Der Ring Aus Stein

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

First sentence: Kassandra von Gotthard sat peacefully at the edge of the lake in the Charlottenburger park, watching the water ripple slowly away from the pebble she had just thrown.

Year

1980

Language

English

Publisher

Dell

Editions

36

Pages

480

ISBN

9780440173922

Data source: Wikidata