Everything happens for a reason . . . Joachim von Hartmann is born into a wealthy Argentine banking family and spends his early years in Buenos Aires. Blonde-haired and blue-eyed, he has inherited the looks of his German ancestors, while his twin brother Javier could not be more different. Following the death of their father, and when details emerge about Joachim's maternal grandfather's wartime activity, both boys and their mother, Liese, are cast out from the family. After the years of glamour and luxury, she must raise ...
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Everything happens for a reason . . . Joachim von Hartmann is born into a wealthy Argentine banking family and spends his early years in Buenos Aires. Blonde-haired and blue-eyed, he has inherited the looks of his German ancestors, while his twin brother Javier could not be more different. Following the death of their father, and when details emerge about Joachim's maternal grandfather's wartime activity, both boys and their mother, Liese, are cast out from the family. After the years of glamour and luxury, she must raise them alone with no financial support. Eventually Liese meets and falls in love with a French art expert, and she and Joachim move to Paris without Javier, who refuses to leave his beloved Argentina. Rumours soon start to circulate that he's involved in the drugs trade. Following a whim, Joachim moves to England to train as a butler and discovers that he loves his role working for the aristocracy on their fine estates. On the death of his last employer, Joachim decides to move back to France to spend some time with his mother. He finds that there's no call for butlers in Paris, but he does find a job putting his skills to good use acting as assistant and confidant to Olivia, an American who needed to escape her life in New York. Both Joachim and Olivia hold secrets about their past, and as reports come through that Javier's life in the Columbian underworld is spiralling out of control, they must, as brave and honourable people, make some difficult decisions. What they come to understand is that destiny has a hand in their future and everything that came before had a reason. She had come to Paris to find him. The future would unfold as it was meant to and they would face it together.
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Add this copy of The Butler to cart. $3.69, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Macmillan.
Add this copy of The Butler to cart. $13.69, very good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2021 by Macmillan.
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
The Butler by Danielle Steel takes us from Argentina to Paris and New York. This is a unique story for this author with a male protagonist as the main character. Joachim von Hartmann is a modern-day butler in a world where butlers are no longer needed. Olivia White is a woman at a crossroads. She is not sure what she wants to do or where she wants to it. The characters are developed and interesting. I particularly liked Joachim�s mother, Liese. She has a rich, diverse history. I especially enjoyed the work Liese was doing helping to return stolen art from World War II to its rightful owners. Personally, I felt that Liese�s story would have made a more compelling story. Joachim�s life is complicated by his identical twin brother, Javier who joined a drug cartel in Columbia. This provides complications for Joachim. Olivia and Joachim end up working together. They have a companionable relationship. They each get a chance to find their path. While some aspects of The Butler were interesting, others were lackluster. There is quite a bit of repetition and there is mild foul language. The way Olivia was introduced was abrupt. There needed to be a smoother entrance, or it should have been done earlier in the story. She came out of left field. We get to see Joachim discover that a butler�s role is changing and, in many cases, is no longer needed. Olivia must discover where she belongs and what she should do with her skills. The ending felt rushed though it was satisfying. The Butler felt disjointed with repetitive details. This is not my favorite book by Danielle Steel, though, it will not keep me from checking out her future books.
