Joy Street (novel)
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 1950 |
| Founder | Frances Parkinson Keyes |
| Products | Book |
Joy Street is a novel written by Frances Parkinson Keyes and published in 1950. Although it was released on December 1, it secured the position of the second highest-selling novel in the United States for that year. The book had an initial print run of 110,000 copies, with total sales reaching 140,285 by the end of 1950. By the mid-1950s, more than two million copies were in circulation. It also remained at the top of the New York Times Best Seller list for eight consecutive weeks during 1951.
The storyline is set in Boston and centers on a married couple dealing with the rigid social expectations of Boston's elite. According to Kirkus Reviews, it is a "meticulously caparisoned romantic novel." William Darby characterized it as "a typical woman's novel" that "progresses at a painfully slow tempo."
Joy Street was featured as a serialized story in Good Housekeeping magazine during November and December of 1950.
Major characters
- Emily Thayer Field – Roger Field’s wife and member of the prominent Thayer family.
- Roger Field – A Boston attorney working at Roscoe, Cutter, and Mills.
- David Salomont – A Jewish lawyer at Roscoe, Cutter, and Mills; he is the first from the firm to enlist in the American World War II effort and develops romantic feelings for Emily.
- Brian Collins – An Irish attorney at Roscoe, Cutter, and Mills; initially seen as a hindrance but later becomes a political supporter of Roger; hesitant at first but eventually participates in the war effort.
- Pellegrino "Pell" de Lucca – An Italian lawyer at Roscoe, Cutter, and Mills who also serves in the American World War II effort.
- Evelina "Old Mrs." Forbes – Emily’s grandmother with strong political connections reaching up to President Roosevelt.
- Simonetta de Lucca – Daughter of Carmella and beloved of Pell; she is initially mistaken for Pell’s cousin.
- Carmella de Lucca – Pell’s adoptive mother; deeply religious and embittered; only distantly related to Pell by blood.
- Priscilla Thayer – Emily’s cousin who aspires socially and receives Emily’s assistance to gain entry into Boston society.