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Smoky O'Donnell, a naïve young Irish Catholic, arrives in 1966 Atlanta to begin her new job as an editor at the city's Downtown magazine. Her father installs her in a boarding house run by nuns, but she soon moves to an apartment shared with a co-worker.
Smoky's life becomes connected with four different men: her eccentric boss, Matt Comfort; rich Brad Hunt; photographer Lucas Geary; and black civil rights activist John Howard. Each one influences her work and her heart.
The civil rights movement, the Vietnam war, and the feminist movement are main components of the plot, as Smoky struggles to gain her place as a respected reporter.
I identified with Smoky both as a young woman, and as the mature woman she becomes. I felt like I was learning and growing with her. Siddons captures the essence and spirit of Atlanta, and the nation, during the sixties. As usual, her settings are richly described, her characters are likeable and
believable, and there is just the right amount of tension and conflict.
I enjoyed reading this book, but I didn't care for the way the author handled the ending. There are several pages of references to "my husband" before the reader finally learns the identity of Smoky's second husband. I felt the suspense was contrived. In spite of this, I can highly recommend Downtown to anyone who likes women's romantic fiction.
[Downtown was originally a 1994 hardcover.]
Reviewed by Marie DisBrow
for The Road to Romance
January 17, 2005
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