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Center Street
March 2011
On Sale: March 2, 2011
Featuring: Sheila McGee; Gavin O'Rourke; Joel Solomon
336 pages ISBN: 1599952009 EAN: 9781599952000 Hardcover
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Fiction
Abandoned by her father and neglected by her self-centered,
unstable mother, Sheila McGee cannot wait to escape the
drudgery of her mill village life in Northern Ireland. Her
classic Irish beauty helps her win the 1941 Linen Queen
competition, and the prize money that goes with it finally
gives her the opportunity she's been dreaming of. But Sheila
does not count on the impact of the Belfast blitz which
brings World War II to her doorstep. Now even her good looks
are useless in the face of travel restrictions, and her
earlier resolve is eroded by her ma's fear of being left
alone. When American troops set up base in her village, some see
them as occupiers but Sheila sees them as saviors--one of
them may be her ticket out. Despite objections from her
childhood friend, Gavin O'Rourke, she sets her sights on an
attractive Jewish-American army officer named Joel Solomon,
but her plans are interrupted by the arrival of a
street-wise young evacuee from Belfast. Frustrated, Sheila
fights to hold on to her dream but slowly her priorities
change as the people of Northern Ireland put old divisions
aside and bond together in a common purpose to fight the
Germans. Sheila's affection for Joel grows as she and Gavin
are driven farther apart. As the war moves steadily closer
to those she has grown to love, Sheila confronts more
abandonment and loss, and finds true strength, compassion,
and a meaning for life outside of herself.
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