Re-Read Challenge Review: The Prodigal Daughter by Jeffrey Archer

Posted March 31, 2009 by Tracy in Reviews | 9 Comments

With a will of steel, Polish immigrant Florentyna Rosnovski is indeed Abel’s daughter. She shares with her father a love of America, his ideals, and his dream for the future. But she wants more to be the first female president.

Golden boy Richard Kane was born into a life of luxury. The scion of a banking magnate he is successful, handsome, and determined to carve his own path in the world-and to build a future with the woman he loves.

With Florentyna’s ultimate goal only a heartbeat away, both are about to discover the shattering price of power as a titanic battle of betrayal and deception reaches out from the past-a blood feud between two generations that threatens to destroy everything Florentyna and Richard have fought to achieve.

I read this book about 19 or 20 years ago and even then it had been out for a long time – having been published in 1982. I’ve had it on my shelf ever since and really wanted to read it again. I had read Kane and Abel, the first book in this series and it was great so immediately moved on to this one. I think I liked this book even better back then because after reading K & A I liked the bits of romance that The Prodigal Daughter had in it. The style of books that I enjoy now are much different that what I enjoyed waaaaay back when.

It’s interesting to me that the blurb for this book reads like a romance, which this book is not. It’s more a life story with a relationship intertwined. The book basically is about the life of Florentyna Rosnovski. It pretty much starts with her birth and moves on with great detail through her schooling, her successes and her failures – which there aren’t many.

Florentyna had wanted to be the President of the United States since she was 11 and her father was all for it. I don’t know that he actually believed that it was something that she could accomplish but he was behind her 100%. Her father being a polish immigrant that came to America and became a hotel mogul and subsequently a millionaire.

Florentyna made some decisions that her father didn’t care for…mainly falling in love with his life long rivals son, Richard. But they were very happy – she started her own business and eventually took over the hotel business for her father putting her political aspirations aside for many different reasons. Eventually she runs for office becoming first a Congresswoman then a Senator and eventually…well, I won’t ruin it for you if you plan to read it. 🙂

This is a really good book but I have to say it wasn’t quite as good for me as it was 20 years ago. The main issue I had with the book was the fact that I was told the story with a few instances of being shown thrown in from time to time. It drove me batshit. lol By the time I was a quarter of the way through the book I just wanted to say to the narrator, for that’s how it felt to me, to shut the hell up and let me read! It truly put a damper on my enjoyment of the book. What I didn’t even notice before drove me crazy now.

Again I say…this was a good book. It’s a great story and it’s interesting. But if you don’t like being told a story then this wouldn’t be good for you to read as it will probably have the same effect on you as it did me! I have the next book in this series that I never read but I think I’ll have to pass on it. Maybe in 20 years…

Rating in 1989: 5 out of 5

Rating in 2009: 3.75 out of 5


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9 responses to “Re-Read Challenge Review: The Prodigal Daughter by Jeffrey Archer

  1. Interesting review Tracy!! Sometimes, it’s fun to read books like this one, where you follow the relationships of a character through her/his entire life.

    Did it feel very dated?

  2. I don’t even know what to say about this book :), except that it’s old :P! But I think that’s cool that you picked a book that you read so many years ago.

  3. Nath – It was kind of fun to go through her life…although she didn’t die in the end so it wasn’t her ENTIRE life.
    Actually no it didn’t feel too dated. Maybe because it was started in the 30’s? IDK.

    Amy – LOL I made you speechless. haha. Yes, it was interesting to read one that I’d read so long ago. Next time I think I’ll pick one that I only read a couple of years ago! 🙂

  4. Wow! I love the cover. It reminds me of the John Jakes covers of the 70’s and 80’s. Actually, the story sounds very much in his style, too. More of a saga than romance?

  5. I used to love epics like this. Although I’ve never read Archer, he’s a fave of GG. Next time we get together you guys will have books to talk about! 😉

  6. Renee – definitely more of a saga than a romance. Florentyna’s life and of course her political aspirations.
    That is the cover of the book that I read even though it has changed over the years. This picture was the only that I could find that matched and I found it on ebay! lol

    Rosie – I don’t know if GG and I would have much of a conversation as I’ve only read 2 of Archers books but it’s nice to have something in common with “the man”. 🙂

  7. LOL, those are words I was looking for: epics and saga. Sometimes, it’s really fun to read books like that 🙂

    Glad it didn’t feel date… it probably should be available at the library… hmmm.

  8. Hehe, funny that you say the blurb reads like a romance because when I read it I said to myself that it did not sound like a romance at all. LOL

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