From her secret perch at the top of the stairs, Gabriella Harrison watches the guests arrive at her parents' lavish Manhattan townhouse. At seven, she knows she is an intruder in her parents' party, in her parents' life. But she can't resist the magic. Later, she waits for the click, click, click of her mother's high heels, the angry words, and the pain that will follow. Gabriella already knows to hide her bruises, certain she is to blame for her mother's rage--and her father's failure to protect her.Gabriella's only escape is through her stories. Only writing can dull the pain of her lonely world. And when her parents' marriage collapses, Gabriella is given her first reprieve, as her mother abandons her to a convent. There, Gabriella's battered body and soul begin to mend. And there, amid the quiet safety and hushed rituals of the nuns, Gabriella becomes a woman. Then a young priest comes into her life. Joe Connors never questioned his vocation until Gabriella entered the confessional and shared her soul. Confession leads to friendship. And friendship grows dangerously into love. Like Gabriella, Joe is haunted by the pain of his childhood, consumed by guilt over a family heartbreak. With Gabriella, Joe takes the first steps toward healing. But their relationship leads to tragedy as Joe must choose between the priesthood and Gabriella, and life in the real world where he fears he does not belong.With profound insight, Danielle Steel has created a vivid portrait of a child's broken world and a woman's unbreakable spirit. A work of daring and compassion, The Long Road Home is more than riveting fiction. It's an inspiration to us all.