The Man Around The Corner

The book begins shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, as a young man, Curtis Ward, leaves his small town and joins the United States Marine Corps. His ex-girlfriend, Mary Mullen, runs around with several men in the same small town, Valley Springs, in central Pennsylvania. The promiscuous Mary wreaks havoc as she tries to marry into the wealthy Franklin family, while Curtis endures the Marines' rigorous boot camp.

Mary's first phase of pursuing a secret plan succeeds, and she gets Roger Franklin to marry her. However, she delves too far and too close to home with her lewd behavior, which leads to serious consequences.

The earlier stages of this fast-moving book take a satirical look at love, romance, and debauchery in small-town life, in stark contrast to the horrendous conditions of fighting in the Pacific jungles. Then Curtis distinguishes himself in battle.

The setting shifts to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, where everything in Curtis's life changes for the better. There, he meets a spirited young nurse, Sarah Betts, at a Melbourne hospital. The fireworks begin when, for the first time in his life, Curtis learns the true meaning of love.

The storylines continually shift between the crazy goings-on in Valley Stream, PA, and the solid, sometimes humorous relationship between Curtis and the energetic Sarah on the other side of the world, Down Under.

Worlds collide when Curtis returns to his hometown, triggering a chain of life-changing events. Then a series of novel endeavors unfolds. 

All the emotions readers experienced in the earlier stages of the book reverse toward the end, when Curtis finally discovers a surprise waiting for him.

All of Curtis's mentions of Sarah living on the other side of the world become symbolic of the complete transformation he himself underwent in his personal life. During his time with Sarah, the war had changed him from a young man into the seasoned Marine and accomplished man he became.

The book The Man Around the Corner begins as a somewhat perverse yarn, then becomes a love story, gradually shifting toward themes of love, forgiveness, and redemption. It's a quick read suitable for any mature reader.