Lisa Logan

the long version

The Depression did not affect the smooth middle-class way of life of the Logan family. The large redbrick house where the Logans lived, on the outskirts of an English manufacturing town, kept them removed from the drab street corners where the unemployed gathered. But Angus Logan was a fool about money. He drank, and he gambled away the inheritance his thrifty ancestors had left him. The desk in his study was crammed with unpaid bills, and Angus had no solution to his debts but to run away. Suddenly, Lisa and her mother were destitute. Their new home, small and smelling of mice, was a far cry from their former comfort. Lisa's mother, despairing, refused to do even the smallest talk, retreating into self-pity. Realizing her responsiblity, Lisa finds a job in a fabric store, and her natural talent for line and color soon make her a favorite with the clientele. Her small floral prints in delicate colors become her trademark as she rises—eventually to become London's foremost designer. It would be many years, though, before Lisa Logan would overcome a profound sense of loss—both for her father who had deserted her and for the mother who could not cope. And it would take a long time, too, before she would finally accept that there could be only one man in her life who would bring her love and lasting happiness. In *Lisa Logan*, Marie Joseph has crafted a charming love story as well as an inspiring tale of a young girl's queset for independence and success.