Thank You, Mary Lasswell

I read all of Mary Lasswell books beginning with Suds in Your Eye published in 1942. My bookmobile novel was going to follow her pattern of humorous episodes acted out by a lovable group of women. In my case, Liz Siedo, the bookmobile librarian and her adventures. The first title I came up with was: Mrs. Pickles and the Bookmobile.

But on the way to writing the book I realized I didn't know how. Then, when I took an online novel writing class some forty years later, I was more or less forced to add more than humorous episodes. A novel, I was told, must have tension, ups and downs, conflict, protagonists and antagonists. By the time I finished the book it didn't resemble anything Mary Lasswell ever wrote, but still I'm thankful to her for getting me started.

Mary Lasswell comes to mind today because as I was cleaning out my bookstore I found a copy of Suds in Your Eye. Since I haven't read it in perhaps fifty years, and because it is relatively short, I moved it to the top of my reading list. I finished Shawna K. Williams' In All Things last night so I was ready for another book anyway. I'll tell you about In All Things later, but for now  all I'll say is READ IT.

I have no idea what I'll find when I read Suds in Your Eye again, but I'll let you know in a future post.