The Perfect Love Song: A Holiday Story [Hardcover]

Patti Callahan Henry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 2010

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?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A musician discovers the dangers of overnight fame in Henry's hackneyed holiday throwaway. Jimmy Sullivan lives on the road with his brother and his band, intent on getting away from unpleasant memories of his childhood. But when his brother, Jack, falls in love with childhood sweetheart Kara and returns home to be with her, Jimmy unexpectedly falls in love with her best friend, Charlotte, and writes her a love song that catapults him toward unexpected fame--but without Charlotte or his band along for the ride, Jimmy must decide what's most important to him. This wallows in the pitfalls of intrusive narration, simplistic storytelling, and overly moralistic asides, and is stocked with characters with all the staying power of a snowflake in July. (Oct.) (c)
Copyright © PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Musicians Jimmy and Jack Sullivan left their hometown as children to escape from an abusive father. When they return years later, both brothers fall in love with local girls. Jack proposes to his girlfriend, and Jimmy writes “the perfect love song” for his. When the song becomes a hit, Jimmy is faced with difficult choices about his love interest, his family, and his career. All three collide in a conflict between an important Christmas Eve concert and his brother’s Irish wedding, which will be graced by the presence of the boys’ now-reformed father. The conflict begs for a miraculous Christmas resolution, and Callahan doesn’t disappoint. Told by a folksy narrator, this slim novel has the feel of a holiday-season made-for-TV movie. One can almost hear the voice-over, although the chatty narrator and the various regional dialects of Ireland and the American South can occasionally become cloying. Overall, the narrator does make for an effective literary device, which is necessary in such a slim book. An attached discussion guide rounds the book out nicely, even for the solitary reader. --Marta Segal Block

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Vanguard Press (October 12, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593156162
• ISBN-13: 978-1593156169
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #795,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Patti Callahan Henry is the New York Times Bestselling author of seven novels--Losing the Moon, Where the River Runs, When Light Breaks, Between the Tides, The Art of Keeping Secrets, Driftwood Summer and The Perfect Love Song: A Holiday Story.

Patti was a finalist in the Townsend Prize for Fiction and twice a nominee for the Southeastern Independent Booksellers Association Fiction Book of the Year. Patti is hailed as a fresh new voice in southern fiction. She is a frequent speaker at luncheons, book clubs and women's groups where she discusses the importance of storytelling and anything else they want to talk about.

Patti grew up as a Minister's daughter, learning early how storytelling effects our lives. She grew up spending her summers on Cape Cod where she began her love affair with the beach, ocean, tides and nature of the coast. Moving south at the tender age of twelve, she found solace in books and stories. While attending Auburn University, she met a southern boy who later proposed on Daufuskie Island, South Carolina, next to a historic lighthouse overlooking the Sound. After earning her Master's degree in Child Health, Patti worked as a Clinical Nurse Specialist until her first child was born.

Patti is a full time writer, wife and mother living with her husband and three children outside Atlanta on the Chattahoochee River where she is working on her eight novel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Healing Power of Love, March 14, 2011

By 

Becca Chopra (Big Island of Hawaii) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Perfect Love Song: A Holiday Story (Hardcover)

I was drawn to read this book because it deals with injured souls who have faced abuse and loss of self-esteem, and recover their true, whole selves through the healing power of love. Callahan Henry explores the myriad ways love offers a creative and healing catalyst for the two brothers, partners in a band. It is written in a very sentimental style, with a narrator's voice inserting wisdom from Irish folklore and storytelling along the way. While it was a little saccharin for my taste, I liked the device of the narrator, which kept the story interesting for me. I also love storytelling and its healing power, which is why I used that style in my own recent novel, The Chakra Diaries.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars entertaining character study, October 10, 2010

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Perfect Love Song: A Holiday Story (Hardcover)

Jimmy Sullivan writes a beautiful Perfect Love Song for his beloved girlfriend Charlotte Carrington. The lyrics are so well received; he leaves Palmetto Pointe, South Carolina to go on tour with his brother Jack, their band The Unknown Souls and a who's who of country music. He enjoys the glitter of the bright lights, the fame of people remembering his name, and the side benefits of being with the legends.

However, his family and that girlfriend who he wrote his original song for are upset with Jimmy. Indifferent to their pleading, he chooses to perform on Christmas Eve at Radio City Music Hall instead of being the best man at his brother's wedding. Will success spoil Jimmy Sullivan as he wanders alone in Manhattan on Christmas Eve?

The Perfect Love Song is an entertaining character study that modernizes the movie Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? Jimmy is an intriguing lead protagonist who chose career over love so we naive romance fans will feel no empathy for him though logically we understand his opportunity choice. Fans who enjoy a warm relationship drama will want to read Patti Callahan Henry's tender tale.

Harriet Klausner

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this author., January 6, 2012

By 

Kimberly K. Zeilinger "Movie Buff" (Fredericksburg, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Perfect Love Song: A Holiday Story (Hardcover)

I loved this book. It was an easy read and perfect for the holidays. I have read every one of this author's books. I am never disappointed. The book came to me in perfect shape. Will probably read it again at Christmas next year.