The Convict Lover: A True Story

This is a truly unique book. In 1987, a cache of letters, albums and clippings was discovered in the attic of a house in Kingston, Ontario, the bits and pieces of an unknown woman's life. Among the overflowing boxes and stuffed sugar sacks was a collection of letters from the months immediately after the First World War, a one-way correspondence written in pencil on flimsy paper. From this careless jumble of papers, there emerged unforgettable characters and an extraordinary story: a convict, a village girl, a penitentiary, and the town that lived in its shadow. The Convict Lover is a dazzling blend of historical detective work and imaginative recreation. You'll be spellbound by the relationship that unfolds through the very secretive, unconventional contacts made between one Joseph Cleroux and his link to the outside world, Phyllis Halliday. Excellent read. This book is an extraordinary stroke of literary good fortune. A wonderful read.

This is a truly unique book. In 1987, a cache of letters, albums and clippings was discovered in the attic of a house in Kingston, Ontario, the bits and pieces of an unknown woman's life. Among the overflowing boxes and stuffed sugar sacks was a collection of letters from the months immediately after the First World War, a one-way correspondence written in pencil on flimsy paper. From this careless jumble of papers, there emerged unforgettable characters and an extraordinary story: a convict, a village girl, a penitentiary, and the town that lived in its shadow. The Convict Lover is a dazzling blend of historical detective work and imaginative recreation. You'll be spellbound by the relationship that unfolds through the very secretive, unconventional contacts made between one Joseph Cleroux and his link to the outside world, Phyllis Halliday. This book is an extraordinary stroke of literary good fortune. A wonderful read.

This story combines all the finest elements of a good read - it is a true story of the incongruous love between a young girl and a convict in the nearby Kingston Penitentiary based on letters found in the author's attic. Merilyn has researched meticulously so that the story combines in a realistic fashion the daily life of both the young girl - who is a romantic schoolgirl, often home ill and living in a strictly religious family - and the convict - who is an American imprisoned in Canada and determined not to let his sentence interfere with the quality of his life. Through their letters, a picture emerges of the young man and the daily ritual that is his life in one of the newest penal institutions. The young girl uses her imagination to find ways to supply him with ordinary things that have extraordinary meaning inside prison walls. She buys him tobacco, mails his sister letters and sends him presents on holidays. Their relationship serves to increase her self confidence as she is shy, private and somewhat poor in health. This book is a powerful story touching upon prison life, life as a young girl and the strange ways fate can bring two disparate people together.