It's tough being a road musician, always out away from home
and family. For Jimmy Sullivan, his brother, Jack, and their
band, The Unknown Souls, have been out trying to make a name
for themselves for quite a while. Without a place to
call home, the boys lead a nomadic life filled with music
and anonymous cities. When they return to a place Jimmy
never thought he would want to see again— their old hometown
of Seaboro, South Carolina— he falls in love with his
childhood friend Charlotte Carrington.
Head over heels in love, Jimmy writes his first love song
for Charlotte. When he performs it at a holiday concert to
a standing ovation, the lyrics are dubbed the "Perfect Love
Song," so much so that Jimmy soon finds himself going on a
whirlwind holiday tour where his song is a big hit
everywhere he goes.
But as is common in the music world, the feelings that had
once inspired such beautiful, genuine lyrics are soon
overshadowed by what the song can do for him and his
career. Caught up in the publicity, the fame and the
fortune of all his new-found success, he agrees to miss
Jack's wedding in Ireland to sing at a Christmas Eve
concert that will be televised to millions. His
relationship with Charlotte is damaged, and Jimmy finds he
must choose between stardom and a chance to spend his life
with the woman he loves.
I have enjoyed Patti Callahan Henry's books for several
years, and was delighted to find out she had written a
Christmas story this year. A semi-sequel to her previous
book, When Light Breaks, it was a real treat to
revisit the familiar surroundings and warm characters that I
enjoyed in that story.
THE PREFECT LOVE SONG incorporates the voice of a
narrator, one lively Irish lady named Maeve Mahoney, who
although now deceased continues to be interested in the
lives of her beloved friends and guides them to the
happiness they so richly deserve. Gotta love a pushy Irish
ghost!
Henry also captures the behind-the-scenes workings of the
music business with accuracy, including all the wheelings
and dealings that often go on in spite of what the
musicians and performers want. And this story also includes
a great look at how true love can overcome overwhelming
obstacles.
I found THE PREFECT LOVE SONG to be a perfect Christmas
story to start off the season!
Jimmy Sullivan has been living on the road with his brother,
Jack, and his band The Unknown Souls. Without a place to
call home, Jimmy and Jack lead a nomadic life filled with
music and anonymous cities. When they return to a place
Jimmy never wants to see again--their old hometown of
Seaboro, South Carolina--he falls in love with Charlotte
Carrington.
With his soul now filled with hope, Jimmy writes his first
love song. When he performs it at a holiday concert to a
standing ovation, the lyrics are dubbed the "Perfect Love
Song," so much so that Jimmy finds himself going on tour
with famous country music stars, catapulted into a world
where the trappings of fame and fortune reign supreme.
All too soon, the hope that had once inspired Jimmy to write
such beautiful, genuine lyrics is overshadowed by what the
song can do for him and his career. In his thirst for
recognition, he agrees to miss Jack's wedding in Ireland to
sing at a Christmas Eve concert. And his ties to Charlotte
seem to be ever so quickly slipping away.
Alone in New York City on Christmas Eve, Jimmy finally
sees--with the help of a Christmas miracle or two--that his
material gains are nothing compared to love, that he is
losing all that really matters in his life. Is it too late
to find his way to Ireland, to his brother, and to love?
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