As a partner at one of New York's most prestigious law firms, Alexandra Parker barely manages to juggle husband, career, and the three-year-old child she gave birth to at forty.  But Alex feels blessed with her life and happy marriage--until lightning strikes her.  Suddenly a routine medical check-up turns her world upside down when tests reveal shattering news. Sam Parker is a star venture capitalist, a Wall Street whiz kid, and is as proud of his longtime marriage to Alex as he is of his successful career.  As a major player in New York's financial world, Sam is used to being in control--until he is caught off guard by Alex's illness.  Terrified of losing his wife and family, and haunted by ghosts from his past, Sam is unable to provide any kind of emotional support to Alex. Unable to cope with her needs, Sam takes his distance from her, and almost overnight she and Sam become strangers.  As lightning strikes them yet again, Sam's promising career suddenly explodes in disaster, and his very life and identity are challenged.  With their entire future hanging in the balance, Alex must decide what she feels for Sam, if life will ever be the same for them again, or if she must move on without him. What happens to people when every aspect of their lives and well-being is threatened?  In Lightning , Danielle Steel tells the story of a family thrust into uncertainty and explores whether the bonds of love and marriage can withstand life's most unexpected bolts of lightning. With a fabulous career, wonderful husband, and adorable child, Alexandra Parker's life is perfect--until devastating news from a doctor turns her world upside down. Can the bonds of love and marriage withstand this unexpected bolt of lightning, or will Alexandra have to seek a completely new life? In Steel's latest, a happily married couple's relationship is tested by tragedy. Alexandra Parker has enough trouble coping with bad news from the doctor, but her husband's seeming lack of support?and a catastrophic plunge in his career?could push the marriage over the cliff. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. The grande dame of women's fiction has produced another novel that's bound to be a hit with her fans. The story centers on high-powered and (of course) long-legged and beautiful attorney Alex Parker. Parker has it all, so it seems: her career is going great, her handsome and equally high-powered financial wizard husband is madly in love with her, and they have a wonderful three-year-old child and are trying to conceive again. Alex's world comes crashing to a halt, however, when her doctor determines that she has a lump in her breast. Worse yet, after the lump is found to be malignant, she must undergo a mastectomy. Meanwhile, her husband, unable to cope with Alex's disease, turns hateful and mean, refusing to give her emotional support during her surgery and chemotherapy and eventually embarking on an affair that hastens the end of their marriage. While the story line may seem like "disease of the week" material, Steele is in her element here, using high drama, pathos, and unpredictable plot developments that will keep fans in suspense until the end. Kathleen Hughes As a partner at one of New York's most prestigious law firms, Alexandra Parkerbarely manages to juggle husband, career, and the three-year-old child she gavebirth to at forty. But Alex feels blessed with her life and happymarriage--until lightning strikes her. Suddenly a routine medical check-upturns her world upside down when tests reveal shattering news. Sam Parker is a star venture capitalist, a Wall Street whiz kid, and is asproud of his longtime marriage to Alex as he is of his successful career. As amajor player in New York's financial world, Sam is used to being incontrol--until he is caught off guard by Alex's illness. Terrified of losinghis wife and family, and haunted by ghosts from his past, Sam is unable toprovide any kind of emotional support to Alex. Unable to cope with her needs, Sam takes his distance from her, and almostovernight she and Sam become strangers. As lightning strikes them yet again,Sam's promising career suddenly explodes in disaster, and his very life andidentity are challenged. With their entire future hanging in the balance, Alexmust decide what she feels for Sam, if life will ever be the same for themagain, or if she must move on without him. What happens to people when every aspect of their lives and well-being isthreatened? In Lightning , Danielle Steel tells the story of a familythrust into uncertainty and explores whether the bonds of love and marriage canwithstand life's most unexpected bolts of lightning. As a partner at one of New York's most prestigious law firms, Alexandra Parker barely manages to juggle husband, career, and the three-year-old child she gave birth to at forty. But Alex feels blessed with her life and happy marriage--until lightning strikes her. Suddenly a routine medical check-up turns her world upside do