The Prodigal Daughter

I thought KANE AND ABEL was one of the best books I'd ever read, so I was eagerly anticipating THE PRODIGAL DAUGHTER. Although it falls a shade short of the greatness of its predecessor, this is still an outstanding novel that reveals more about the characters I had come to love in the first book.Some may argue that Jeffrey Archer cheats the reader since approximately the first 200 pages are a recap of KANE AND ABEL. However, instead of getting the story from the viewpoint of the two men, we see the events throught the eyes of Abel's daughter Florentyna and the added insight makes the second telling of the events highly worthwhile. Florentyna Rosnovski is a formidable and unforgettable character. She endears herself to readers as a young girl through her relationship with her governess Miss Tredgold and her adventures from elementary school through college. Even the expected meeting with Richard Kane takes on new dimensions as they marry despite the deep rejection by both fathers. It was after the initial marriage and career boom that I thought the book faltered slightly. Florentyna became too perfect, everything came too easily, and even the tragic events did not seem to touch her as I would have expected. However, her rise to fame and her battle to achieve her childhood ambition by becoming President of the United States is a page-turning read, one that will surely satisfy fans of KANE AND ABEL.

After reading Kane and Abel I was told that this was a sort of sequel to the book and I had to read it. Once again I loved this book and the author. Its one of those books where you just want to keep reading and never stop. I highly recommend reading Kane and Abel before reading this book so that you understand the characters more completely. This book does give a shortened introduction of the characters in the beginning but it is recommended by me that you read Kane and Abel which you will enjoy!!!

Nada que ver con la parábola de la Biblia, sino con lo que algunas mujeres (y hombres) querrían leerr: un historia sin lugares comunes. Esta novela cuenta la vida de una hija, pero no cualquier hija de vecino. Una mujer inteligente, independiente, con la mejor educación y todas las oportunidades para ser feliz pero con un padre acostumbrado a tener lo que quiere...que la quiere a su lado. Narrada extraordinariamente, con diálogos muy bien logrados, Archer nos adentra en el mundo empresarial estadounidense de mediados "del siglo pasado" y nos muestra lo que la hija de un hombre exitoso tiene que hacer para...ser. Hubiera sido interesante un acercamiento mayor a esas relaciones de chantaje emocional que solemos establecer con los que amamos pero, aún así, es fácil sentir empatía por esa valilente mujer que, muy bien, podría llegar a la Presidencia de los EEUU por sus propios medios (esto es, sin usar el puesto que ganó su marido !!)

I was first given a copy of The Prodigal Daughter in high school, and have reread it several times since then. It is not only an entertaining and well-written story, it is very inspiring --especially to young women. Archer neither downplays nor exacerbates the difficulties faced by women in fields that have traditionally been dominated by men, and his chronicles of Florentyna's rise through business and politics are among the best available in fiction. Archer also does a good job of portraying the years of work that go into creating a successful political career. By the time you're finished reading the book, you almost feel exhausted yourself--but the journey is worth it.

I found this book to be very much up to Archer's standards. To me this book was every bit as captivating as his first. This is a wonderful read for almost anyone interested in history, politics, or just in search of a great book.