Melody: A romance

by Elswyth Thane

Popular portrait painter Adrian Locke has the predictable and pleasant life of an accomplished bachelor. Then one morning he receives a letter that begins, "Do you remember Alison Safford? If you don't, I would much rather you made no reply than some vague, polite effort to recall a woman you may not have thought of for nearly twenty years," and his day suddenly fell apart all around him in sharp, shiny pieces. . .

Genres: Fiction, Romance

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1950

About the author

Thane is most famous for her "Williamsburg" series of historical fiction. The books cover several generations of a single family from the American Revolutionary War up to World War II. The action moves from Williamsburg in later books to England, New York City and Richmond, Virginia.

Reviews

[Betsy Garside · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read so many Elswyth Thanes, I thought this was a re-read -- but no, never read. For Christmastime reading by a fire, this is perfect. It reads like a play (has it ever been made over for stage?) and each character is clean and true. Hard to fully grasp the behaviors of some characters if one has not lived through World War II in London -- so a good if brief stretch of the mind.

[CLM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adrian fell in love with Alison Safford many years ago, but she was married and determined to remain loyal to a husband many suspected was abusive to her and her daughter. Now her daughter Monica has come to London to ask whether Adrian ever completed the portrait her mother sat for, and her presence is very disturbing to Adrian, just as he has agreed to marry his old friend Madge...

This was a reread, and while it will never be a favorite Thane, it was an interesting read.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not her best, but this woman can write. Light, romantic, almost like brief scenes of a 30s play.