A Capital Holiday

Janet Dailey

Jocelyn Wakefield is the President's grown daughter. Her mother died in an auto accident while she was a teenager. Now that she has finished college and her father is president, she has agreed to take on the duties of First Lady. She does everything right and is America's sweetheart. Jocelyn is tired.

She looks longingly over the Mall and the Washington Monument. She would love to have a chance to go out in those crowds again and rediscover Washington on her own, unknown. But with her life, that can't happen. Or can it? She devises a way to escape for just one day, to relax, be herself (sort of - she'll be in disguse), and be a tourist. Her grandmother is delighted to assist her, with many references to the old movie, Roman Holiday.

Grady Tucker is a political humorist columnist for the local newspaper. His column is popular and funny. He has a sharp eye and a soft tongue with the edge of a sword. He doesn't crucify anyone in his column. Yet people know what's happening when they read "Tuck's Take".

One Saturday morning Grady is walking his rambunctious dog, Molly, around the Mall as usual. Molly, as usual, doesn't watch where she is going. Molly knocks over "Lynne Jones". Grady helps her up and is immediately smitten (yes, the word fits here). Jocelyn is unhappy that her vacation day is getting a bad start. And it soon goes downhill, with Grady and the mysterious Obidiah Melichoir providing the downhill slope.

This is a charming book. It is not great writing; it's fun, easy reading. It's a book about escape and love at first sight. It's a book about Christmas (although it is set in November) and fantasy. This is a perfect book to while away a couple hours on a rainy afternoon curled up in an armchair with a cat on your lap, hot cocoa at your fingers, and a fireplace blazing.

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