Publisher's Synopsis
August Derleth wrote a number of long stories-novellas and short novels-in the 1930s and 1940s, chiefly for women's magazines such as Redbook; but these tales are far more than the sentimental romances that were featured in these periodicals. Two of these best of these stories appear in this volume. "Lamplight for the Dark" tells the poignant story of Marsala Linley, an unhappily married woman who is attracted to the pianist and composer Paul Hallam, but feels obliged to stay in her marriage for the sake of her young son. "The Odyssey of Janna Meade" relates how the title character, although losing out to another woman for the affections of the businessman Kit Mason, takes a job at his company and proves to be an invaluable assistant-and is also available to express sympathy when Kit's marriage falls apart. Both of these stories feature the delicate character portrayal that Derleth always managed in such narratives, and their resolutions are profoundly satisfying and true to the complex figures who lead their lives in these pages.
