Echoes

A mother's love, a daughter's courage

… and their unwavering faith

ECHOES

PRAISE FOR

DANIELLE STEEL“Steel pulls out all the emotional stops.… She delivers.”—Publishers Weekly“Steel is one of the best!”—Los Angeles Times“The world's most popular author tells a good, well-paced story and explores some important issues.… Steel affirm[s] life while admitting its turbulence, melodramas, and misfiring passions.”—Booklist“Danielle Steel writes boldly and with practiced vividness about tragedy—both national and personal… with insight and power.”—Nashville Banner“There is a smooth reading style to her writings which makes it easy to forget the time and to keep flipping the pages.”—Pittsburgh Press“One of the things that keep Danielle Steel fresh is her bent for timely story lines…. The combination of Steel's comprehensive research and her skill at creating credible characters makes for a gripping read.”—Newark Star-Ledger“What counts for the reader is the ring of authenticity.”—San Francisco Chronicle“Steel knows how to wring the emotion out of the briefest scene.”—People“Ms. Steel excels at pacing her narrative, which races forward, mirroring the frenetic lives chronicled; men and women swept up in bewildering change, seeking solutions to problems never before faced.”—Nashville Banner“Danielle Steel has again uplifted her readers while skillfully communicating some of life's bittersweet verities. Who could ask for a finer gift than that?”—Philadelphia Inquirer

PRAISE FOR THE RECENT NOVELS OF

DANIELLE STEELECHOES“Courage of conviction, strength of character and love of family that transcends loss are the traits that echo through three generations of women….A moving story that is Steel at her finest.”—Chattanooga Times Free Press“Romance and risk mark the latest adventure from the prolific Steel, as a young woman must survive the Nazi regime if she is to be reunited with her family.”—Sacramento Bee“Get out your hankies… Steel put her all into this one.”—Kirkus Reviews“A compelling tale of love and loss.”—BooklistIMPOSSIBLE“Steel knows what her fans want, and this solid, meaty tale will not disappoint them.”—BooklistSECOND CHANCE“Vintage Steel.”—St. Paul Pioneer Press“Gazillions of readers around the globe worship Steel's books.”—New York PostRANSOM“This suspense novel has automatic appeal for Steel fans.”—Booklist“A surefire best seller.”—New York Daily NewsSAFE HARBOUR“Danielle Steel offers readers a poignant tale of friendship, family, and hope. The relationships are full, and the unforgettable spirit with which the characters struggle to renew their love for life marks this book a treasure.”—Oklahoman“Her page-turning plot and charming depiction of loving relationships will endear Ms. Steel to her fans.”—Library JournalJOHNNY ANGEL“Call us sentimental, but sometimes we prefer the classic authors. Make it a point of pride to read Johnny Angel.”—Chicago Sun-TimesA MAIN SELECTION OF THE LITERARY GUILD

AND DOUBLEDAY BOOK CLUB

Also by Danielle Steel

To my beloved children, who are

so infinitely precious to me, each

of them so special:

Beatrix, Trevor, Todd, Nick, Sam,

Victoria, Vanessa, Maxx, and Zara.

May the echoes of your past, present,

and future always be kind and gentle.

With all my love,

Mommy

d.s.

“It's a wonder I haven't abandoned

all my ideals. They seem so absurd and

impractical. Yet I cling to them because

I still believe, in spite of everything,

that people are truly good at heart.”—Anne Frank“Whoever saves one life, saves a

world entire.”—Talmud

1

IT WAS A LAZY SUMMER AFTERNOON AS BEATA WITTGEN-stein strolled along the shores of Lake Geneva with her parents. The sun was hot and the air still, and as she walked pensively behind them, the birds and insects were making a tremendous racket. Beata and her younger sister Brigitte had come to Geneva with their mother for the summer. Beata had just turned twenty, and her sister was three years younger. It had been thirteen months since the Great War had begun the previous summer, and this year her father had wanted them out of Germany for their holiday. It was late August 1915, and he had just spent a month there with them. Both of her brothers were in the army and had managed to get leave to join them for a week. Horst was twenty-three and a lieutenant at divisional headquarters in Munich. Ulm was a captain in the 105th Infantry Regiment, part of the Thirtieth Division, attached to the Fourth Army. He had just turned twenty-seven during the week he spent with them in Geneva.