Characters Never Too Late Danielle Steel

Sam Stewart in Never Too Late: A Character Analysis of Love, Loss, and Second Chances

Overview

Sam Stewart is a celebrated movie star and Kezia Cooper Hobson’s neighbor in a Manhattan penthouse. He appears first on the night of the July Fourth terrorist bombings, when he and Kezia witness the attacks together and immediately volunteer at the disaster sites. Over the course of the novel, Sam evolves from a supportive stranger into Kezia’s romantic partner, sharing both the trauma of the attack and the healing that follows. His character is marked by humility, emotional honesty, and a steadfast belief that it is never too late to build a meaningful life.

Plot Role

Sam acts as a catalyst for Kezia’s reinvention after widowhood. His presence during the crisis gives her a reason to step back into nursing, the career she abandoned decades earlier. He also represents the possibility of new love at a stage of life when Kezia had resigned herself to solitude. Beyond the romance, Sam’s relationship with his adult son John creates a parallel family arc that eventually merges with Kezia’s when John and her daughter Kate become a couple. The unlocked door between their apartments becomes a physical symbol of their blended lives.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Sam is driven by a need for genuine human connection rather than fame or fortune. Although he is “America’s biggest movie star” (Evidence chapter 14), he pays no attention to his stardom and acts with remarkable humility. He volunteers to carry body bags during the rescue effort, works alongside Kezia without any pretense, and reveals his personal history only after trust is built. He chooses scripts carefully, believes in hard work over overnight success, and came from a normal Philadelphia family where his father was a lawyer.

His motivation for moving into the penthouse after his wife Audrey’s death is telling: he could not bear staying in the apartment they shared, because he kept expecting to see her. This shows his deep capacity for love and grief. With Kezia, he is cautious but open, admitting that he has not been with anyone since Audrey except one mistake. Their relationship develops slowly, with Sam suggesting they let it “emerge gently” (Evidence chapter 13) rather than announce it prematurely—a sign of respect for both their pasts.

Sam’s integrity is also evident in his relationship with his son John. He worries about John’s revolving door of flashy girlfriends and hopes his son will find a genuine partner, which ultimately happens with Kate. Sam does not interfere but offers quiet support and advice.

Chronological Arc

Sam’s arc moves from isolated widower to integrated partner and family man.

  • The Crisis (Chapter 3): He appears at Kezia’s terrace hedge after the bombings. Together they volunteer all night, bonding over shared horror and purpose.
  • Deepening Friendship (Chapters 4-6): As the lockdown continues, they spend time together. Sam shares his life story: his happy marriage, his son John, his acting career, and his grief. He encourages Kezia to consider returning to nursing, telling her “it’s never too late to do what you love” (Evidence chapter 3).
  • Romance Blossoms (Chapters 10-11): They share a romantic dinner and a kiss on the terrace. Sam invites Kezia for a weekend away to a secluded Long Island hotel. They become physically and emotionally intimate.
  • Life Together (Chapter 13): They unlock the door between their apartments, effectively merging their spaces. The door had been installed in case someone bought both penthouses; Sam had already purchased his when Kezia bought hers. “Now we can go back and forth without climbing through the hedge” (Evidence chapter 13).
  • Healing and Integration (Chapter 14): Sam takes Kezia to a Wyoming dude ranch for nine days, calling it almost like a honeymoon. They return to find her apartment fully furnished. Kezia is accepted into NYU’s nursing program. At Labor Day in the Hamptons, Kate arrives with John as a couple, and Sam and Kezia’s families begin to blend. The novel ends with both partners pursuing fulfilling new chapters.

Relationships

With Kezia: Built on mutual vulnerability and respect. Both are widowed, both have adult children, both are gentle and unassuming. Sam never uses his fame to dominate; Kezia often forgets he is a star. Their physical relationship renews after years of celibacy—Kezia has not been with a man since Andrew, and Sam since Audrey except one regretted encounter. They communicate openly about their fears and desires.

With John Stewart: Sam is a devoted father who wants his son to find genuine love. He is not intrusive but offers wisdom when asked. After John breaks up with Caroline, Sam texts to check in. When John eventually dates Kate, Sam is delighted—the relationship brings him closer to Kezia and fulfills his hope for John.

With Others: Sam maintains a low-key social circle that includes photographer Louise Smith. He is polite to Kezia’s daughters and patient with her family dynamics. He never seeks the spotlight, even attending the massive healing memorial mass at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral as one of two million.

Key Decisions and Consequences

  1. Deciding to volunteer at Ground Zero – This act of service bonds him irrevocably with Kezia and shows his character under pressure.
  2. Revealing personal history to Kezia – His honesty about Audrey’s death and his son creates the intimacy necessary for romance.
  3. Inviting Kezia on the Long Island weekend – This moves their relationship from friendship to physical and emotional partnership.
  4. Unlocking the door between apartments – A deliberate step toward permanent cohabitation, signaling commitment without marriage pressure.
  5. Supporting Kezia’s return to nursing – He not only encourages her but celebrates her acceptance into NYU’s program. His belief that it’s never too late directly enables her reinvention.

Theme and Symbol Connections

  • Reinvention and New Beginnings – Sam embodies the novel’s central message. At sixty-plus, after losing his wife, he finds love again and supports Kezia in restarting her nursing career. The unlocked door is a literal threshold to a new life.
  • Grief and Loss – Both Sam and Kezia carry deep grief. Sam’s move to the penthouse, his confession about the one mistake, and his careful pacing of the new relationship all reflect his healing process.
  • Mother-Daughter Relationships – While Sam is a father, his bond with John parallels Kezia’s with her daughters, especially when the two families merge.
  • Self-Discovery and Identity – Sam’s identity is not wrapped in being a star; he discovers himself as a partner, father, and survivor through the crisis and romance.
  • Healing After Trauma – The July Fourth attack is the crucible in which Sam and Kezia’s bond is forged. Their shared volunteer work and later escape to Wyoming are steps in processing trauma.

Five Book-Specific Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Sam want to keep his relationship with Kezia private at first?
    He suggests letting it “emerge gently” to avoid pressure from their children and the media. Both have long first marriages and want to protect the fragile new connection.

  2. How does Sam’s conversation with Kezia about her nursing career change her path?
    He tells her, “It’s never too late to do what you love,” which echoes her own thoughts and gives her permission to re-enter nursing. Later, she applies to NYU and is accepted.

  3. What does the unlocked door between the apartments symbolize?
    It represents their commitment to sharing lives without formal marriage. Sam says if he ever finds it locked, he will know he is in trouble (Evidence chapter 13).

  4. How does Sam’s past help him connect with Kezia during the crisis?
    Being a widower himself, he understands sudden loss. He shares his grief over Audrey, which makes Kezia feel less alone. His humility keeps his fame from becoming a barrier.

  5. What role does Sam play in John’s romantic decisions?
    Sam is a sounding board but does not direct John. He expresses concern about John’s girlfriends and eventually approves of Kate, whose relationship with John delights Sam and deepens his bond with Kezia.

For more context on these themes, see our guide to reinvention and new beginnings or the ending explained. For a full list of questions, visit the questions and answers page.