The Butler by Danielle Steel – a Review

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Description:
Joachim von Hartmann was born and raised in Buenos Aires by his loving German mother, inseparable from his identical twin. When Joachim moves to Paris with his mother in his late teens, his twin stays behind and enters a dark world. Meanwhile, Joachim begins training to be a butler, fascinated by the precision and intense demands, and goes on to work in some of the grandest homes in England. His brother never reappears.

Olivia White has given ten years of her life to her magazine, which failed, taking all her dreams with it. A bequest from her mother allows her a year in Paris to reinvent herself. She needs help setting up a home in a charming Parisian apartment. It is then that her path and Joachim’s cross.

Joachim takes a job working for Olivia as a lark and enjoys the whimsy of a different life for a few weeks, which turn to months as the unlikely employer and employee learn they enjoy working side by side. At the same time, Joachim discovers the family history he never knew: a criminal grandfather who died in prison, the wealthy father who abandoned him, and the dangerous criminal his twin has become. While Olivia struggles to put her life back together, Joachim’s comes apart.

Stripped of their old roles, they strive to discover the truth about each other and themselves, first as employer and employee, then as friends. Their paths no longer sure, they are a man and woman who reach a place where the past doesn’t matter and only what they are living now is true.

Review:

The Butler by Danielle Steel was another one of her excellent standalone novels.  The Butler is a saga about a family that is broken by some of its past, with twin brothers, one bad, and the other good.  The story starts off in Argentina, with the mother and son moving to Paris, with her remarrying; the bad (Javier) brother refuses to leave, and later becomes deeply involved with the drug cartel.

Joachim, our hero, is the good son, who loves his mother, and since many years pass without any knowledge of his twin, he moves on.  Sort of like a Cain and Able story, but Joachim is the hero in this book, with the other reappearing nearer to the end for a very short period.

Joachim decides while still home in Paris with his mother and step father, to go to Butler school, and from there he rises to become the main butler in a wealthy mansion in London for over 16 years, and when the family passed on, he moves back home temporarily to spend time with his now elderly mother.    

We meet our heroine, Olivia, who lives in New York, and recently ran a decorating magazine, which after 10 years failed.  Oliva lost her mother, and decides to use the money bequeathed to her, to spend a year in Paris.  She decides to rent for one year a beautiful charming apartment, and realizes she will need an assistant to help her set up and arrange everything. 

Joachim is bored after a bit, as his mother continues to work, so he decides to take a job as an assistant to pass the time.  With Olivia his employer, Joachim begins to enjoy the different kind of work, as he and Olivia visit places for furniture, antiques, as well as Joachim hiring the help to fix and put all the pieces together.  Olivia finds herself dependent on Joachim, for he has done a fabulous job helping her, and they become friends.   Both Joachim and Olivia are older adults (early 50’s), and each has their own issues to never allow themselves to become involved.  I loved Joachim and Olivia, as they were true and wonderful people, and rooted that they would end up together.

With things going smoothly, Olivia takes a trip to New York to take care of things, and asks Joachim if he wanted to go with her for the weekend.  All hell breaks loose when they arrive, as the police pull Joachim into custody, thinking he is Javier, a known drug cartel member.  When proof is found that he is not Javier, they return to Paris, but things fall apart. Joachim also learns the truth from his mother about the dark days when he was a child, and the family that were criminals. Joachim knowing how dangerous his brother has been all the 25 years he was missing; decides he needs to be protective to both his mother and Olivia. He abruptly will make a decision to leave, in order to keep them safe. Will he find a way to return to them? Will Olivia be able to forgive him for leaving?

The Butler was very well written by Danielle Steel. It was a beautiful story line revolving around two people who led different lives, and a friendship that slowly changed everything.  The story also has a lot of history for both families, with some dark secrets along the way. I suggest you read The Butler, as I enjoyed it very much.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher