The Days of Song and Lilacs
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$14.95
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Author: Mary Beth Obermeyer
Description: In a childhood filled with sparkle and dances and stages, the one thing Mary Beth could count on was Mabel, her piano-playing accompanist. So when Mabel suffered a paralyzing stroke, Mary Beth would turn to Mabel’s student of old, Meredith Willson, the Music Man himself, to see if the music really truly ever dies. A dance into the heart, the true story sings the love of creativity and the power of inspiration—in that magic musical town and time, Mason City, Iowa, 1954.
Reviews:
Description: In a childhood filled with sparkle and dances and stages, the one thing Mary Beth could count on was Mabel, her piano-playing accompanist. So when Mabel suffered a paralyzing stroke, Mary Beth would turn to Mabel’s student of old, Meredith Willson, the Music Man himself, to see if the music really truly ever dies. A dance into the heart, the true story sings the love of creativity and the power of inspiration—in that magic musical town and time, Mason City, Iowa, 1954.
Reviews:
“Obermeyer delivers a unique slice of Americana, lyrical and magic, consistent and authentic, on the fiftieth anniversary of the film premiere, The Music Man, in Mason City, Iowa.”
—Robert DeFlores, rare film historian
“Beth . . . thank you most especially for the photos and warm recollections and reflections of our mutual friend, Mabel Kelso. I am very pleased . . . it was a pleasure . . . and making the Guinness book is something I never expected to accomplish. A great day!”
—Meredith Willson, composer, The Music Man, lds/mw, March 11 and December 18, 1981 letters
“You’ve nailed it, Beth. You’ve broken the rules with bold strokes. And yes, when one awakens from a memory fog, responds to music, it's a memorable moment and you have captured it here. Job well-done.”
—Professor James Schwartz, Retired Chair, Iowa State University Department of Journalism
“Beth brings to the page all the joy and energy she brings to the stage. And . . . these characters are such characters!”
—Kate St. Vincent Vogl, Loft Literary Center teaching artist and author, Lost and Found: A Memoir of Mothers
“Who could resist the joyous stories and lilting rhythms of this memoir? Beth Obermeyer dances right out of The Music Man and irresistibly carries us back to Mason City, Iowa, in the 1950s. For her, and for her readers, Mason City was an exciting and stimulating place to be, and she remembers it with loving detail.”
—Susan Allen Toth, author, Blooming: A Small-Town Girlhood
—Robert DeFlores, rare film historian
“Beth . . . thank you most especially for the photos and warm recollections and reflections of our mutual friend, Mabel Kelso. I am very pleased . . . it was a pleasure . . . and making the Guinness book is something I never expected to accomplish. A great day!”
—Meredith Willson, composer, The Music Man, lds/mw, March 11 and December 18, 1981 letters
“You’ve nailed it, Beth. You’ve broken the rules with bold strokes. And yes, when one awakens from a memory fog, responds to music, it's a memorable moment and you have captured it here. Job well-done.”
—Professor James Schwartz, Retired Chair, Iowa State University Department of Journalism
“Beth brings to the page all the joy and energy she brings to the stage. And . . . these characters are such characters!”
—Kate St. Vincent Vogl, Loft Literary Center teaching artist and author, Lost and Found: A Memoir of Mothers
“Who could resist the joyous stories and lilting rhythms of this memoir? Beth Obermeyer dances right out of The Music Man and irresistibly carries us back to Mason City, Iowa, in the 1950s. For her, and for her readers, Mason City was an exciting and stimulating place to be, and she remembers it with loving detail.”
—Susan Allen Toth, author, Blooming: A Small-Town Girlhood
Awards:
Finalist, 2012 Midwest Book Awards
4 available