Pegasus by Danielle Steel: Book Review

Pegasus by Danielle Steel: Book Review

Pegasus: Overview

This is a story of friendship, and two families who face the consequences of a terrible war, and a stallion that links them forever.
Nicolas von Bingen and Alex von Hemmerle are childhood friends, who are living with their families in peace and luxury on the vast Bavarian estates (being members of German aristocracy). While Nick lives a more carefree life, Alex likes to breed the majestic white Lipizzaner horses, known for their ability to dance and spin on command.
Nick’s father receives a warning from a high-ranking contact inside the Wehrmacht (defence force) saying Nick and his family faces threat from Hitler’s men as Nick’s mother was of Jewish descent
Nicolas and his sons are forced to Germany and sail across the Atlantic for a new life in America; their survival dependent on the precious horses (including two Lipizzaners) gifted by Alex.
Nicolas begins his new life in Florida working for the Ringling Brothers Circus; he becomes Nick Bing and his white stallion is now named Pegasus.
Nick’s family settles in, and are content with the new life in America, though Nick longs for a life outside the circus. Back in Germany, life becomes miserable for Alex as the war intensifies; his daughter finds sanctuary in England.
Decades later, Nick sons are happily manging their horse ranch in America, and they eventually find their left-behind world, thanks once again to a stallion named Pegasus.

Main Purpose & Thesis

Pegasus shows how the effect of a life-changing war on the families of Alex and Nick, two-lifelong friends, and how an amazing gift ties their fates together forever.
Authors sets about achieving the purpose by focusing on the following:

Life changing war: Alex and Nick are German aristocrats, enjoying comfortable lives until Hitler’s rise to power poses a risk to Nick and his children Tobias and Lucas, who happen to be part Jew. Nick is forced to flee Germany and begin a new life in the United States. As things turn worse, even Alex’s daughter Marianne is forced to move to England. The war even claims the lives of Marianne’s husband Edmund and Nick’s son Tobias.

• Two Life-Long Friends: Thanks to Alex’s gift of eight horses, including the Lipizzaner stallion, Pegasus, Nick is able to secure a life for himself and his sons. Nick is grateful to Alex forever and always worries about this safety in the years to come. Their story of friendship echoes across the decades when Nicole meets Alex (Alex and Nick’s grandchildren)
• Amazing Gift: Nick’s survival in another country is dependent on the beautiful horse Pegasus and he does not disappoint. Every time, Pegasus is about to die, Nick pleads with him to get up and Pegasus obliges.

Evaluation

The novel provides an interesting insight into life in the circus, showing the hardships and dangers behind the glitter of the circus world. Nick’s almost instant success as a star attraction may seem a little too easy, but then he had those majestic Lipizzaner’s which the audience had not seen before.

The characters are engaging and the story moves at a good pace. The final chapters move beyond the war years, and follow the fortunes of future generations of the two families. The novel provides an entertaining read and will be especially appealing to all those who love horses.

• Organization: The book is clearly and logically structured. Even the characters are based in three different countries, the author nicely ties them all together
• Methodology: The author uses sound methodology to perform the research part, and ensures the details & facts provided are correct, be it about the World War, the Circus or the Horses.
• Suitability: Pegasus is a wonderful novel of sacrifice, tragedy and hope. The book is interesting to read, and it’s a bit different from the books that Danielle Steele has authored in the past.
• Impact:
  The book is captivating and has got interesting twists and turns. It shows that life can turn topsy-turvy due to external factors, and at times we may have to start from scratch.

  Nick’s success at the circus may seem like an overnight one, but then he had the looks and demeanour of royalty, and he had Pegasus, a Lipizzaner which the audience had not seen before.

  It’s also good to see the bonding between Nick and the horse, and how animals long for love and affection from their owners/handlers

  The author also shows how war can impact families: some are forced to leave their homes forever, while some dear ones are killed in action. You also get to learn a bit about World War 2.

  Towards the end, it looks as if the author is rushing through things, with several characters getting introduced, in order to further the plot.

  In the end, the author nicely brings both the families together, with the horse at the crux and names it Pegasus (once more) indicating that all is well for the families.

Main Review (Body)

Fate of two families, living in peace, takes a cruel turn.
The author starts the book by showing that Alex and Nick are leading a good and content life in the Bavarian countryside, with their horses and huge estate. However, things take an ugly turn as Nick is forced to leave the country as Hitler rises to power. Their lives are now disrupted, and from here on, things would never be the same for anybody.
Nick, who led a carefree life until now, acknowledges the seriousness of the situation and becomes a man overnight. He doesn’t have any skills but knows a bit about horses. Alex suggests Nick take his horses, go to the US and join a circus where he can do equestrian acts. Fortunately, for Nick that’s the only thing that works out for him. Though he is reluctant to move, later on he is thankful to Alex, his horses and with his decision to move to the US.

Chapter 1: Nick and Alex, both widowers, are leading a good life with their children in the Bavarian region. Nick has two kids – Tobias (Toby) and Lucas; his father Paul manages his estate. Alex has a daughter Marianne. Alex is more mature, and loves training horses. Nick, on the other hand, has a more carefree attitude. Both of them love their kids. The political situation in Germany is turning bad but they think they are far away to be affected by it.
Chapter 2: Nick would occasionally catch up with his father Paul von Bingen, who would request Nick to seriously consider looking after their estate, and every time Nick would say that he’s not cut out for it. However, this time when Nick met his father Paul, Paul tells him something that he had never known. Nick’s mother had not died after childbirth and that she was a Jew, which made Nick and his sons’ part-Jew. In the certain political environment, Nick and his children could potentially end up in labour camp. Paul suggests Nick to leave the country, along with his children, at the earliest.
Chapter 3: Alex proposes an Idea to Nick: Nick could take few of his horses and work in a circus in an equestrian act. Nick and Alex write a letter to a circus in Florida asking them to hire and sponsor Nick, who would get along his horses. The idea works out as the circus agrees to hire Nick and sponsor him (Nick’s other job applications are rejected)
Chapter 4: Everybody reaches the port were Nick, his children and the horses board the ship. It’s an emotional scene as nobody is sure if Nick and his sons would ever come back to Germany. Yet, deep within, Nick’s father Paul and Alex could see the positive side of it; things could have gotten worse for them in Germany.
Chapter 5: The horses find it difficult on the ship as they suffer from seasickness. Pluto, Nick’s chief horse lies down and doesn’t get up for quite some time. Nick knows that if Pluto doesn’t get up on his own in a few hours, he could probably end up dying. A depressed Nick whispers in Pluto’s ears that his and his children’s life depended on his survival and he pleads with the horse to stay alive. Fortunately for Nick, it turns out that way as Pluto gets up on his feat.
Chapter 6: Nick meets Monique, an attractive lady, on the ship but maintains a distance from her. Nick and Monique explain their background to one another, and they understand why their relationship could not go further, at least at that moment.

Nick’s family reaches America; a new life awaits them at the circus
Nick’s life changes overnight. A man born into aristocracy now leads the life of a common man. However, Nick is thankful to Alex, Pegasus and America for the new life. Although not a great life, Nick is aware that things could have been worse for them back in Germany. Soon, Nick and his children get adjusted to the Circus. Even though Nick is grateful to the Circus, deep within, he knows that he can’t be tied to the Circus for ever; he longs to be somewhere else.
Nick sees there’s a hierarchy in the circus as well, with some performers considered to be greater than the rest. While clowns are funny to see, Nick is not happy that his son Lucas wishes to be a clown and wants his son to aim for something higher in life. But them he knows that Lucas is just a kid, and doesn’t fret over it. Nick is also livid that some of the performers do acts without any safety measures as they are insecure about their position in the Circus. Nicks falls in love with a much younger woman, Christianna, and gets married to her.

Chapter 7: Nick and his horses finally reach New York from where they take a train to Florida. Joe Herlihy from the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ circus comes to receive them at the Sarasota station in Florida. Joe takes Nick, his children, and his horses in a truck to their winter headquarters at the fairground. Nick didn’t expect the circus to be so big, and the information that Joe shared made Nick realize that it was like a big community staying together. Nick’s new home was a in a trailer; it had two-tiny bedrooms. Their new home was much smaller compared to their house in Germany. But Nick understands that things could have been worse.
Chapter 8: John Ringling North, owner of the circus ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’, recommends Nick and his horses change their names to sound more dramatic, and more like royalty. So Nick von Bingen becomes ‘Count’ Nick Bing. John is mighty impressed after seeing the rehearsal of Nick and his horses and christens the main horses – Pluto as Pegasus (flying horse of Greek legend) and Nina as Athena. He also signs the employment letter of Nick; Nick now has a job, with decent salary, in America. Back in Germany, things get worse for the Jews as thousands are attacked; the Germans call it the ‘’Kristallnacht’.
Chapter 9:
Nick and his children now know a lot of people in the circus and have friends. Nick understands there is sort of hierarchy in the Circus, and some acts (and its performers) are considered more worthy than others. Lucas likes being with clowns and wishes to be one, although his father Nick thinks Lucas should aim for something higher. Nick and his children are invited by Gallina (mother of Rosie and Katja) for Traditional ‘Thanksgiving’ meal; they all have a great time them.
Chapter 10: Nick and his horses perform at the Christmas show in Sarasota, where Nick is shocked to watch Christianna perform on the high wire, without any safety net below. In the past, Christianna’s family members have been grievously injured doing the same act. Despite the dangers, she continues doing that act as people came to see the act for the same reason – it looked dangerous. Next day, Nick’s son Lucas is hurt trying to do the same act on a practice wire that is hung at a much lower height. Christianna nurses Lucas and tells Nick that everything was fine with Lucas. Nick urges Christianna to use safety measures for her act, but she says the audience likes it that way. Nick and Christianna start liking each other, although Christianna thinks they are not destined to be together, not because their age difference was a lot, but because as Nick belonged to high status family and was not fit for the Circus, whereas she belonged to the Circus.
Chapter 11: Circus owner North decides to get Christianna involved in Nick’s act to make it more interesting. Nick and Christianna were happy with the development as the new act gave them more time to be together. Christianna and Nick want to keep their romance a secret for the time being, Christianna’s family members are getting suspicious about Nick and Christianna and didn’t want the two to work together, but North would have nothing of it.
Chapter 12: Nick’s opening night performance with Christianna in New York turned out flawless. The circus performed in several cities across America. In the meantime, Nick and Christianna manage to spend a lot of time together. Nick says one day he would like to settle down with Christianna in a horse ranch someday where he would breed Lipizzaners.
Chapter 13: Germany was at war against much of Europe and the news started affecting the people at the Circus as they had families back home. Tensions started increasing in the circus too as non-Germans would get into fights with German crew members. Nick is depressed to hear about the problems in Germany and is sad that he is not with Alex and his Dad during these testing times. Later, Nick is invited for dinner at Christianna’s place, where he gets to talk to her family. The family, who had an inkling about their affair, approved of Nick as he came across as a honest person and he cared for Christianna. Nick raises the importance of having a safety net for Christianna’s act, but the family brushes the concern aside and say nothing would happen to Christianna.
Chapter 14: At the end of November, while Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, things get worse in Europe. The army occupies the Bavarian countryside, and inform Alex that they may take over his horses for the war. Food was provided through rationing, there were no servants available, there was limited fuel to keep the big house warm. Alex and his daughter had to do most of the work of maintaining the horses. Paul dearly misses his son and grandchildren and is sick most of the time, has no interest in maintaining the estate. Paul dies peacefully in his sleep.
Chapter 15: Gallina wants Nick to admit that Nick and Christianna are in love, as many around them could guess that by now. Christianna informs her dad, Sandor, that the two are in love. Nick tells her dad that as soon as he can offer a better life to Christianna, he will propose marriage, and tells him that he needs a safety net as gift. Nick receives a telegram saying his father Paul von Bingen is no more. Nick realizes that his door to Germany has been shut forever.

Casualties of the World War and the impact on families
As the war intensifies, it starts engulfing various families. Unable to bear the separation of Mick and his kids, and with no hopes of things improving anytime soon, Paul dies in his sleep. Alex, who always felt that he and his daughter wouldn’t be seriously affected by the war, now fears for Marianne’s safety as the army reaches the Bavarian countryside. Alex sends her daughter to England. People in the Circus are worried about their families back in Europe, and there’s friction among the Germans and non-Germans in the Circus. Marianne’s husband and Nick’s son are killed in battle; both are devastated. Alex, who is now all alone and looking for some purpose in life starts helping the Jews and is full of hatred for the Nazis; he engages in subversive activities and is shot dead. Marianne gives birth to Violet; years later Violet’s path will lead towards Nick’s family.

Chapter 16: Post Paul von Bingen’s death, German army takes over Paul’s Schloss (manor house). A terrified Alex feels it’s no longer safe for her daughter to stay there as the men could stop at nothing; they were already eyeing his horses. Alex writes to his friend, Charles Beaulieu, based in England, asking for a favour – he wanted Marianne out of Germany. Because Germany was at war against England, Alex routes the letter through a common friend in New York.
Chapter 17: Charles Beaulieu replies saying they would be happy to accommodate Marianne till things turn normal in Germany. Alex figures out its best for Marianne to go to England, via Belgium (a neutral country in the war). He strikes a deal with a German Army Colonel, he gives him a Lipizzaner in exchange for travel papers to Ostend, Belgium. The deal works out. Marianne prepares to leave for Hertfordshire in England.
Chapter 18: After a long, tiring journey Marianne reaches the huge castle of Charles Beaulieu in Hertfordshire, England. Isabel Beaulieu, wife of Charles, warmly welcomes Marianne.
Chapter 19: Nick is happy that Marianne is safe in England with the Beaulieu’s but sad to hear that Alex is all alone now. The Beaulieu’s had two sons – Simon and Edmund, who were in the RAF and would frequently go on air-raids. Edmund and Marianne fall in love and decide to get married. Back in Germany, Alex who is all alone, finds some purpose by helping a Jew escape from the clutches of the army.
Chapter 20: Edmund and Marianne get married but Alex is unable to attend the wedding. Nick also makes up his mind to marry Christianna, and the wedding is held in the Circus. Thanks to Nick, from here on, Christianna would perform with a safety net; the crowd cheers on spotting the safety net.
The Japanese bomb Pearl Harbour in Hawaii. The US immigration officers come to the fairground for questions; they offer asylum to Jews, including Nick and his children. Toby joins the Army.
Chapter 21: As the war intensifies, Toby is posted at unknown locations for service. Nick’s communication with Toby, Alex and Marianne (via Toby) decreases. Marianne’s baby is due shortly, husband Edmund’s leave is cancelled at the last moment as he has to go on an important mission. Unfortunately Edmund’s plane is shot down over Cologne and he is killed. Few days later Marianne delivers a baby girl, whom they name Violet.
Chapter 22: Nick’s son Tobias Bing is also killed in action. Nick is inconsolable but still performs that night, After the event, lost in toby’s thoughts, Nick couldn’t see an object on the path that serious hurts Pegasus’ foreleg and tears his ligament. The vet recommends putting down Pegasus, but Nick chooses to take the horse to a ranch to heal. Few weeks later, Nick, along with Christianna, drove down to the ranch to check up on Pegasus. But Pegasus shows no signs of improvement. Nick has to take a decision (whether to put down Pegasus); Christianna suggests Nick to say the same words that he told Pluto (Pegasus) when he was lying down on the boat. Nick talks to Pegasus and tells him how much he is missed. Finally, Pegasus gets up and is ready to walk, as if nothing had happened; it seems he was just missing Nick all these days.
Chapter 23: Christianna reveals to Nick that they are going to have a baby. Nick asks Christianna to take a break from work for a year, but Christianna fears she will be replaced. Eventually, she agrees to do only the horse act, and not the high wire act. Christianna delivers a baby girl in their trailer, and they name the girl Chloe.
Chapter 24: Alex hated the Nazis for bringing his world apart, though he was relieved that his daughter Marianne was in England. He helped more Jews escape, and even took part in attacks against the Nazis; that was his way of taking revenge and it also gave him some purpose in Life. The colonel, whom Alex had gifted his Lipizzaner Favory (in exchange of travel papers for Marianne) knew what Alex was up to (engaged in subversive activities). The colonel gets into a heated exchange with a fearless Alex and ends up shooting Alex dead, but not before Alex shot dead the horse Favory (which was more of a status symbol for the colonel).

Nick’s sons find a future and their left-behind world
War is nearing its end. Marianne marries an officer from Virginia and moves to the US after the war. Nick also doesn’t go back to Germany after the war; he sells his property and finally buys a horse ranch in California, which allows him to provide a more normal life to his family (outside of the circus).
Times flies by, the kids grow up. The author introduces several characters to further the plot, but deftly ensures there’s a link back to the important characters like Alex, Nick and Pegasus.
Lucas’s son is now named Alex (after Marianne’s father). Violet’s daughter is named Nicola (after Nick). Decades later, fate brings Alex and Nicola together, who feel overwhelmed on knowing about their beginnings. A horse is once again instrumental in bringing the two together, and he’s named Pegasus too, a good omen for the families.

Chapter 25: Circus meets with a major accident; a huge fire engulfs the circus killing hundreds. They decide to end the season early, due to the accident. Nick is unhappy with the insecure, nomadic existence and wants to give a better life to his family, including their new child Chloe.
The Beaulieu’s are worried as Marianne goes into depression after her husband and father’s death. Isabel suggests Marianne to shift to London, where their cousins lived. Marianne moves to London and likes the new environment and the young crowd. She meets Arthur Garrison, a young officer from Virginia and they decide to get married. The war ends.
Chapter 26: After the war, Marianne goes to Germany to sell her Estate, she orders a headstone for her father’s grave, signs all the papers with the lawyer, and returns to England. Unlike Marianne, Nick doesn’t go to Germany, and accepts the offer he gets for his estate; he also finds out that his Jewish mother has been killed. Nick now had the money to buy a ranch in California, however Christianna was not ready to leave the circus. Nick and Christianna pay a visit to Marianne & Arthur, who are now married and settled in Virginia. Nick, who had made up his mind to quit the Circus, decided to get separated from Christianna and move to California with son Lucas; but in the end, Christianna decides to go with Nick.
Chapter 27: Nick finally builds a ranch in Santa Ynez, names it Pegasus Ranch. Marianne has four kids from Arthur (three boys and a girl), and Chloe from Edmund. The kids have grown up. Lucas marries Sally and they have a child whom they name Alex (after Marianne’s father). Marianne dies in a road accident. Violet gets married and has a girl whom they name Nicola (after Nick). Nick loves spending time with his grandson Alex on the ranch; Nick dies peacefully riding a Lipizzaner.
Chapter 28: Alex and Nicole (Nicky) meet at an auction in Hertfordshire in England, where Alex loses to Nicole while bidding for a Lipizzaner. Later, when they chat they realize about their past and how they have been named after their great grand-parents. Alex is a divorcee with no kids, and Nicole is still single. Nicole is unable to train the Lipizzaner, named Snowy, which she had won at the auction. She takes the horse to Alex and says she wants to gift it to him, as it’s of no use to her. Alex names the horse ‘Pegasus’ and is able to comfortable ride the horse. Alex and Nicole develop a liking for one another. Lucas is happy to see that all was well in their world and Pegasus had come home.

Conclusion

Author Danielle Steele’s Pegasus is more of a romantic story, set in the environment of Nazi Germany.
Alex and Nick see their world shattered by the long-lasting war in Germany/Europe. Yet, the two care for one another till the end. Nick remains grateful to Alex forever, because it his horses that help him sail through those uncertain and trying times. Decades later, their grandchildren recall those amazing stories and this time also, it a horse that brings them together and is a cause of happiness.

Although the novel starts on a great note and progresses well through the middle chapters, it seems a bit rushed towards the end with several characters getting introduced. However, the novel is well-researched and has a nice structure to it.

The Nazi Germany background also makes for a wonderful thought-provoking storyline. The world knows about the atrocities committed on the Jews but the author Steel does a good job of making the reader experience this appalling part of history by showing its effect on the various families.
But the way the actions of Nick and Alex affect their future generations, and the manner in which the two families come together after decades, makes you thoughtful.
 

Negative Points / Critcism

The story seems a bit rushed in the latter half, as several characters get introduced, who really do not impact the plot in any significant way. Suddenly everyone grows up in one of the chapters.
The story covers a bit of everything – Romance, Human-Animal bonding, and the World War. Perhaps, the author should have focused more on one of these aspects and made it the main theme of the book.

Details of the Book

Steel, Danielle. Pegasus. London: Penguin Random House, 2014
Number of pages – 458

Background of the Author

Danielle Steel is one of the world’s most popular and highly acclaimed authors, with over ninety international bestselling novels in print, and more than 600 million copies of her novels sold. Some of her works include His Bright Light, A gift of Hope, Pure Joy, Prodigal son, Winners, A Perfect Life (just to name a few).

In 1989, she was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having at least one of her books on the Times bestseller list for 381 consecutive weeks. Twenty-one of Ms. Steel’s novels have been adapted for television, each earning high ratings and critical acclaim, including two Golden Globe nominations for JEWELS.

From an education in New York and Europe to a professional background in public relations and advertising, and teaching, Ms. Steel moved on quickly to her literary career and has been hard at work writing ever since. She wrote her first book at nineteen. Often, she works on five books at a time — researching one storyline, writing another, and editing the third. Still, she often spends two to three years researching and developing a single project. In the heat of a first draft, it is not uncommon for her to spend eighteen to twenty hours a day glued to her 1946 Olympia manual typewriter.

Ms. Steel also has a passionate interest in emerging contemporary artists. She had her own contemporary art gallery, in San Francisco, for several years, and continues to sponsor and organize free-lance art shows and events to show the work of emerging and mid-career artists. She has a degree in design herself.
In 2002, Ms. Steel was decorated by the French government as an “Officier” of the distinguished Order of Arts and Letters, for her lifetime contribution to world culture. She was awarded the second highest rank of the Order.
Ms. Steel has varied philanthropic interests. She founded and runs two foundations, one named in honor of her late son, The Nick Traina Foundation, which funds organizations involved in mental illness and child abuse. The second was established to assist the homeless.

She has raised nine children of her own. And despite her several interests, her family is her first priority, despite her many interests.

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