In Germany engulfed by war and hatred, the  beautiful wife of an influential banker fell in love  with a German author. His Jewish heritage led them  both to death. The husband who survives her lives on  to protect her memory, and their children. And the  ring he passes on to his daughter, Ariana von  Gotthard, remains a bond of love between them.  Separated from her family, and unable to escape Germany,  Ariana is finally arrested. A young Nazi officer  offers her survival and hope for the future.  Tragedy and a sudden twist of fate carries Ariana to  America, to a chilling deception, and a new life of  unfamiliar terrors. Her past seemingly lost  forever, her future uncertain, the ring she still clings  to is all she has left of her father and brother.  And in time it will become the bridge from her  past to her future. An ill-fated affair between Kassandra von Gotthard, a married German socialite, and her lover, a Jewish writer, at the beginning of Hitler's ethnic cleansing campaign results in tragedy for Kassandra's children, especially her beautiful daughter Ariana. When her father and brother disappear, Ariana is arrested by the Reich. Facing imprisonment and repeated rape at the hands of unscrupulous soldiers who desire to humble the lovely blond, Ariana jumps at the opportunity to become a cook for a kind Nazi officer. Gradually, the two are able to put the specter of war behind them and fall in love. But calamity strikes again, leaving Ariana alone once more and running for her life. Desperately sick and pregnant, Ariana lands in New York, part of the wave of refugees brought there by relief organizations. Sponsored, then befriended, then betrayed, by the Liebman family, Ariana slowly recovers in time for the Christmas birth of her son. And Noel, a kind man who loves Ariana, gives her the strength to make a life for herself and for him, which she does, finally finding true happiness. Danielle Steel creates a tale of the phases of life and love that we all experience against a brutal background that hopefully will not be experienced ever again. --Alison Trinkle Praise for Danielle Steel “Steel is one of the best!” — Los Angeles Times “Few modern writers convey the pathos of family and material life with such heartfelt empathy.” — The Philadelphia Inquirer “Steel pulls out all the emotional stops. . . . She delivers!” — Publishers Weekly “What counts for the reader is the ring of authenticity.” — San Francisco Chronicle In Germany engulfed by war and hatred, the beautiful wife of an influential banker fell in love with a German author. His Jewish heritage led them both to death. The husband who survives her lives on to protect her memory, and their children. And the ring he passes on to his daughter, Ariana von Gotthard, remains a bond of love between them. Separated from her family, and unable to escape Germany, Ariana is finally arrested. A young Nazi officer offers her survival and hope for the future. Tragedy and a sudden twist of fate carries Ariana to America, to a chilling deception, and a new life of unfamiliar terrors. Her past seemingly lost forever, her future uncertain, the ring she still clings to is all she has left of her father and brother. And in time it will become the bridge from her past to her future. ngulfed by war and hatred, the beautiful wife of an influential banker fell in love with a German author. His Jewish heritage led them both to death. The husband who survives her lives on to protect her memory, and their children. And the ring he passes on to his daughter, Ariana von Gotthard, remains a bond of love between them. Separated from her family, and unable to escape Germany, Ariana is finally arrested. A young Nazi officer offers her survival and hope for the future. Tragedy and a sudden twist of fate carries Ariana to America, to a chilling deception, and a new life of unfamiliar terrors. Her past seemingly lost forever, her future uncertain, the ring she still clings to is all she has left of her father and brother. And in time it will become the bridge from her past to her future. In Germany engulfed by war and hatred, the beautiful wife of an influential banker fell in love with a German author. His Jewish heritage led them both to death. The husband who survives her lives on to protect her memory, and their children. And the ring he passes on to his daughter, Ariana von Gotthard, remains a bond of love between them. Separated from her family, and unable to escape Germany, Ariana is finally arrested. A young Nazi officer offers her survival and hope for the future. Tragedy and a sudden twist of fate carries Ariana to America, to a chilling deception, and a new life of unfamiliar terrors. Her past seemingly lost forever, her future uncertain, the ring she still clings to is all she has left of her father and brother. And in time it will become the bridge from her past to her future. Danielle Steel  has been hailed as one of the world’s most popular authors,