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| Maud Hart Lovelace |
There is a long list of authors who have impacted my writing, and life, but I would have to say Maud Hart Lovelace is at the top. Her books are based off her real life growing up in Mankato, Minnesota just after the turn of the Twentieth Century.
I discovered the Betsy-Tacy books while in high school. The first four books in the series are about Maud's younger years and the last six are about her high school years and beyond to college, world travels and marriage. They are reminiscent of the Little House on the Prairie Series, another of my favorites.
One of the reasons I love Maud's writing is because she and I share so many values. We both love Minnesota, we both love our hometowns and we both love writing. I only hope I can capture my passion for all of those things in my own books.
Yes, I did bring my husband to Mankato years ago, and yes, we did a driving tour around town to look at the things Maud wrote about in her books. I had a blast, too. :) If you'd like to learn more about Maud, and her books, go here.
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| Maud's Childhood Home in Mankato, Minnesota |
What about you? What author has impacted your writing? Any good suggestions for young girls to read?
Gabe, I'm so excited you did this feature on Maud Hart Lovelace. I first discovered her books in fifth grade and read them over and over again. I bought a set of the books when I was in high school and still have them today. The copies I have are actually now collector's items. I still read them every couple years or so. What great stories!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of those books. How sweet! I loved the Little House books, as well as the Mandy series and The Baby-sitters Club. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never read this books either! I feel like I missed out. But Linz mentioned the Mandy series and I loved those. I was also into Little House, Anne of Green Gables, Nancy Drew, etc... :)
ReplyDeleteHonestly? Francine Pascal. Bet you thought I was gonna say Francine Rivers. :) She's great of course. But Francine Pascal because she wrote my all-time favorite series growing up. Sweet Valley High.
ReplyDeleteI loved Nancy Drew, but I loved Sweet Valley even more because I enjoy romance, secrets, twists and turns and something about those books made me look not just at plot, but lives. People. What makes them tick. What makes them give up everything for ones they love. I'd say those books impacted my life more than anything.
You cannot forget L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series :) That was probably one of my favs. Almost ashamed to say I've lived in MN my whole live and never read anything of Lovelaces - going to have to change that. I also read Nancy Drew, Little House on the Prairie, and the Thoroughbred Series by Joanna Campbell - totally for the girl who loves horses :) Oh! And the American girl series - Felicity, Samantha, Molly, etc.
ReplyDeleteAs a grown up, I'd have to say Ann Voskamp's writing has impacted me greatly. Each sentence so masterfully structured and emotionally charged. It's absolutely beautiful. As a girl, I like the Judy Bloom books. But then I have SO just dated myself. :)
ReplyDeleteI discovered author Grace Livingston Hill while still in high school, and even now - 35 years later - I still enjoy reading the books she wrote from about 1907 to about 1945. There are common issues of the day in each novel, but the heros and heroines are so filled with the sweetness of a firm faith. I would recommend highly recommend them!
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