Genre Fiction
![Danielle Steel - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_danielle_steel.jpg)
Invisible: A Novel
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this riveting novel from Danielle Steel, a gifted young woman must grapple with the legacy of a troubled childhood in order to pursue her dreams.
Antonia Adams is the product of a loveless marriage between an aspiring actress and an aristocrat. As a child, she is abandoned in the abyss that yawns between them, blamed by her mother, ignored by her father, and neglected by both. Unprotected and unloved, she learns that the only way to feel safe is to hide from the dangers around her, drawing as little attention as possible to herself, to be "invisible."
In her isolation, books are her refuge and movies her escape. A day spent being carried away by an unforgettable film in a dark theater is her greatest thrill. Her love of the movies turns into a dream to become a screenwriter, and a summer job at a Hollywood studio. There, a famous British filmmaker notices her, and suddenly she can remain invisible no longer. He wants to put her in a movie and make her a star. It is a dazzling opportunity but a terrifying one, as it strips her of the camouflage that made her feel safe. She is suddenly thrust into the public eye-and even more so when they fall in love.
She will never let go of her true dream of becoming a filmmaker, though, and if she wants to make that leap, she will have to expose herself in ways she never has before. When tragedy strikes, she must decide whether she will remain center stage or become invisible again, where she feels safest. Will she face her demons, or run and hide?
In this extraordinary novel, Danielle Steel tells the story of a woman who must decide how high a price she is willing to pay to pursue her passion-and whether it is possible to stay true to herself while she does.
Antonia Adams is the product of a loveless marriage between an aspiring actress and an aristocrat. As a child, she is abandoned in the abyss that yawns between them, blamed by her mother, ignored by her father, and neglected by both. Unprotected and unloved, she learns that the only way to feel safe is to hide from the dangers around her, drawing as little attention as possible to herself, to be "invisible."
In her isolation, books are her refuge and movies her escape. A day spent being carried away by an unforgettable film in a dark theater is her greatest thrill. Her love of the movies turns into a dream to become a screenwriter, and a summer job at a Hollywood studio. There, a famous British filmmaker notices her, and suddenly she can remain invisible no longer. He wants to put her in a movie and make her a star. It is a dazzling opportunity but a terrifying one, as it strips her of the camouflage that made her feel safe. She is suddenly thrust into the public eye-and even more so when they fall in love.
She will never let go of her true dream of becoming a filmmaker, though, and if she wants to make that leap, she will have to expose herself in ways she never has before. When tragedy strikes, she must decide whether she will remain center stage or become invisible again, where she feels safest. Will she face her demons, or run and hide?
In this extraordinary novel, Danielle Steel tells the story of a woman who must decide how high a price she is willing to pay to pursue her passion-and whether it is possible to stay true to herself while she does.
Readers Top Reviews
D.L.W.wejandleric
While I have not read them all, I have read many of Danielle Steel’s books over the years and enjoyed them. Invisible is no exception. However, there are two traits in her writing I find tedious and boring and they show up in all of her books: 1) Repetition - the same details about the characters repeated. Just one example in Invisible we read about Antonia’s second child, Olympia, being a difficult child on one page and the very same thing on the next. 2) Telling — so much telling of the story and background rather than showing us, weaving it into the story. This obviously does not stop me from reading her stories, because I enjoy them, and I will continue to…
Kathleen ConnorD.
This book was amazing from the first page to the last. One of her best books. You will love it!
Lynn M. MeredithK
Just finished INVISIBLE, and the story line is well done. Steel has never disappointed, which is why I try to read all of her books.
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter 1
Antonia Adams was a tiny, elfin, delicate child from the time she was born. Her father thought she looked like an angel, with a fuzz of white-blond hair as a baby, soft blond curls as she grew older, and big blue eyes. She would look directly at him, even before she could talk, as though she had something to say. She wasn't shy at first, but became that way very quickly, living in the war zone between her parents.
She knew when to talk, and when not to, and most of the time it was safer not to. She learned to disappear, to hide in the shadows, to make herself so small and stay so silent that they forgot she was in the room. And at the opportune moment, as their battles became more heated, she could slip away quietly. In their rage at each other, her parents forgot that Antonia existed, and was even in the same room with them. She had perfected the art of seeming invisible, almost like a ghost. She felt safest when no one was paying attention to her. She would sit alone in her room for hours, reading a book, or playing with her dolls, or just daydreaming and looking out the window, wondering about the people she saw walk by.
When she saw other children, she wondered if their parents fought like that too, but she would never have dared to ask. She lived in a world full of adults, fraught with hostility, and saw other children only at school. She was smaller than the others, and they often assumed that she was younger than they were and called her a baby. She had no grandparents on either side, and both of her parents were only children, as she was, so there were no important adults in her life, except her parents.
She was made to feel like an intruder from the beginning. The only way she knew to remedy that was to stay out of sight. By the time she was seven, Antonia had perfected the art of seeming invisible, and feeling that way. She was most comfortable when no one could see her. Being noticed by anyone, particularly her parents, seemed fraught with risk.
Antonia looked nothing like her French mother, Fabienne Basquet, a fiery young woman with jet black hair, porcelain white skin, and lush lips, enhanced by bright red lipstick. She had flashing dark eyes, as large as Antonia's, and for as long as Antonia could remember, her mother had been angry most of the time. Antonia's father had fallen madly in love with her from the first moment he saw her. Only later did he realize it had been lust, not love. She was irresistible. She had full breasts and a tiny waist, long slim legs, and coiled her dark hair in a knot at the nape of her neck. It fell to her waist in a heavy dark curtain when she released it when they went to bed.
She was working as a waitress in a café in Paris when they met. Fabienne had chatted easily with Brandon Adams while she served him, and asked him where he was from. He said he was American, from New York, and was in Paris on business. She could tell that he had money. He was wearing a well-cut suit, and a gold watch on his wrist. He was mesmerized by Fabienne. She was twenty-four years old, and he was eight years older. She looked nothing like any of the conservative, well-brought-up women he knew, and was stunningly beautiful. She told him that she was trying to be an actress, which he could easily believe.
Fabienne came from a simple background. She was born during the deprivation of post-war France. Her mother, Marceline, had survived the Occupation, and fallen in love with one of the American soldiers who had filled the city after the Occupation and the end of the war. She had caught his eye on the street one day, and he invited her to a meal at a nearby café. She was hungry all the time. All her money went for medicine for her invalid mother. Her father had been killed in an explosion in the early days of the Resistance, and she was making ends meet doing any work she could get, cleaning floors in restaurants, waiting on tables, and as a maid at a small hotel.
The handsome American soldier was an answer to her prayers. He fed her, brought her chocolates and stockings. He was soft-spoken and young, and kind to her. Fabienne's mother didn't know that she was pregnant when he was transferred back to the States, and he didn't leave her any information about how to reach him. For him, she was a brief wartime experience, an exotic memory he would carry with him, but knew he would never see her again. He had a girl waiting for him at home, and intended to marry her, although he never told Fabienne's mother that. She didn't need to know. He made no promises he didn't keep. He left Paris, as so many other soldiers did, with unforgettable memorie...
Antonia Adams was a tiny, elfin, delicate child from the time she was born. Her father thought she looked like an angel, with a fuzz of white-blond hair as a baby, soft blond curls as she grew older, and big blue eyes. She would look directly at him, even before she could talk, as though she had something to say. She wasn't shy at first, but became that way very quickly, living in the war zone between her parents.
She knew when to talk, and when not to, and most of the time it was safer not to. She learned to disappear, to hide in the shadows, to make herself so small and stay so silent that they forgot she was in the room. And at the opportune moment, as their battles became more heated, she could slip away quietly. In their rage at each other, her parents forgot that Antonia existed, and was even in the same room with them. She had perfected the art of seeming invisible, almost like a ghost. She felt safest when no one was paying attention to her. She would sit alone in her room for hours, reading a book, or playing with her dolls, or just daydreaming and looking out the window, wondering about the people she saw walk by.
When she saw other children, she wondered if their parents fought like that too, but she would never have dared to ask. She lived in a world full of adults, fraught with hostility, and saw other children only at school. She was smaller than the others, and they often assumed that she was younger than they were and called her a baby. She had no grandparents on either side, and both of her parents were only children, as she was, so there were no important adults in her life, except her parents.
She was made to feel like an intruder from the beginning. The only way she knew to remedy that was to stay out of sight. By the time she was seven, Antonia had perfected the art of seeming invisible, and feeling that way. She was most comfortable when no one could see her. Being noticed by anyone, particularly her parents, seemed fraught with risk.
Antonia looked nothing like her French mother, Fabienne Basquet, a fiery young woman with jet black hair, porcelain white skin, and lush lips, enhanced by bright red lipstick. She had flashing dark eyes, as large as Antonia's, and for as long as Antonia could remember, her mother had been angry most of the time. Antonia's father had fallen madly in love with her from the first moment he saw her. Only later did he realize it had been lust, not love. She was irresistible. She had full breasts and a tiny waist, long slim legs, and coiled her dark hair in a knot at the nape of her neck. It fell to her waist in a heavy dark curtain when she released it when they went to bed.
She was working as a waitress in a café in Paris when they met. Fabienne had chatted easily with Brandon Adams while she served him, and asked him where he was from. He said he was American, from New York, and was in Paris on business. She could tell that he had money. He was wearing a well-cut suit, and a gold watch on his wrist. He was mesmerized by Fabienne. She was twenty-four years old, and he was eight years older. She looked nothing like any of the conservative, well-brought-up women he knew, and was stunningly beautiful. She told him that she was trying to be an actress, which he could easily believe.
Fabienne came from a simple background. She was born during the deprivation of post-war France. Her mother, Marceline, had survived the Occupation, and fallen in love with one of the American soldiers who had filled the city after the Occupation and the end of the war. She had caught his eye on the street one day, and he invited her to a meal at a nearby café. She was hungry all the time. All her money went for medicine for her invalid mother. Her father had been killed in an explosion in the early days of the Resistance, and she was making ends meet doing any work she could get, cleaning floors in restaurants, waiting on tables, and as a maid at a small hotel.
The handsome American soldier was an answer to her prayers. He fed her, brought her chocolates and stockings. He was soft-spoken and young, and kind to her. Fabienne's mother didn't know that she was pregnant when he was transferred back to the States, and he didn't leave her any information about how to reach him. For him, she was a brief wartime experience, an exotic memory he would carry with him, but knew he would never see her again. He had a girl waiting for him at home, and intended to marry her, although he never told Fabienne's mother that. She didn't need to know. He made no promises he didn't keep. He left Paris, as so many other soldiers did, with unforgettable memorie...
