#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In Danielle Steel’s powerful new novel, four trauma doctors—the best and brightest in their field—confront exciting new challenges, both personally and professionally, when given an unusual opportunity. Bill Browning heads the trauma unit at San Francisco’s busiest emergency room, SF General. With his ex-wife and daughters in London, he immerses himself in his … immerses himself in his work and lives for rare visits with his children. A rising star at her teaching hospital, UCSF at Mission Bay, Stephanie Lawrence has two young sons, a frustrated stay-at-home husband, and not enough time for any of them. Harvard-educated Wendy Jones is a dedicated trauma doctor at Stanford, trapped in a dead-end relationship with a married cardiac surgeon. And Tom Wylie’s popularity with women rivals the superb medical skills he employs at his Oakland medical center, but he refuses to let anyone get too close, determined to remain unattached forever.
These exceptional doctors are chosen for an honor and a unique project: to work with their counterparts in Paris in a mass-casualty training program. As professionals, they will gain invaluable knowledge from the program. As ordinary men and women, they will find that the City of Light opens up incredible new possibilities, exhilarating, enticing, and frightening.
When an unspeakable act of mass violence galvanizes them into action, their temporary life in Paris becomes a stark turning point: a time to face harder choices than they have ever made before—with consequences that will last a lifetime.
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Realistic characters, gritty settings and compelling drama! It’s rare not to be drawn into a Danielle Steel novel within a few paragraphs of the first chapter and her latest release is no exception! With well-crafted words, we’re transported quickly into the minds of four doctors, all working in trauma departments at different hospitals around San Francisco. Descriptive settings take us into a day in the life of each doctor without portraying it in a gruesome fashion that might detract from your enjoyment of the book. They are all drawn together to be part of a dual-city mass injury training venture with four doctors in Paris. The romance is light since there are multiple characters to center around, but the drama is spot on to carry you throughout the book. Really enjoyed it!
Bill Browning heads up the trauma unit at San Francisco’s most volatile emergency room. With his ex-wife raising his daughters in London, he throws himself into working around the clock and dreams of those moments when he gets to visit with his girls. This trip will bring him to their side of the world for a few weeks and he’s beside himself with happiness about that. Stephanie Lawrence is on the fast track as a trauma doc at Mission Bay. She has two young sons and a work-from-home husband who grows more frustrated with the time she spends at the hospital every day. All she’s ever dreamed of is so close she can taste it, she just needs to stay on track to lead it all one day. This training trip is going to be a sore point for her family. Wendy Jones is a leading trauma doctor at Stanford but her personal life is in a rut that she doesn’t seem to be able to overcome. She’s boxed herself into a corner as the mistress to a cardiac surgeon who seems to have gotten comfortable having his lady on the side while having his wife at home instead of following through on all that he promised her in the beginning. Tom Wylie is a love ’em and leave ’em player of a doc at Alta Bates, but he’s the type of guy that everyone loves. Upbeat and always smiling, Tom is the life of the party. He has no plans to settle down and isn’t ashamed of the parade of women he has marching through his bed.
These four doctors are chosen as the top of the city to travel to Paris to train with a team of their counter-parts in mass-casualty situations. It’s fashioned to be a huge learning experience for both cities, and along the way they learn more about themselves and each other. When a severe attack happens, they find themselves thrust full force into the terror they are training for, making decisions that will change lives!
Turning Point by Danielle Steel has us heading to San Francisco, California. Bill Browning is head of the trauma unit at San Francisco General Hospital. Since his divorce, Bill has thrown himself into his work. His ex-wife, Athena lives in London along with their two daughters. Bill looks forward to his rare visits with his two girls. Stephanie Lawrence is married to freelance writer, Andy who stays at home and takes care of their two boys. Stephanie is a trauma doctor at UCSF where she works long hours in her goal to become head of trauma. Andy resents her long hours and their bickering has been escalating. Tom Wylie is the charming emergency room doctor at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland and is popular with the female staff. Tom spends his free time at the local hot spots and has no interest in a long term relationship or marriage. Wendy Jones works in the trauma/surgical critical care center at Stanford and has had a six year relationship with the married Jeffrey Hunter. Wendy looks forward to their Wednesday evenings, but holidays are a lonely time for her. On Christmas, a fire breaks out in a major hotel flooding all their hospitals with victims. In Paris, which is San Francisco’s sister city, terrorists bomb luxury stores and a movie theater causing a massive number of causalities. In the New Year, these four doctors are given the opportunity to journey to Paris to participate in a four week mass-casualty training program. Four physicians from Paris will then come to San Francisco so the two countries can learn from each other. The four San Franciscan doctors bond immediately and look forward to their time in Paris. When a tragedy strikes a Paris school, it causes the doctors to re-evaluate their lives and the choices they have made.
Turning Point is a realistic story that lets us see tragic events from the point of trauma doctors and emergency services. I thought Turning Point was well-written with a steady flow. I found Turning Point to be a compelling novel. I was drawn into the story wanting to see what choices the doctors would make. Going to Paris is a wonderful opportunity for each doctor, but two of them must make a sacrifice. Stephanie is leaving behind an angry husband and two distraught children. However, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and it is an honor to be picked to participate. Wendy is giving up her Wednesday nights with her lover. She has made great sacrifices to be with him, but she is beginning to wonder if he feels the same way about her. I will admit that her whining did grate on me after a while. I could have done with less of Wendy waxing on about Jeffrey and their relationship. Tom is looking forward to the Paris nightlife while Bill will be able to see his girls every weekend. Tom is a charmer and his character provided levity to the book. Tragedy has a way of making people evaluate their lives as we see in Turning Point. It was interesting to learn more about the roll of trauma doctors and how emergency services operates in another country. I did find some of the medical information presented to be intricate and I would find myself skimming through that paragraph. Other medical knowledge imparted was straightforward and easy to understand. There is, of course, romance in the story but it is light. I liked the Parisian medical professionals and how their stories mixed with the doctors from San Francisco. It is amazing how chaos can bring about change. I am giving Turning Point 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). Those readers who are addicted to Grey’s Anatomy will enjoy reading Turning Point. I look forward to Ms. Steel’s next book which is Silent Night.
Enjoyed the book. It was a page turner and entertaining. Daniel Steel was her usual self. All things worked out as they do in life. It may not always be as you like; but as it should be. Realistic.
I have never read a book of Danielle Steel that I have not loved. This was
especially good. Great Read
Danielle Steel is one of my favorite authors and Turning Point does not disappoint. Set in San Francisco, four of the top trauma doctors are chosen to go to Paris to train with their top doctors in a mass casualty training course. When an unbelievable act of mass violence hit Paris all their training is put to the test. I loved the book! Definitely recommend!
Love all xDanielle Steele books
Did not want the book to end. I wanted to follow he characters further!
This shares the lives of a trauma surgeons lifes and the impact of being on call and in evolved in disaster situations
I should have finished this book tonight but I stayed up till 2am to finish it then was sorry I did could not put it down, LOVEED this book
Enjoyable, Steele predictable.
This was an easy read, informative, great characters, and a great ending.
Always a good read when it’s Danielle Steele
I have found that Danielle Steel’s books are hit or miss on strong women characters. In reading Turning Point, I found it very difficult to believe that 2 women who had trained and worked to reach the top of the professions would be so insecure. Dr. Wendy Jones has been involved with a married doctor for almost 10 years and cannot break away. Stephanie Lawrence has chosen her profession over her marriage and her sons until she meets a French Doctor (also married). She has decided to chuck her career and move to Paris! Really!
An awesome book. Extremely entertaining, captivating, and interesting read. I could not put it down. Wonderfully written with strong and intriguing characters. I want to read more from this author. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
I love Danielle Steel books and always get them once they come out. I loved this book! Doctors who are trauma doctors do an exchange with doctors in France to learn trauma and terror techniques. They do a month long exchange in each country and learn from each other. When i Paris the doctors are exposed to a real terrorist attack and have to put their education to use. Besides their lives as doctors they also have personal lives that can be affected by this experience as well. This book is a page turner and one that you will like!
Well researched and written as is expected of Danielle Steel’s novels. Characters are human and plot is realistic and thought provoking.
In true Danielle Steel fashion there is something for almost everyone in this book. The subject matter is current, real and seemingly plausible. Four American Doctors are invited to France teach and learn from their four French counterparts with a reciprocal trip soon after. The setting is one we are sadly all to familiar with these days. I write this as a terrorist just shot up a Christmas village in Europe and there is an international man hunt for him. I enjoyed almost everyone in the book. The 2 characters I found not only annoying, but that they in some way detracted from the story were Stephanie and Gabriel. Other than being good medical professionals they have no likable qualities. She is dismissive of her husband and his “little” job, absolutely thinks she is better than he is, believes that because she lived through her dad being a dr and never being around that it is fine for her boys too and that they’ll “be fine” and won’t even remember her not being around. And she gives so little credit to her husband for picking up the slack. Just because her father was never around and she is “fine” doesn’t make her behavior or mothering okay. I see lots of therapy in their future and few visits to their mom when they are grown men. Does her job save lives yes. Does it give her the right to be so dismissive no. To be treated equally doesn’t require that she has to take on the persona of a 1950’s man. Gabriel is an opportunistic unlikable man. He is honest and that goes in the plus side. He wants her to give up everything. Her life in the US, her ability to practice medicine and he doesn’t want to divorce his wife because that “isn’t the way the French do things” Seriously. They actually deserve each other and Stephanie’s husband deserves better. Aside from those two I adored the book. The characters all interesting and smart. We get to see them transform from chapter to chapter in lovely ways. They grow as people as friends and as doctors. Even with two awful people it is a book worth reading. It isn’t often that there are detestable characters in her novels and if there is they usually come out the other side better or healed. These two did not. Fortunately the rest did and made it well worth the read.
This story pulled me in from the very first page.. Being that I’m in the medical field, I’m always intrigued on medical stories and this one did not disappoint me. Four Emergency/Trauma doctors from San Francisco travel to Paris to gain knowledge are faced with much violence. This story also delves into their personal lives and what a true commitment that they have with their careers.
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, they were all very likeable other than Stephanie. She put her career first over her family, but I was happy with her decisions. Loved Bill, such a good dad to his daughters. Poor Wendy, always the other woman. Then you have Tom, the playboy. What a cast of characters!!
It has been a few years a few years since I have a book from Danielle Steel but this one stole my heart and I could not put it down. I highly recommend this story.
Turning Point is about four American Trauma Surgeons who are chosen to go to Paris for four weeks to learn how they deal with mass casualties. Then they return with their four counterparts to train in San Francisco. Turning Point took on a subject that although a horrible reason to have to get training in this world at this time it is so necessary. The writing is excellent, the characters believable and well developed and the story was interesting. I must say I’ve been reading Danielle Steel books for years and I’ve loved them all. Turning Point is her latest book and it is another great one. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.