A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW is a tale of first love set in Boston
1895, where a girl from
an Irish family is spoilt for choice between two hard-
working young men - if only they weren't both such rogues!
Marceline Murphy comes back from a few years in New York to
her family's Boston house, having attracted young men's
gazes since her coming-out dance, and goes straight to see
her friend Julie O'Rourke. Julie has a brother called Sam,
and with his charming pal Patrick O'Connor the friends used
to climb trees and play tag. Sam and Patrick however have
matured into rogues with money for beer in Brannigan's Pub
in their pockets. They work for the Boston Herald - on
the loading dock at present, but they have ambitions to
rise to the newsroom. The two young men are caught tippling
the sacristy wine one day by Father Fitz, who knows their
boss and sentences them to voluntary work. The lads are
disgruntled until they learn that Julie and her fetching
friend Marcy are organising the fundraiser Christmas play
and the soup kitchen.
Marcy is pursued by first one light-hearted lad then the
other, but she has no intention of parting with even a
kiss. A girl disgraced in this rigid community is a girl
whose life is destroyed, while the double standard means
that the men's reputation precedes them. Auditions for the
play, called A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW are held during summer,
so Patrick has plenty of time to help in the soup kitchen,
surprising himself by enjoying it, and Sam has a good
chance to get cosy with the girl of his dreams. Then the
preliminary takings are stolen and the young men show what
they are really made of, shocking Marcy beyond measure.
A fine picture is painted of Boston at this time, from the
wealthy householders to the vulnerable children of the
Southie district. A depression in 1893 laid off many
workers and the effects are still being felt. The priest
is an influential figure in society and commands respect
from the wildest hooligans. I disliked the subtitle
however: An Irish Christmas Story, when the book was
neither. Also, reflecting the Christian ethos of the
author Julie Lessman, on several occasions the characters
spend pages discussing their faith and need for faith in a
partner. Once or twice to establish their attitudes would
have sufficed; after that the reader just starts to skip
pages to get on with the story. While this is not a fast-
paced tale it will appeal to fans of more serious
historical romances, with occasional humour, and the good
heart demonstrated by Marcy's giving a role to an
overlooked girl in a wheelchair is just as necessary in
today's larger community. This has also been written as a
prequel to the Daughters of Boston series.
One Woman. Two Men. One stirs her pulse and the other her faith. But who will win her heart? Marceline Murphy is a gentle beauty with a well-founded aversion to rogues. But when two of Boston's most notorious pursue her, attraction, dreams and faith only muddle her mind. Can the light in the window illuminate the path of true love?
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