When Emily Thayer tells her family that she is going to marry Roger Field, they tell her he will never set the world on fire. That’s just fine with Emily. She wants the world “peaceful and pleasant and safe.”
Emily gets her wish.
Roger is predictable and their marriage happy. In the years before and during World War II, Roger rises in his law firm by dint of hard work rather than brilliance. Together Roger and Emily expand their acquaintance beyond Beacon Hill society to Boston’s immigrant community, represented in Roger’s firm by a token Jew, a token Irishman and a token Italian.
David, Brian, and Pell, the “new Boston” lawyers, are vivid and vigorous characters who introduce Roger and Emily to facets of life they hadn’t known existed.
And Roger and Emily surprise themselves by discovering new facets of their own personalities. The plot grows organically out of those personalities.
Even though Emily thinks herself capable of an affair, in imitation of her impressive grandmother, readers realize a grand passion is not Emily’s style. Emily is believable in part because she remains true to her essential personality.
In Joy Street, Frances Parkinson Keyes gives readers a story that, like Emily’s world, is peaceful and pleasant and safe.
Joy Street By Frances Parkinson Keyes Jullian Messner, 1950 490 pages 1950 bestseller #2 My Grade B+
I had no idea a book set in Boston was a #2 best seller back in 1950. Thanks for the review!
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My name is Piter Jankovich. Only want to tell, that your blog is really cool
And want to ask you: is this blog your hobby?
P.S. Sorry for my bad english
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Yes, Piter, reading old novels is my hobby and the blog is my place to store and share my reactions.
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