The Prodigal Daughter (Hardcover)

Some may argue that Jeffrey Archer cheats the reader since approximately the first 200 pages are a recap of KANE AND ABEL. However, instead of getting the story from the viewpoint of the two men, we see the events throught the eyes of Abel's daughter Florentyna and the added insight makes the second telling of the events highly worthwhile.

Florentyna Rosnovski is a formidable and unforgettable character. She endears herself to readers as a young girl through her relationship with her governess Miss Tredgold and her adventures from elementary school through college. Even the expected meeting with Richard Kane takes on new dimensions as they marry despite the deep rejection by both fathers.

It was after the initial marriage and career boom that I thought the book faltered slightly. Florentyna became too perfect, everything came too easily, and even the tragic events did not seem to touch her as I would have expected. However, her rise to fame and her battle to achieve her childhood ambition by becoming President of the United States is a page-turning read, one that will surely satisfy fans of KANE AND ABEL.

This turn out to be an incredibly disapointing book, so much that I had to make a huge effort to keep reading and dont put the book on the trash.

More than half of the book only repeats what we already knew from "Kane & Abel", and the rest was just the worst plot ever.

How can someone writte so well first and then just be the worst writter ever?

I just regret to have buy this book in the first place.

I like the book also because its protagonist is a woman. She was gifted with beauty and spirit but above all with an indomitable will. There's a lot of politics involved in this book but nonetheless a terrific book with a twist in the end. The rest of the story is filled with betrayals, political intrigues and suspense, some tragic incidents like Richard's death, follows the pursuit of Florentyna to reach the highest office of the country.

Most people are of the opinion that this book was better than Kane and Abel but I would anytime choose the latter over this book. Even though I put the heavily detailed politics in the book as a minus point, it is that very portion which gives life to the book. I recommend this book to all those who have already read Kane and Abel or even otherwise. This book rightly proves that Mr. Archer is a great storyteller.