One Wonderful Night: A Romance of New York

About this book

The work is a fast‑moving romance set against the bustling backdrop of early‑20th‑century New York. It opens with a theatrical flourish, noting the popular vote that crowned Francis Bushman as the archetypal American hero and promising readers a “photo‑play” adaptation. The narrative thrust begins as engineer John Delancy Curtis arrives from Pekin, China, and on his first night in the city discovers a marriage licence hidden in a murdered man’s coat. He darts through the streets in a taxi, marries the woman named on the licence, confronts a rival, defies an English baronet, and hosts a banquet attended by the chief of police, all while envisioning a future of wealth and happiness. The opening chapter then shifts to a vivid, almost cinematic description of his arrival on the Lusitania, his awe at the skyline, and his first conversations with a fellow traveler, Howard Devar, establishing the story’s blend of adventure, romance, and urban spectacle.

The prose reflects the flamboyant, melodramatic style of silent‑film era storytelling, with brisk dialogue, elaborate description, and a rhythm that mirrors the ticking clock of the chapter headings. Its language is peppered with period slang and literary allusions, giving a sense of early‑1900s optimism and bravado. Readers who enjoy spirited, plot‑driven romances that celebrate the energy of New York City, especially those fascinated by the intersection of theater, early cinema, and turn‑of‑the‑century urban life, will find this novel an engaging diversion.