Well, hello, Whispers in Purple readers and visitors. If you've just dropped in out of curiosity, or stumbled over a bump in the road and found yourself here .. . . .
WELCOME! It's another WAHOO WEDNESDAY where you'll find featured authors talking about their new books, recent releases, and . . . . like today . . . one of my favorite types of blog posts: a peek behind the writing of the story.
So please welcome author Becky Van Vleet with a behind-the-scenes look of her book:
TALITHA, THE TRAVELING SKIRT
Who could guess that Talitha is
anything more than an ordinary skirt? Well, I could! You see, I
have watched the history of this little skirt I wrote about for a children’s
picture book unfold in my life-time for three generations. Talitha’s story
actually began when two teenage girls, Alberta (my mother) and Omadeen were
friends in a small southern Indiana town before WWII. Alberta and Omadeen
later married their WWII sweethearts, and they stayed in touch with each other
after the war when they moved to Indianapolis with their new husbands.
Omadeen presented a little red
plaid skirt she had sewn for Alberta and Walter’s first daughter, Nancy, given
to her about the time she turned two, 1948. This little skirt became a
treasured item when my mother decided that my oldest sister, Nancy, would get a
professional photoshoot wearing the skirt. And when three more daughters
followed, my mother saved the little skirt and created a tradition and memory
for all of her daughters to be photographed.
(I am the third daughter in the first generation.)
When my sisters and I married and
had families of our own, my mother continued to save the little skirt. Between the four daughters from the first
generation, we added eight granddaughters to our family tree for the second
generation. These eight granddaughters
began to marry and have children, producing more little girls for the third
generation to wear this treasured skirt which had been carefully
preserved. Today, the little skirt must
travel around in the skies to the various family homes since our extended
family is scattered around the country.
My sisters and I, from the first generation, have encouraged the
safekeeping of the little skirt and we pay attention to the skirt’s traveling
itinerary. The pleats are still intact,
and the fabric is still a vibrant red plaid.
Amazing, since the skirt is now more than 70 years old. Omadeen, who made the little skirt, is 94
years old and is still living. She has a
copy of my book, of course!
To learn more details about the
story behind the story, please visit my website at www.beckyvanvleet.com. The theme of my
website is creating and preserving memories, so if you are into treasuring
family memories, I think you will enjoy my blogs. And I would enjoy hearing
about your own ideas so that I can share with other readers!
Talitha, the Traveling Skirt
is available for purchase at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
ABOUT Becky
Becky Van Vleet and her husband make their home in Colorado
Springs, where Becky enjoys gardening as well as hiking and biking in the great
outdoors. Becky is one of the original girls who wore Talitha, the little skirt
in her first children’s book, and the mother of four daughters, each of whom
also wore Talitha. Becky relishes spending time with her family and especially
reading to her grandchildren.
Peg (editor) note: This sounds like a winning and delightful book for moms to read to their young daughters. It perfectly matches the imagination . . . well, it did mine . . . a beautiful plaid skirt that travels from generation to generation through the years.
Wouldn't you love to see that oh-so-special skirt? I would! What two-yr-old little girl wouldn't love to dance around in that red plaid skirt?
Thanks, Becky. This gripped my heart. Though I don't have any young grand or great-granddaughters to share this with ... yet! My family seems to produce boys . . . including another great-great-grandson due in February.
Becky, thank you so much for sharing this beautiful story. If I had little ones still in my life what fun it would be to read this aloud to them. God bless you and your writing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Peg! I appreciate this opportunity so much. I always enjoy sharing the family history behind this children's book. I am a big believer in creating and preserving family memories, especially passing down stories to the next generation. I truly hope we can encourage one another to share our family stories to keep them preserved for the generations to follow.
Delete