St Petersburg: one famous night of violence in the October Revolution ends the lavish life of the Romanov court forever - shattering the dreams of young Countess Zoya Ossupov.

Paris: under the shadow of the Great War, émigrés struggle for survival as taxi drivers, seamstresses and ballet dancers. Zoya flees there in poverty - and leaves in glory.

America: a glittering world of flappers, fast cars and furs in the Roaring Twenties; a world of comfort and café society that would come crashing down without warning.

PRAISE FOR DANIELLE STEEL:

'Emotional and gripping . . . I was left in no doubt as to the reasons behind Steel's multi-million sales around the world' DAILY MAIL

'Danielle Steel is undeniably an expert' NEW YORK TIMES