. I don't mean predictive - but, by now you know something bad is going to happen and you want to close your eyes behind your palms and avoid it. Well written. Fast paced. Steel has not lost her charm of writing as yet and may she churn out greater books. I wonder if Bollywood has come across this one!