Rating: 
Summary: A Real-life Russian Love Story
Review: Dancing on the coattails of history, Danielle Steele's Granny Dan is a sweeping saga based on the true life story of her grandmother. As a young woman, Granny Dan was the leading young ballerina in pre-communist Russia, which in that society, would have been similar to being Julia Roberts in our own country today. She charms the Russian royal family, especially the czar's young son, and is admitted into their inner circle. Torn between the disciplined life of a dancer in a strict ballet school and the fairy tale-like existance at the czar's summer home, the young woman must make painful choices. An illness causes her to become very close to her physician, a man in a loveless marriage and they fall deeply in love. So much so that Steel's grandmother keeps all his letters with her until she dies. Steel bases her book on the letters, which she had translated. Marrying her grandmother's real-life story with her masterful fiction-writing techniques, Steel presents a powerful tale of star-crossed lovers, strong characters who are real and believable. Their passion for each other is played out against the backdrop of history. We are given a taste of what life in czarist Russia was like, and it is as if we travel back in time with the characters. With the coming of the communist revolution, their world is forever lost. This ultimately tragic story is a haunting one, which will stay with you long after you've read the last page.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Read. A Great Love Story!
Review: I have read the other reviews for this book, and completely, in my opinion, disagree with some of the reviews. For one, the story took me right in and I was so into it that I never noticed any grammatical errors or if Ms. Steel was repeating information. As for myself, I do not read a "fictional" book to check for accuracy in historical events or to check for errors, if I did, I would be an editor or publisher. In my opinion, the story was wonderfully told, with descriptions of places and events so extensive, I could "see" the entire story. I also felt that it is a story that points out how we (the younger generation) view our own elders. We do tend to think of them as someone who has always been old, when, in fact, they have been our age, they were young before they were old and, they have their own great stories to tell if we will take the time to listen. They had dreams and loves and heartbreaks just as we have and this story really shows that. I say, "Way to go Ms. Steel, another great novel! "
Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful romance, if a trifle shallow
Review: This book was a wonderful romance story between Danina and Nikoliai. It is also a story of how things were in the Soviet Union during the revolution. Having taken ballet as a young girl I could appreciate how hard I knew Danielle Steel tried to portray Danina's training. I must say that she did not do a very good job of it. Her descriptions of the ballet life left much to be desired. I know this was supposed to be a romance novel, but the whole background was the ballet and she could have done a much better job researching. On the whole is was a very nice story.
Rating:
Summary: A great romance
Review: I have been reading Danielle Steel for many years and I truly enjoyed this book. It was a wonderful love story. I read the reviews and decided to read it for myself. I'm glad I did. I found it short and easy to read. Keep writing DS....you're the best!
Rating: 
Summary: A less likeable version of "Zoya"
Review: In keeping with her tendency to cover familiar territory, DS has gone back to the Russian Revolution with "Granny Dan", a book that leaves you wondering ... well, why? First, the whole concept of "Granny Dan" -- the beloved grandmother who has died at the beginning of the book having all this secret back history -- is absurd. And as she has done before, by starting the novel by telling you how it's going to end up, DS manages to completely remove any chance at intrigue. I don't have any problem with Ms. Steel covering historical events in her novels -- for example, I love her "Titanic" depiction in "No Greater Love" -- but I do get increasingly irritated with her characters being relatives of the Romanov family or other such royalty. How about writing about a completely unknown, totally unconnected person who lived during the Revolution? That might show some real insight into the struggle -- and I'm sure you could get a love story in there too.
Rating: 
Summary: Sick too Many Times
Review: I think one should describe this book as how to survive the maladies of the early 20th century. My gosh, how many times does this woman have to succumb to complete exhaustion and be able to take only bits of nourishment. And sorry, Nickolai, you are a complete loser. You married Marie....make the best of it. Obviously I didn't like the book! I don't like these unrealistic episodes of complete romance conquering all...my fault. I am sure Steel satiates the longings of many a reader, just too soapy for me.
Rating:
Summary: REVIEW
Review: This was an o.k. book. In my opinion, it was not better than ZOYA which had more detail. I was so excited when it first came out. I was somewhat disappointed when I finished it. Do not buy it. Wait and check it out at your library.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring, Surprising, and Interesting Romance
Review: I absolutely loved this book. It contained a story of love, loss, hope, and every other feeling of love. Danielle did a fabulous job with this book...Defidently a great buy!
Rating:
Summary: Bleh!
Review: I have to say that I did NOT like this book. The potential for a good book was there, and the plot could have been wonderful, but it was poorly structured and sloppily written. Sometimes I think Danielle Steele just rushes through her books and spits out whatever she can so she can get on with the next book. And what's worse, she has a large enough fan base that she can do it and still make bunches of money. Anyway, this book did not touch me on a personal level and i don't really think it deservs all the rave reveiws that I read. There wasn't enough elaboration or dialouge to really touch your heart and at the end, i was really glad it was over. The story was too farfetched and the end just kinda left you hanging like the author had gotten bored with it. So, the only good thing i have to say about this book is that i got it from the library.
Rating:
Summary: a wonderful love story
Review: I found this book to be a wonderful love story. I loved it! I had read some of the reviews, but decided to read it for myself and boy was I glad I did. It is a short story and an easy read. Try it for yourself. This is a true love story.
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