Some of you may remember how much I enjoyed visiting Orchard House, home of Louisa May Alcott, and Prince Edward Island, where L.M. Montgomery set her Avonlea novels. This past weekend I checked off another visit to a childhood home of a spiritual author-mother. I attended the "Winding Hall of Fate: Betsy-Tacy Society Convention 2012" in Mankato, Minnesota—or "Deep Valley," as it's known in Maud Hart Lovelace's beloved stories.
I was invited to speak on an author panel, but mainly went to see
if Mankato, like Concord, Ma, and Cavendish, PEI, felt like home thanks
to the rich sense of place created by my favorite authors. And yes, by golly, it did—despite some disturbing "urban renewal" (read: 1970s
uglification), I felt like I was wandering the streets of Deep
Valley with some of my favorite fictional friends.
Enjoy the photo tour below. I use fictional names in the captions; read the thoroughly-researched afterwords in the recent HarperPerennial reissues to discover more about the real people in Maud Hart Lovelace's life.
 |
| View from my hotel room of the hills bordering "Deep Valley," or Mankato. The tall spire is the Presbyterian church where Bonnie's father was a pastor, and the site of "Christian Endeavor" meetings in the novels. |
 | |
| I woke up early and strolled past Carney Sibley's house, where the crowd gathered. |
 |
| The sleeping porch, where Carney and her guests slept in Carney's House Party. |
Add a Comment
By: Mitali Perkins,
on 10/31/2010
Blog: Mitali's Fire Escape (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: Race/Ethnicity in Children's/YA Books, Kid Classics, Add a tag
We're starting our Cuci Mata ("washing of the eyes" in Indonesian) read of classic children's books this week. Once a month, we'll read a standalone novel written by a beloved author and tap into the power of communal vision. Let's ask ourselves:
 (Full disclosure: I wrote the foreword to the re-issue of this novel from HarperPerennial as a labor of love, but don't let that stop you from seeing it with fresh eyes and speaking to us about what you see.) Next up: December 1-7 An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott January 3-7 The Well-Wishers by Edward Eager Come visit me on the Fire Escape!
|
Mitali, this is so wonderful! What fun to hang out with you in Deep Valley. And I hope you were pleased at how your words about kindness TOOK OFF and became the sub-theme of the Convention. Rich food for thought, for sure.
I'm just so sad I didn't get to stay for the Deep Valley portion of the convention -- I was so looking forward to meeting you! GREAT photos... it was almost like being there. Almost. :)
It was outstanding to spend time with you in Deep Valley, Jen. I will picture you in Mendocino with your beloved "crowd" as you celebrate this year. Remember, you promised to mentor me -- I'm holding you to it. And Heather, I heard so many wonderful comments about your talk. I wish I had arrived in time for the Minneapolis day. Next time. Your books were selling like crazy cakes, which I was delighted to see.