To experience a fall from grace is to undergo a great loss of prestige, a loss of reputation. It is to become an object of scorn and derision.
Of course that fall is a consequence of the very first fall from grace, the one where Adam and Eve chose to sin against God, plunging themselves and all of humanity into a state of sin, of disorder, of chaos. The whole of the Christian faith is concerned with this fall from grace and how those who have fallen can be restored.
Now Paul is warning this church against legalism, against thinking they can be restored to favor with God on the basis of their adherence to the law. He knows that the law brings only captivity. Deep within the sinful human heart is the knowledge that we have fallen from grace, and with it the conviction that if the fault is ours, so too is the remedy. We naturally believe we can and must be made right with God by our often efforts. Grace is too good, too foreign, too unbelievable for our minds and hearts to receive. And yet the Christian gospel calls us to abandon our own efforts and instead to embrace the work of Christ.
John Stott explains it well: If you add anything to Christ, you lose Christ. Salvation is in Christ alone by grace alone through faith alone. We have all fallen from grace. Kindle Edition , pages.
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Fall from Grace , please sign up. How do you think Sydney could have avoided her husband's lack of follow through regarding a will? How do you think the plot would have evolved if she didn't have to struggle to survive? Ellen I thought her husband should have had life insurance. Most people do, although maybe the wealthy don't think it's necessary if they have other assets.
And I'm not sure she really had to struggle that much since she had the Paris apartment and the rent from it, although, once again, she was used to a very rich lifestyle. See 1 question about Fall from Grace…. Lists with This Book. Steel has over plus published titles under her belt. She has sold billions of copies of her books across the globe. This new novel from Danielle Steel charters the rise, fall and resurrection of her lead protagonist, Sydney Wells. Andrew and Sydney live an idyllic life together.
They are surrounded by family, fortune, good friends and a wonderful home to match. All that changes in an instant when Andrew, a motorcycle enthusiast, crashes and is tragically killed in a traffic accident. Soon after Andrew has been laid to rest, Sydney learns she is being evicted from the home she shared with Andrew. This leads Sydney to reconnect with her past career as a fashion designer, a job she has put on hold for the last sixteen years while she has shared her life with Andrew.
It is daunting at first, returning to a career that has witnessed many changes, but Sydney takes it in her stride and life begins to look up. I grew up with Danielle Steel books in my childhood home. My mother was and still is a fan of Danielle Steel. It is a nice experience to continue the memories from my reading past and enjoy the new releases Danielle Steel has to offer. Fall From Grace is classic Danielle Steel. It is a story that involves one brave female protagonist and pits her against the odds, to see if she will sink or swim. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the lead of this novel, Sydney Wells rise above her difficult circumstances.
Sydney is a well observed character. I felt like I knew her inside and out by the time I reached the close of this book. Sydney is a completely agreeable character and I found myself hoping that she would summon the personal strength to rise above the tragic set of circumstances that stood in her away.
Sydney is supported by a cast of secondary characters who contribute well to the main narrative. Steel makes sure we get to know some unlikable or rogue characters in this book. I just wanted to slap this smug woman, who did nothing but tattletale! It also gave me a gentle nudge in the right direction in regards to wills and making arrangements to ensure your property, as well as assets, go to the right people.
Steel serves up plenty of hardships and difficult binds for her chief protagonist to muddle through. I found these elements of the narrative enlightening. Steel also debunks a few myths I had about the glitz and glamour of the fashion world. Instead, she strips it right back and reveals the uglier side to this world.
It also provides her with the opportunity to set her characters off on a spot of international travel, as our lead chases fashion business opportunities in China and Hong Kong. Paris even gets a small mention, as our lead has an apartment there. However, the bulk of the action is set in the US.
Readers will find that Fall From Grace flows well. The dialogue has an authentic feel and the plot is agreeable. They also come with a nice resolution and this one is no exception to the norm. Fall From Grace is a light and entertaining read that I can safely say I enjoyed. View all 4 comments. Apr 27, Aditi rated it really liked it Shelves: With little luck, she gets in the fashion industry, only to be falsely incriminated in a legal case by a trustworthy friend, despite her daughters' several warnings about her friend, but can she pick up the pieces of her life and rebuild it?
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Steele's new book will leave the readers heartbroken, as the protagonist's life is struck by one bad luck after another. Sydney Well has a perfect life with an amazing husband, with two beautiful daughters of her own as well as two equally mean step daughters. Sadly, her perfect life comes crashing to the ground when her husband dies in an accident, leaving her penniless and homeless as his husband forgot to include her in his will. So Sydney finds herself looking for apartments as well as job in the fashion industry.
But who is going to hire her, as Sydney has lost touch from this world a long time ago? And with little luck, she finds a job in the fashion industry through her new friend whom she met on a plane, who happens to be one of the notorious fashion mogul. Despite of her daughters' warnings, Sydney joins his fashion firm and within few months of working there, Sydney finds herself in more trouble, as she gets arrested for her boss's dirty work in the fashion line.
So will Sydney be able to repair her fractured life or will she face more trouble? Grab a copy of the book now to find out more. We often take our life for granted, especially, if we have money, car, house and security. But little did we think about the fact that life is unpredictable and it is actually short. As a result, we often forget to make sure our loved ones are secured for life long after we are gone. This message is strongly depicted by the author in this book, which will provoke the readers to take the right step not only for themselves but also for their loved ones. The protagonist here becomes the outcome of her husband's mistake to take life for granted and to delay the changes he needed to make in his will.
And it is no doubt, heartbreaking, to see such a darling and courageous protagonist to be constantly thrown back against the hard wall, but it is also extremely empowering enough to see how her courage never once shakes. The author's writing style is brilliant and is laced with deep, heartfelt emotions that will move its readers to their very core.
The prose is eloquent and the plot line will only provoke the thoughts of its readers. Not only that, the story is very inspiring, as the author genuinely and sensitively portrays the odds in the life of the protagonist. The dialogues are free flowing and quite articulate and are easily comprehensible by the readers.
The pacing is smooth and fast, as there are quite a few unpredictable turns that will keep the readers glued to the pages of this book till the very end. There are a handful of cliched moments while unfolding the love story in the background, that could have been easily avoided. The characters in this book are extremely well developed with enough realism and flaws in their demeanor to make them look relatable in the eyes of the readers.
The main character, Sydney, is painted with honesty and she can be an epitome for all the women facing similar odds in their lives. Even the supporting characters are so tastefully and convincingly penned with layers, flaws and all, that they will leave an impression in the minds of the readers. In a nutshell, this is a very captivating, inspiring and heart touching contemporary tale depicting every day lives and how we should not take life for granted, only for the sake of our loved ones.
Family drama at its best!
Fall from Grace
Danielle Steel can weave a story of any kind. In this one, she steps away from the whole evil stepmother takes everything after a death, and instead paints a picture of two unsavory step-daughters inheriting everything after the untimely death of their father who never thought to get around to updating his will.
This is an inspiring book that follows a woman gain her dignity, career, and life back after tragedy; with some aim at the injustice of the justice system. My quick and simple overall: Feb 11, Sherri Thacker rated it liked it. I predicted a lot of what was going to happen in this book before it happened. It was a quick read and I always love DS books!! View all 5 comments. Feb 06, Sam Still Reading rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Danielle Steel, without fail, always writes a cracking story.
I never fail to be amazed or gasp out loud at the trials and tribulations she puts her characters through. While there is almost always a happy ending, the road to get there is full of hairpin bends and danger. Poor Sydney Wells, the heroine of Fall From Grace, is not exempted from the torment of Danielle Steel, without fail, always writes a cracking story.
Things start off badly for her when her husband dies unexpectedly. The problem is, he never changed his will to include Sydney and her stepdaughters want her out — now. Sydney is practical — she needs to liquidate what assets she has and re-join the workforce at Sydney spills the beans on her troubles and Paul Zeller offers her a job as a fashion designer. Can she fight her way out again?
I thought the writing style was really strong in this book. The emotion was very well done as Sydney negotiates unfamiliar territory. I liked how even when she hit rock bottom, there was always an element of resolve in her character — how could she work through it? At a time when society sees women in their fifties as being past their use by date, Sydney bucks that trend in a combination of necessity and determination.
But in real life, make sure your affairs are up to date! Another great thing about Danielle Steel is the variety of topics and settings in her books. In Fall From Grace, we get a look inside the fashion world.
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Is it right to nearly copy designer pieces and sell them for lower prices? What about intellectual copyright? Thank you to Pan Macmillan for the copy of this book. My review is honest. Feb 03, Eve rated it liked it Shelves: As her dead husband didn't update his will, then Sydney was left with nothing. She had never gotten along with Andrew's daughters from his first marriage, so her stepdaughters want her out of her house within 30 days.
What to do when you suddenly find youself without the man you love but also homeless and pennyless, with no recent job experience and no hope in sight? I liked the idea of this story and I wanted to see how Sydney can struggle through her ordeals and from her Fall from Grace but somehow it didn't quite capture me emotionally. The writing style was kind of It felt like the writer just casually report the facts of a story, which is not the most interesting thing to read!
Sometimes it felt like author didn't know where to go with this storyline, so she just filled the pages with lots of repetitions and double-talk. I also found it strange why a man would draw up a will when he's in his 30s but neglegts to update once he has new wife and he's older. Also why Sydney did not continue with her designing career after she got married to Andrew? Its too early to retiere in your early 30s, especially when your children are no longer toddlers.
But I guess this story was a good reminder that things in life can change in a blink of an eye and its better to be prepared because things may change tomorrow. I think you will enjoy emotional roller coaster ride those stories give. Feb 20, Tim rated it did not like it. Incredibly depressing with a weak ending. Feb 07, Jean Cable rated it really liked it. Interesting read with a couple of good twists. Feb 12, Laura Rash rated it really liked it.
And maybe sometimes almost too perfect endings but I gobble them up like candy! Mar 31, Melissa rated it did not like it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. There are a few of her books that I have enjoyed immensely. This was not one of them. It got real old, real quick. The writing is poor and simple. And there was clearly no research done. You are allowed to leave for work and you are given so many hours a week for personal errands, eg. That is just unrealistic and unbelievable and a quick google search would have given the facts to correct this.
This will be my last Danielle Steel book. They just keep getting worse. Feb 17, Debbie rated it really liked it.
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This is about a woman who had a happy marriage when her husband suddenly dies and never updated his will. We share her trial and tribulations as she joins the workforce and has a real scum as a boss. Her strength and character pull her through! Feb 08, Max "Mr Divabetic" Szadek added it. Light, fluffy and not very nutritionally healthy for your brain. No one can deny that Danielle Steel has sold million copies of her books internationally, and every one of her books is a bestseller. She is published in 69 countries and 43 languages but why? After reading this book I concluded people want quick, easy reads with happy endings.
Like an episode of 'Housewives' without the fighting, cursing, backstabbing, etc but with still filled with pages of plenty of eyeliner. I did enjoy details about how Hong Kong has emerged as a fashion capital and just how much work it takes to work in fashion. Jan 29, Mary rated it liked it. Typical Danielle Steel book. It was a quick read, yet same format as most of her books. Something horrible happens to heroine, she fights for herself, and all ends well. If you want an easy, quick read that does hold your interest a bit, this is for you.
Feb 11, Denise rated it really liked it. Danielle Steel has crafted an entertaining read with real characters. There are a few surprise twists and a conclusion that shouts sequel. Aug 23, Jamie Books and Ladders rated it liked it. See this review and more on Books and Ladders! I don't like reading about Perfect People who have "Bad" Things happen to them but there are zero consequences. And they also only ever have things happen TO them, they never do anything wrong.
As I said in one of my status updates, this isn't a fall from grace, this was knowingly jumping out of a plane with a parachute. Aug 12, Kay Cardona rated it really liked it. Danielle Steel is my secret delight.