Zoya

DANIELLE Steel's Zoya looks like a big, sprawling saga of a novel, imbued with latent delights and gaily wrapped in a warm invitation to open and explore its enticing contents. And as we very well know, Steel never fails to deliver the kind of yarns that keep you turning the pages at an unflagging pace, the kind you can spend the weekend holed up with and put down feeling as though you have woken up from a deep and wonderful spell. From the cathedrals, domes, spires and ancient elegance of an Imperial Russia plunged into bloody revolution to the graceful splendour and swirling artistic excitement and bustle of Paris in the 1920s and ultimately to the cut-and-thrust world of corporate New York, Steel has managed to weave a tapestry of tragedy, hardship and triumph, of love and loss, and of searching and fulfilment without the obfuscating irrelevancies and loose ends that seem to plague novels of such genre.Zoya is a sweeping saga of the crumbling or moribund glamour of the Russian aristocracy. Countess Zoya Ossupov, the fiery protagonist of the saga, was brought up in the opulence and extravagance of a St. Petersburg palace, a charmed and wondrous world that existed nowhere else, the vanishing world of Tsarist Russia. Hers was a magical life of palaces and balls, of men in brightly hued uniforms and beautiful women apparelled in elegant gowns and bedecked with diamond necklaces. But dark clouds are gathering in the horizon and as the Revolution engulfs Russia and all that it stands for, Zoya's whole family and those whom she holds dear are mercilessly massacred in the ensuing turmoil.Leaving home and fortune behind, Zoya manages to escape to Paris with her aged, but spunky grandmother, the Countess Evgenia Ossupov, with whatever jewels they could salvage sewn into the linings of their clothes. Amidst the chaos and turbulence of a nation torn asunder, Zoya's fairytale world, like sandcastles in the air, crumbles to smithereens.Paris was a whole new experience for her, filled with new principles, new responsibilities and new people. It was a constant struggle for survival and basic necessities were in dire scarcity. Under the shadow of the Great War and in time, Zoya falls passionately and fatefully in love and moves to a more affluent lifestyle in New York with the American captain, Clayton Andrews. However, her world comes crashing down again without warning during the Great Depression when Clayton commits suicide, leaving her with debts to settle and two children to raise. The Second World War looms ominously ahead, bringing with it more violent upheavals. The rising tides of war in Europe ebbs and flows as people and relationships are forced apart and flung together. Thus presented, Zoya sounds like a melodramatic parable. Yet, despite the heaviness of style, it is skilfully narrated. Steel is good at catching a historical mood and at describing the complex interrelationships between ordinary people thrown together by the winds of change in a wo

I read Zoya when I was thirteen. That may seem young to many, but for me it came at the right time. Truly, I have gained so much inspiration and knowledge from this character. To me, Zoya has come alive. She is not a name on paper, but instead she is "life her very name." She is so much apart of my life and what I do - Honestly. She is a role model for me. I have read this book twelve times in English and three times in French, it is my favorite story in the world, and I thank Danielle Steel for writing this and influencing my life so very much.

When I picked up this novel I had no idea how much it would change my life. It puts you right in the middle of the Russian Revolution where you meet Zoya, the cousin of the doomed Romanovs. She is forced to flee to France with her grandmother and start over as a poor woman. In this book the emotions flow thick with the gentle but rich and heavy words. When I read this beautiful book it was like a dam was breaking free and flooding my mind with so many beautiful images and pictures. When I put the book I thanked the world and God for such a wonderful and moving novel. I highly recommend this book.

I hate to admit it, but I like Danielle Steel. Sure, we can criticize her prose which can be downright silly but no one can argue the fact that she is a professional when it comes to story-telling. Her novels read like epic screenplays and readers are taken to worlds far away with stories about characters which are moving and keep the pages turning. I have read only 5 of Ms. Steel's novels but "Zoya," to date, is the best. "Zoya" is the story of a Russian girl who flees her Russian homeland with her grandmother during the revoloution. She goes to Paris where her dreams of being a dancer are fulfilled and romance enters her life. The novel moves from Paris to New York where we are allowed to watch Zoya for 80 years. Ms. Steel brings to life all the feelings of Russia and romance eventhough, as we said, they may not be articulated well. This reader felt all the tears, laughter and joy Zoya experienced throughout her lifetime. Novels can either teach or entertain - so what if there is no lesson to be learned from the novels Danielle Steel writes? I can't think of too many people who can come up with stories like she can - so hats off to Ms. Steel!

This was the first book I read by Danielle Steel. I am not really a reader, because I don't have much time, but I read this book in 2 days. I couldn't put it down. I am intrigued by the story of the Romanov's anyway, but this book put the reader right in the middle of the royal family, in a way that made me feel one with Zoya. I cried when she cried, I rejoiced in her triumph. What a great character and a courageous woman! She is the character that anyone can admire. The book was well written with exquisite description of each detail in the lives of the characters. From Russia, to Paris, to New York and Maine, the settings were perfect (I know because I've been to all of these places). Reading the book was like going on a long vacation. Thank you, Danielle Steel.