The long way home
En The long way home (1998), a girl experiences violence and abuse in the place originally intended to give her shelter and security, she seems to lose everything ... but something will change. That is the prelude to this novel by the American author Danielle Steel. The text exposes the story of Gabrielle, a girl with a life marked by suffering.
Due to the aforementioned, the idea of the family and the home acquires a very different meaning from that of traditional beliefs. Despite the strong testimony of the little protagonist, this book has conquered the hearts of millions of readers. And it is that entering this story is to embody the difficulties and injustice, however, the story also shows how to overcome such an adverse context.
Summary of The long way home
The wounds
As inferred in previous paragraphs, the novel revolves around the grief of a physically and psychologically injured girl. For more inri, the three-year-old girl understands herself as guilty of the abuse, because her violent mother says so. Faced with this, the father - either out of indifference or fear - is unable to stop the injustices towards Gabriele.
In this way, with harassment, beatings and insults the order of the day, a truly traumatic childhood unfolds. As the girl grows, the physical, verbal and psychological aggression also increases. To the point that, After giving the girl a near-fatal beating, the mother makes the decision to leave Gabrielle in a convent. Not without first promising "I'll be back."
The long road
At the convent, the girl finally knows the affection and good treatment, hitherto unprecedented for her. Already in her teens, Gabrielle falls in love with a very young priest, thus experiencing her first love for a man. Unfortunately, the clergyman passes away, therefore, tragedy strikes the heart of the unfortunate girl.
At this point, the girl shows a commendable determination not to be overcome by discouragement or to be carried away by nostalgia. Despite all the painful losses, the protagonist manages to heal her wounds and move forward. Finally, Gabrielle decides to leave the convent to gain freedom from the outside world ... where disappointments are not lacking, but she already knows how to deal with them.
Meta
Narrative style
Danielle Steel's literature can be distinguished by the psychological depth of her characters (This novel narrated in the third person is no exception). Although the New Yorker has been classified as a writer of rose novels, The long way home it bears no relation to that topic. On the contrary, rawness is the dominant feeling in much of the development.
Consequently, the vivid description of all the physical and emotional pain felt by the little protagonist is quite shocking for the viewer. There are no extenuating factors to the plot, no matter how young the main character is. Similarly, through the voice of a distant narrator, the reader recognizes Gabrielle's hostile environment along with some of her confessions and intimacies.
Much more than a novel about child abuse
The welcoming scene is extremely disturbing: a three-year-old girl abused by her mother. The woman has the complicity (involuntary?) Of a father incapable of exercising his role as protector of the family. Despite this disturbing “welcome”, the author gradually manages to convey other sensations.
In this way, Steel goes from an extremely tense entrance to evoking feelings of hope, even in the midst of misfortunes. (Therein lies the undeniable hook generated in the public). Then, passages appear with certain tender traits, while Gabrielle's tenacity and inner strength is evident. For this reason, readers stay until the last page to know their destination.
About the author, Danielle Steel
On August 14, 1947, the current writer Danielle Steel, recognized for several of her novels, was born in New York City. In fact, She is among the most widely read in the United States and has attracted the sympathy of her readers.. And this is not uncommon, the audience easily connects with their narratives starring persevering characters in the face of the hardest experiences.
The difficult life of the author
Danielle Steel's biography is not exactly "a bed of roses." Through their experiences, the origin of their lyrics can be understood in a certain way. Aside from narrative, the New York intellectual has also written poetry and a couple of non-fiction books. Additionally, in 2003 he opened a gallery to support emerging young artists.
Likewise, Steel has had a very particular life, marked by setbacks at the level of his partner and family (he has left five marriages behind). However, she has managed to overcome every obstacle, indeed, she has taken creative and commercial advantage of these situations through writing. At the moment, the American author has an excellent literary reputation At national and international level.
A lifetime linked to writing
Danielle Steel started writing from a very early age; Already in his teens he had several poetic essays (published several decades later). Later —With 18 years old— finished his first novel, although, similar to his poetry, he published it after many years.
Over time, Steel has managed to publish more than eighty books, some with sales records or first places of best sellers. As if that were not enough, Casa del Libro reviews her as the most widely read author in the world, with more than 800 million copies sold. Along with this, she is recognized as a prolific and original creator; A fairy tale (2019) is her most recent publication.
Tragic childhood as the central theme
Like the protagonist of The long way home, Danielle Steel suffered some traumatic events during her childhood. Therefore, childhood has represented a great life and literary theme for her, especially after the loss of a son (Nicholas). He suffered from mental disorders until he committed suicide in 1997. In the wake of her son's death, Steel posted Your inner light.
Published in October 1998, his bright light -in English- it has been one of his titles with the greatest editorial success. That same year, Steel launched The long way home (May) and The clone (July). Now these last two texts obtained good business performance, but not comparable to the bestseller category held by the following books:
Some of Gabrielle Steel's best-selling books
- Kaleidoscope (Kaleidoscope, 1987)
- Zoya (1988)
- Nam's Message (Message from Nam, 1990)
- Jewelry (Jewels, 1992)
- The gift (The Gift 1994)
- The honor of silence (silent honor, 1996)
- A safe harbor (Safe Harbor, 2003)
- ecos (Echoes, 2004)
- Blue (2017)