Werner Family Saga Series by Belva Plain

"A grand, sweeping panorama . . . richly written, finely detailed . . . vivid and memorable."--Daily News (New York) Yearning for a better life, Anna Friedman fled Poland for New York at the turn of the century. Finding work as a maid for the Werner family, Anna discovers an elegance beyond her dreams--and the passion of Paul Werner, a man beyond her reach, even when she is in his arms. But it is Joseph Friedman whom she marries... more"A grand, sweeping panorama . . . richly written, finely detailed . . . vivid and memorable."--Daily News (New York) Yearning for a better life, Anna Friedman fled Poland for New York at the turn of the century. Finding work as a maid for the Werner family, Anna discovers an elegance beyond her dreams--and the passion of Paul Werner, a man beyond her reach, even when she is in his arms. But it is Joseph Friedman whom she marries. And through an act of illicit passion that will haunt her though all her days, Anna lifts Joseph from poverty to a wealth on which the Friedman dynasty would be based for generations. Sweeping from Jazz Age New York to Nazi Germany to a sun-baked Israeli kibbutz, Evergreen has become a modern American classic--an epic novel that spans three generations of an unforgettable family--and exposes the heart of an extraordinary woman: her marriage, her children, her deceit."A magnificent story . . . this beautifully written book will be treasured and reread for many years to come."--Library Journal less

In this magnificent return to the world of Evergreen, Henrietta Roth, an extraordinary woman, fights to control her destiny; and three turbulent generations come vividly to life against a background of immigrant struggle, war, and passion."A page-turner... Hard to put down." -- The Washington Post

Beginning in 1920, paralleling Hitler's rise to power, and encompassing World War II, Bleva Plain's new novel weaves the threads of history into a brilliant tapestry. As vivid events plunge the world into a dizzying vortex of change, an unforgettable American Family must summon up extraordinary courage to face birth, death, murder, illicit passion, and a great tragedy... and one passionate man must fight his own war against evil—a war that can be won only with honor, integrity, and love.

An unforgettable novel yielding the fruit of hidden passions, corrosive secrets, and tragic rebellion that simultaneously shape and echo the fortunes of three generations.

Few authors have understood the tender intricacies of relationships better than the incomparable Belva Plain. For three decades her deeply moving epics have captivated the hearts and imaginations of readers everywhere. Now, in her final novel, she comes full circle with the themes she took up in her very first work, Evergreen , bringing us this unforgettable story of family and friendship, love and marriage, the challenges of life and the true secret of happiness... moreFew authors have understood the tender intricacies of relationships better than the incomparable Belva Plain. For three decades her deeply moving epics have captivated the hearts and imaginations of readers everywhere. Now, in her final novel, she comes full circle with the themes she took up in her very first work, Evergreen , bringing us this unforgettable story of family and friendship, love and marriage, the challenges of life and the true secret of happiness. Though Iris Stern considers herself a modern woman, with a successful academic career and a happy marriage, she still holds steadfast to her old-fashioned sensibilities. But as the mother of three adult children, each with their own lives and burdens to bear, she often finds those sensibilities called into question when confronted with the choices her children have made. For one of Iris’s daughters, it’s the choice of a fresh start in New York City—and a last chance to save her troubled marriage. While Laura and Robbie cope with an impending separation and its effect on Iris’s young granddaughter, Iris herself must come to grips with the discovery of a long-held family secret. But it’s an emotional parting of another kind that looms most prominently on Iris’s horizon—as neither her beloved husband, nor the solidity of her own marriage, is immune to the ravages of time. Through separations and reunions, the changes we cannot avoid and the love that sustains, Iris will weather whatever lies ahead with a faith that cannot be shaken. Like the inmost rings of a tree that abide through the generations, she will be as strong as heartwood. From the Hardcover edition. less