The Gift by Danielle Steel

Published by

Sarah Ann

on

December 26, 2014

This is probably the second novel by Danielle Steel I’ve ever read in my entire life. I’ve always felt her stories are predictable and no fun.

The Gift was included in a giant box of books I bought at a yard sale. If this were any other title, I would have tossed it in the donation pile, however, I have a soft spot for holiday books, so I kept it around.

The novel begins with an introduction into the background of 5-year-old Annie Whittaker and her family. Annie’s mom Elizabeth was 41 years old when she gave birth to Annie, who apparently, according to the narrator, is the sweetest, most angelic child in the world. But tragically, Annie dies from meningitis a few days after Christmas. In the year following Annie’s death, Annie’s parents and brother Tommy drift apart as they cope with their grief.

Shortly after Annie’s death, in a small town a few hours away, 16-year-old Maribeth goes to a school dance and leaves with a popular senior jock to make out at the local lookout point. When Maribeth learns she’s pregnant, her father kicks out her out of the house and sends her to a convent to give birth. Feeling lonely, unhappy, and unloved, Maribeth runs away again in pursuit of a new life and a fresh start.

Maribeth settles into a new town and works as a waitress at the local diner. She meets a man named Tommy Whittaker and they fall hopelessly in love with one another. Maribeth is welcomed into the Whittaker home with open arms, and she soon learns more about what she really wants from life after her baby is born.

Danielle Steel has an interesting writing style. In the middle of paragraphs, she has a tendency to switch character perspectives. For example, the first half of a paragraph will describe Tommy’s thoughts, and the second half of a paragraph will describe Maribeth’s thoughts. It’s very confusing and makes for choppy reading. As a result, The Gift is difficult to follow, and not very great.

This story is also fairly predictable. There isn’t anything phenomenal about it and I’m sure anyone can guess what happens to Maribeth, her baby, Tommy, and the rest of the Whittaker family after reading the synopsis.

Danielle Steel has written about a million novels and she’s still going strong. Some of her other titles:

What are your thoughts? What’s your favorite book by Danielle Steel?

Last Updated on February 26, 2026 by Sarah Ann

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