From Publishers Weekly
amiable third novel to feature the happy O'Malleys of Chicago (after A Midwinter's Tale and Younger Than Springtime) has a scant six pages devoted to the 1950 wedding itself, and not a sprig of holly in sight. The book primarily chronicles the 11 years following the holiday nuptials of Chucky O'Malley and his quasi-foster sister, Rosemarie Clancy. (When Rosemarie's mother died in an accidental fall when Rosemarie was in high school, the O'Malleys took her in.) At age 22, Chucky has already served time in the army, been kicked out of Notre Dame on false charges, and determined on a career in accounting. As the young couple's thoughts turn toward love and marriage, they must confront the demons from Rosemarie's past, including her troubling relationship with her father and the suspicious circumstances surrounding her mother's death as well as her predisposition to alcohol abuse. Greeley's habitual willingness to challenge Catholic dogma on matters such as sex and birth control, as well as his openness to ideas as far-ranging as those of Buddhism and evolutionary science, are in evidence here, and he is nothing if not politically opinionated. As a narrator, the gregarious Chucky, however, commits the sin of pride repeatedly and his self-congratulatory tone tends to grate. (Nov.)
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From Booklist
Greeley, a Roman Catholic priest, sociologist, and best-selling author, is at the top of his game with his latest book, another light romance novel, this one revolving around the O'Malleys (his third work featuring this family). Set in 1950s Chicago,
A Christmas Wedding tells the story of dapper young Chuck O'Malley and his new wife, girl-next-door Rosemarie Clancy. The newlyweds are blissfully in love--until Rosemarie starts to unravel a bit, in the form of drinking binges and episodes of manic behavior. Chuck eventually discovers the source of this pent-up anger; it turns out she was sexually abused as a child and is a suspect in the mysterious, violent death of her mother. Things start to look up for the couple after Chuck uncovers the truth about what really happened to Rosemarie's mother; she begins therapy and they live happily ever after. Although Greeley's fans (and there are many) will definitely enjoy his latest novel, newcomers may find the tone of the story a bit chauvinistic, much of the characterization cliched (particularly regarding Irish American stereotypes and nymphomaniac housewives), and the overblown sex scenes just plain nauseating. Let the reader beware.
Kathleen HughesCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
