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Papa Married a Mormon

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 676 ratings · 190 reviews

Papa Married a Mormon made its initial appearance in McCall's magazine in 1955 and later became a bestseller for Prentice-Hall and a selection of two book clubs. Mamma's Boarding House and Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse followed soon after, but good luck finding either of them.

Born in Price, Utah, in 1907 to a Scandinavian Mormon mother and an Irish Catholic father, h...more

Hardcover, 298 pages

Published September 15th 1976 by Western Epics Publishing Company (first published 1955)

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Feb 19, 2008 Bonnie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This book is John D. Fitzgerald's first and is semiautobiographical. "Papa Married a Mormon" is the first book in a trilogy also including "Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse" and "Mamma's Boarding House." All three are great books. I loved -- loved! -- the ending of "Mamma's Boarding House" and cried and cried.

The thing to remember is that this is a fictionalized account of Fitzgerald's life and family and that he sets the story ten to fifteen years before his parents actually got married, he...more This book is John D. Fitzgerald's first and is semiautobiographical. "Papa Married a Mormon" is the first book in a trilogy also including "Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse" and "Mamma's Boarding House." All three are great books. I loved -- loved! -- the ending of "Mamma's Boarding House" and cried and cried.

The thing to remember is that this is a fictionalized account of Fitzgerald's life and family and that he sets the story ten to fifteen years before his parents actually got married, he and his siblings were actually born, and so on. The books themselves are clearly nostalgic for "the good old days" -- perhaps when he wrote this book in the early 1950s, Fitzgerald felt alarmed by the breakneck social change and the two World Wars that had occurred in the first half of the twentieth century. He wasn't the only one longing to go back to a supposedly simpler time. All of his books have been very popular, even though many of them are now out of print.

Here are some examples of Fitzgerald's fictionalization in action: Katie, Fitzgerald's sister, appears in this trilogy (there is even a photo of her) but not in his later "Great Brain" books. In both this trilogy and the "Great Brain" books, the Fitzgerald family adopts a son, but in this trilogy he is called Ernie and is adopted after being abandoned by his abusive, alcoholic father. In "Me and My Little Brain," Frankie is adopted after his entire family dies in a terrible accident. While in the "Great Brain" books, the entire Fitzgerald family is Catholic, in this trilogy, the dad is Catholic, the Mom is LDS, and most of the kids are Catholic, but one is LDS (read the book to find out who!).

I have seen a Web site where some parents tried to take their kids on a trip to Adenville and ended up fictionalizing Adenville even more than Fitzgerald did(http://www.learningfamily.net/reiser/...), ending up in a ghost town called Adamsville. They fooled only themselves. Adenville is fictional and was probably based on the real city of Price, Utah. So, while his books are somewhat autobiographical, they are also fictionalized. Take them with a grain of salt.

Here is an interesting question to ask yourself before you read: What religion does Tom (the Great Brain) choose and why? It's answered in the first book. Also, how is it that Papa is Catholic, but his sister Aunt Cathy and her husband Uncle Mark are Mormon? (Did that never confuse you in the "Great Brain" books?) Finally, although Uncle Will owns a bar and brothel, he finances the LDS mission to Japan for one of the Fitzgerald boys. The boundaries between religions are very fluid here, and you will find that no religion is particularly favored over another, and that people who are ostensibly scoundrels can save the town from a dangerous flood with their good heart and heroic deeds. These books do not deal in absolutes. If you are looking for a feel-good Mormon story where everyone converts to the LDS Church and lives happily ever after, this is the wrong trilogy for you.

This trilogy is not part of the "Great Brain" series (though many of the characters are the same) and is not suitable for children. "Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse" in particular has some iffy sexual material -- because Uncle Will is the black sheep of the Fitzgerald family. On the other hand, these books are a monument to tolerance and kindness.

"Papa Married a Mormon," "Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse," and "Mamma's Boarding House" are out of print and therefore hard to find, but worth the effort.

I would give "Papa Married a Mormon" and "Mamma's Boarding House" PG ratings and "Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse" a PG-13 rating. (less)

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Oct 02, 2007 Alice rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: church-nonfiction, biographic

I absolutely LOVED this book. I don't know if I am bias because I am a Mormon, but I think anyone would enjoy this amazing story of an amazing family (written by a family member). This book was well written and so so so interesting. I loved the stories, they made me laugh and cry. I loved the themes of the book: religious tolerance, humanity, love, God is love, family is love, loyalty...so many that were so good! Loved it..wish there was a sequel, but it wouldn't be the same without Tom and Tena...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Danielle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

A fun read. I love the Great Brain series, but this book, written for adults, was much better. Especially because The Great Brain is fiction, based on actual events in the author's life, while this was (I believe) meant to be non-fiction. He does qualify that slightly in the introduction, but on the whole, I believe it's accurate.
Anyway, it's fascinating to read about turn-of-the-century Utah, and especially about the divergent religions and backgrounds of the main characters in a small Mormon...more

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Dec 31, 2008 Drgibson63 rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Few people really understand the fear felt by Mormons in the genesis of the faith's flight to Utah to avoid what members perceived as severe persecution in Missouri and Illinois. In the latter half of the 19th century non-Mormons, or "gentiles" were regarded as intruders in "Zion" bent on either crushing the saints or forcibly removing them from their third homeland. In The Kingdom or Nothing, Samuel Taylor's biography of Mormon prophet John Taylor, when settlers heard rumors of a planned U.S. m...more Few people really understand the fear felt by Mormons in the genesis of the faith's flight to Utah to avoid what members perceived as severe persecution in Missouri and Illinois. In the latter half of the 19th century non-Mormons, or "gentiles" were regarded as intruders in "Zion" bent on either crushing the saints or forcibly removing them from their third homeland. In The Kingdom or Nothing, Samuel Taylor's biography of Mormon prophet John Taylor, when settlers heard rumors of a planned U.S. military "invasion" upon the Utah territory, church settlers abandoned the new Salt Lake City and trudged south to Provo, leaving instructions to a few left behind to burn everything if the soldiers assumed command of the city.

These sentiments are nearly gone, although stronger a generation ago, when Utahn John D. Fitzgerald wrote the popular novel Papa Married a Mormon.

Times have changed, and Papa Married a Mormon has been adapted to the stage many times in Utah. The novel, first published in 1955 by Prentice Hall, is easy to find at used bookstores. Two sequels followed: Mama's Boarding House, and Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse.

Set in the 1880s and 90s in the fictional southern Utah towns of Adenville and Silverlode, the most unique aspect of Fitzgerald's novel is that a significant portion of it is true, albeit with a healthy dose of journalistic license, no doubt. Fitzgerald is writing about his family: His Uncle Will, who leaves Pennsylvania in disgrace to seek a life as a gambler/gunslinger; His father Tom, Sr., who obeys a deathbed wish to find Will and tracks him down, finding him a rich saloon and gambling hall owner in Silverlode, a mining town close to the Mormon settlement of Adenville, which is headed by the towns's bishop, Ephraim Aden.

Once reconciled with Will, Tom takes over the Silverlode newspaper, and gains the trust of Adenville Mormons whose subscriptions, printing and advertising provide him a means of support. All this is threatened when he meets and falls instantly in love with Tena Neilsen, the 17-year-old daughter of Mormon emigrants from Europe. After a struggle with Tena and her family, Tom wins her heart, marries her in Denver and eventually the pair return to southern Utah with Tom (and Tena) considerably less popular among the saints than they had been previously.

While the novel's chapters feature diverse tales (there's whole chapters devoted to saloon rowdies, kids's pranks, family genealogy, gun fights, and dog fights) in essence the rest of Fitzgerald's novel deals with the growth of Tom and Tena's s multi-religious family in Adenville and their slow but eventual acceptance by the Mormon majority. This subject provides the most powerful writing in the novel, as Fitzgerald portrays the suffering his mother feels, outwardly as a rejected saint, and inwardly as her Mormon conscience tears at her act of rebellion in marrying a gentile.

"Papa knew that Momma's life was very lonely. The Latter-day Saints politely ignored her because she was an apostate. They would not let her trade in Adenville; even the farmers refused to sell her eggs and vegetables. ... Two weeks before the baby was born, Papa went through a night of torture. Mama had barely spoken to him all evening. About midnight he awoke and heard Mama crying ... He put his arm around her ... Momma threw him off, 'Don't touch me,' she cried piteously."

When Tom insists that Tena explain her behavior, she admits that she doesn't feel married to him, since Mormons are married for time and all eternity. Tom goes to Bishop Aden and asks to be baptized a Mormon. The Bishop refuses to baptize Tom to placate his wife, but marries the pair outside a temple for time and all eternity. Although this would be frowned on today, it was not unusual in 18th century Utah to conduct "time and all eternity" marriages from outside a temple or endowment house. But it was certainly unusual if the groom was a Catholic.

Papa Married a Mormon is a fun read for anyone, but also a Utah history lesson. Fitzgerald writes each chapter like a separate story, so readers can jump in anywhere. One weakness is a tendency for the author to be a bit flowery in his prose, so at times romance almost becomes farce. Also, although Fitzgerald's heart is in the right place, he exhibits a condescending attitude toward Native Americans, a vice likely widespread in 1950s literature. One more thing: The novel comes with pictures of all the family members Fitzgerald writes about. It's fun to put a face to Tom, Tena and the Fitzgerald gang.

I did some research and discovered that the Fitzgerald lived in Price, Utah, not Southern Utah. "Papa" did marry a Mormon, but he was a local financial professional, not a journalist, and also was an elected official. Author John D. Fitzgerald lived a fascinating life, with many unique jobs. He merits a biography.(less)

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Sep 14, 2010 Emmi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club-1

Not one I would have picked up on my own, but definitely entertaining. And I love the message of Christlike tolerance and love. Tena is by far the most christlike character I've read in a long time and she inspired me. So much so that I would have given it 5 stars except that I have to disagree slightly with the overall message. I felt that the overall message of the book was that it doesn't matter what religion you are, if you are a good person, you're fine. It made me feel like I was on my mis...more

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Aug 01, 2010 Carolyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: based-on-history

I enjoyed this book back in 1985 and pick it up to reread once in a while. The collision of two life styles in one town: the wild west mining side of town with all of its debauchery, and the Mormon side where every day life is more law abiding makes for a great story. The characters are delightful, especially papa and mama Fitzgerald. These two people are firm in their own beliefs of right and wrong and work out peaceful solutions to town and family problems. The evil is evil and the good is ref...more

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May 12, 2010 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir

I'm not sure whether to call this a memoir or a family history or what. I found this biographical book by the author of a series of some of my favorite books in childhood, The Great Brain series, to be delightful. Many of the characters we met in the kids books are here again in real life, plus a few others we haven't learned about before.

I loved the story of JD's uncle Will, his father's brother, who was a gunslinger and had made his fortune owning the best saloon in Silverlode. There were man...more I'm not sure whether to call this a memoir or a family history or what. I found this biographical book by the author of a series of some of my favorite books in childhood, The Great Brain series, to be delightful. Many of the characters we met in the kids books are here again in real life, plus a few others we haven't learned about before.

I loved the story of JD's uncle Will, his father's brother, who was a gunslinger and had made his fortune owning the best saloon in Silverlode. There were many colorful stories about him and his exploits.

I really adored the character of Mama, whose courage and convictions, and just her basic goodness are an inspiration to me. She was one of those believers who understood and lived the real gospel, the part about loving others even if they're different from us, and doing what's right even when it will get you shunned or gossiped about in the neighborhood. I just love Mama. Kids and dogs and people everywhere she went loved her, and so do I.

The exploits of TD and his great brain were briefly touched on. What is perhaps the true inspiration for the fictional story of Tom figuring out how to run Mr. Standish the mean schoolteacher out of town, Tom's brilliant plot to rid them of their Aunt Cathy (Papa's overly strict and overly literal Catholic sister who came out west to save them from their heathenism), was both funny and touching.

Overall, the book was like The Great Brain books, but just with some reality and adult complexity thrown in. There are lots of colorful characters which remind me of Faulkner characters, so real and so outlandish at the same time. They were sad and also funny: the doctor who was seriously determined to drink himself to death, who if you caught him first thing in the morning was a great doctor, but after his first few drinks would ignore any amount of mortal suffering to continue his quest.

The adopted brother, not a younger brother for JD whose parents died in a landslide, but rather a brother TD's age, a Huck Finn type whose father was an abusive and neglectful alcoholic who died young, was no less wonderful, and Mama's generosity and loving heart no less impressive than their fictional analogs.

All in all, I recommend this book to everyone, especially to those who loved The Great Brain books as kids. It's funny and sad, sweet and true and good.(less)

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Oct 25, 2009 Lu rated it 5 of 5 stars

I never would have read this book had Bridget not recommended it. (I don't particularly enjoy pioneer type books). This is a funny and interesting perspective of living in and around Mormons in the early days of Utah. I love, love, love that this is non-fiction! That Uncle will won a saloon in a game of cards, shacks up with a dance hall girl and is still considered part of the family, well, that's a side of the early days of Utah I haven't heard much about.

There are some people in these storie...more

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Jan 10, 2011 Shauna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: yearly-favorites

This is such a fun and informative book. John D. tells the story of his father and uncle in the early days of Utah's settlement, with Mormons and miners and outlaws and drunks. The stories are true, but you also get the feeling that they are told with a twinkle in the author's eye--he loves the memories of his childhood growing up in the Territory. It is also obvious that he had wonderful parents, full of love and tolerance and true Christlike charity. He portrays a fair view of the Mormons and...more

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May 29, 2008 Melinda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My favorite thing about this book is that it was true. It made it more interesting to think that all these experiences happened to real people back in the "wild west" The very early days of the church. I did love the main character but she almost seems to good to be true? A fun read.

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Sep 14, 2008 Myla rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Myla by: Marlene Bennett

I would give this book 4 stars up until they got married and then after that 3 stars. It was fun to read, I HATED the dog fight chapter...yuck! I thought for sure it would end up with everyone getting baptized Mormon, but I'm sure Tom D., has done all their work. :)

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May 28, 2009 Jack Cheng added it

I have been obsessed with John D. Fitzgerald lately, but I think I may have found some closure after reading Papa Married a Mormon, his book about life in the Utah territories before and after statehood. It’s both the adult version and an antidote to the Great Brain books.
Fitzgerald was, of course, the author of several Great Brain books for children and the eponymous narrator of the books, J.D. Papa Married a Mormon is presented as fiction, but based on life. The Foreward describes the author...more I have been obsessed with John D. Fitzgerald lately, but I think I may have found some closure after reading Papa Married a Mormon, his book about life in the Utah territories before and after statehood. It’s both the adult version and an antidote to the Great Brain books.
Fitzgerald was, of course, the author of several Great Brain books for children and the eponymous narrator of the books, J.D. Papa Married a Mormon is presented as fiction, but based on life. The Foreward describes the author’s promise to his mother that he will write the true story of the west, through tales of his family. There are even photographs of the family in the book.
A book like this published today could be a post-modern pastiche, like Kinky Friedman’s detective novels or J.G. Ballard’s Crash, both of which use the author’s name for the protagonist. This would be pretty unlikely in 1955 when the book was published, however. The novel is romantic and sentimental, seeing the goodness is nearly every character, but it is never boring. It also serves as the template for the Great Brain books that would come a decade later.
The same characters are there. Mama and Papa, of course, and older brothers Sweyn and Tom. Aunt Bertha, who wasn’t really their aunt, and Uncle Mark and Aunt Cathie also figure prominently. Even J.D.’s dog Brownie has a chapter devoted to him, although in this book he’s involved in a vicious dogfight. Older sister Katie is never mentioned in the Great Brain books, however.
Also missing in the Great Brain books is the looming presence of Will D. Fitzgerald. It’s clear why he isn’t in a children’s book. He’s Al Swearengen as embodied by Ian McShane on Deadwood – a nasty man who wins a saloon on a poker hand well aware that to make the deal conclusive, he’ll have to kill the previous owner. He takes a dancing girl named Queenie for a mistress and his personality has such gravity that the mining town of Silverlode seems to revolve around his Whitehorse Saloon.
Will also happens to be the explanation to a question I’ve had with every Great Brain book? Why did Tom Fitzgerald, patriarch of the family, come west? According to Papa, he came to fulfill a deathbed promise to his mother to watch over Will, the black sheep of the family.
The Great Brain books always include a paragraph within the first chapter that breaks down the religious demographics of the town of Adenville. Papa goes further and describes all the conflicts and intolerance that goes with religion, although, true to form, everyone learns that God is love and why would He be opposed to interfaith marriage or learning from one another?
Another question I have about the Great Brain is, who is Mark Trainor? J.D. calls him Uncle, but how were they related? In Papa, Trainor is the son of a Mormon bishop who loves his childhood friend, Tena Neilsen. When he realizes that she loves a Catholic, Tom Fitzgerald, Trainor is honorable enough to help them elope. His only admonition to Fitzgerald: “I’ll kill you if you ever hurt Tena or bring her any unhappiness.” The response: “I’d want it that way, Mark.” Later in the book, Mark marries Tom’s sister Cathie, another interfaith marriage.
The kids don’t really come into the story until more than half way, but then we find characters like “Dirty” Dawson. He seems to be the basis for “Britches” Dottie, the girl the Great Brain encourages to go to school, as well as Frankie Pennyworth, the orphaned boy the Fitzgeralds take in. In Papa, Dawson is being raised by his father, who drinks himself to death to forget the death of his wife.
And of course, there’s Tom. Even in this first novel, he refers to his Great Brain, although the schemes described tend to end with Tom’s punishment (although his father, Uncle Will and Mark often get a good laugh out of the mischief). I was surprised that Tom decides to reject Catholicism and become a Mormon. He goes on a mission to China and eventually marries Bishop Aden’s daughter. Not the ending I had imagined for the Great Brain!
Papa Married a Mormon is not a novel of ideas, but it is an entertaining yarn. And as an adjunct to the Great Brain books, it serves to fill out a picture of life in the old West.
(less)

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Jan 29, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have heard about this book all of my life, but I had never read it. I found it at the library the other day so I got it. It is the story of a devoted Catholic man who comes to the Utah territory and finds love at first sight with a Mormon girl. There are many obstacles put in his way to marry the object of his desires. He finds a true friend in an unlikely person and then the story unfolds. The story is set in Southern Utah, which is my home so it is extra exciting to read of the different loc...more

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May 16, 2012 Jenifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked this quite a lot. As many reviewers have noted, this book and its two partners-in-trilogy are out of print and as such, hard to get a hold of but worth the effort. If you read and loved the "Great Brain" books as a kid I think this is a must for you as an adult. (Same author) If you like stories of the early frontier and the characters who inhabited and settled it, (like "These is My Words"); If you like stories where the good guys do bad things sometimes and the bad guys often pull thro...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Wayne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This is the novel for adults that created the world of "The Great Brain." In this novel the author describes how his parents came to Utah and met. It gives a lot of back story that readers of the Great Brain books would love.
I read the book with the expectation that it was a memoir (the library had it in the Biography section), but it is clearly a novel. I look forward to the two sequels, if I can find them. If anybody else is as obsessed with these novels as I am I found a website where someone...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Swhite rated it 5 of 5 stars

Someone donated this book to the library and as happens when you work in a library I got first dibs reading this. I didn't realize then how awesome, heartfelt and hilarious this book would be. Definitely a favorite of mine. I selfishly kept it not just because I loved it, but because it was a first edition and deserved to be cared for and preserved in it's fairly good condition. Library books take a beating and while I wanted others to enjoy this book too, I couldn't bear to see it stolen (like...more

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Jan 20, 2010 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was requesting the Great Brain series of books for Noah at the library (I guess half of them are out of print now; I wanted to buy the complete set, so bummer). But anyway, I found this book and requested it for me, since I loved the Great Brain books as a kid. This is not a kid's book, and it's a fictionalized biography of JD's family, especially his parents. It was charming and I couldn't put it down. I don't know if it appealed to me also because I am Mormon, or if would appeal to anyone eq...more

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May 16, 2011 Mary Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Oh, nostalgia. I forgot how great of a storyteller this author is. He transports you right back to the "Wild West" and it was such a delight to read. I also loved the way the story was written, about religion and how everyone can be a good Christian, regardless of what religion they belong to. He wrote a very unbiased story about the Mormons in this part of Utah and what they worked for and represented. It was a great story of tolerance and forgiveness. Plus, it was just plain fun. And now, I wi...more

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May 07, 2013 Lydia rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book grabs your attention from the get go but then gets a little long in the middle before finally picking up at the end. I think I would have given it higher points if it had been completely a true story...it read like one....but from looking up on the internet it is more a conglomerate of people and places. It is very realistic and many people/parts are real. Worth the read. And makes me want to re-read the "Great Brain" books. (I must have been in elementary the last time I read them.)

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Aug 07, 2011 Pamela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-adults, a-fic, a-nonfic, c-family-life, c-historical, 4-high-sch

This is a fictionalized story about the author’s family - from his grandparents’ immigration, to his childhood in a Catholic / Mormon household. It is hard to tell what is straight fiction, and what is historical, but I imagine there are lots of composite characters based on real people, and events told with a lot of poetic license, but based on true events. This is a great story that gives a lot of insight into the history of Utah and its somewhat split personality.

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Oct 12, 2010 Jen Lindberg rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved the Great Brain series growing up and was tickled to read the real life story about the boy behind the books. This is hard to find....but I have a copy if anyone else is interested in it. This is a fun fact filled work of fiction. The characters are real, but the town is a generalization and the stories have been grandized (is that a word?) Still a fun read and interesting point of view on early settlers in the West and Mormon/gentile communities.

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Jun 16, 2013 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookclub

I was only going to skim this book since I've already read it several times, but I started and I just couldn't put it down. It is such a great story about the intersection of the Old West and Mormon settlers in a little town in Southern Utah... and within the Fitzgerald family itself. I loved the Great Brain stories as a kid and I love this true account of what really happened in the family: for an adult it is just as interesting.

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Oct 31, 2010 Millie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book. I especially liked the ending....

"Now I see Mamma with her head cocked to one side,
her eyes sparkling an a gentle smile caressing her lips.

Now i hear myself asking her what she is thinking
about.

Now I hear her answer, "Just borrowing Papa back
for a moment."

Now I cock my head to one side and smile as I borrow
both Papa and Mamma back."

I'm glad that I can do that with my Mother and Daddy, too:)

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Apr 01, 2011 Anthony Ventrello rated it 5 of 5 stars

For those of us who enjoyed "The Great Brain" this is a real joy to read. It has many of the same characters of Fitzgerald's childrens' books but from a more adult perspective. I was really glad that I found this book and have read it several times. The best way that I can describe it is that it is a more "grown up" version of "The Great Brain" with several historical and social notes of value. A must-find and must-read.

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Mar 22, 2012 Laurel Wicke rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Laurel by: Erin Steck

Notes upon second reading 3/12: The ending still got me the second time around. Tears. I still think this one is a treasure.

This out of print book was given to me to read by a friend who treasures it, and sure enough, I found it fascinating. Part memoir, part biography, and part western history lesson, the author of the eventual "Great Brain" series, John D. Fitzgerald, chronicles his parents' lives, his childhood, and the settlement of "Adenville, Utah" (other reviews suggest that the real name...more

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Jul 25, 2010 Sonyajohnston rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I started reading the Great Brain books on a suggestion from my niece. I ran across this book by the same author. This is the story about John D. Fitzgerald's family. Now I know where a lot of his ideas in the Great Brain books come from. I don't know if I enjoyed this book so much because I had read the others first, or if I would have enjoyed the Great Brain books more if I had read them after this book.

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Jan 01, 2012 Hillari rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved the Great Brain books as a kid, and I'm surprised to say that I enjoyed this book even more. I generally steer clear of non-fiction books, but my m-i-l was so enthusiastic about this one I gave it a chance. I'm not actually sure this book would be classified as non-fiction, perhaps more as mostly true fiction. Either way, I loved it. By the end I really felt like I knew these people.

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Mar 07, 2011 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, an autobiographical account of the author's parents. John D. Fitzgerald is the author of "The Great Brain" series, which I enjoyed as a youth. I found this book to be entertaining, informative, faith-promoting, and couldn't stop thinking about the characters when I wasn't reading. My husband and daughters all enjoyed some of the parts I shared with them.

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Jun 04, 2011 Melody rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the story so much I hardly noticed the clunky writing. No, that's not true. I enjoyed the story so much I was able to disregard the clunky writing, mostly. It's a fictionalized biography, and it's a lot of fun. Fitzgerald's relatives were very interesting people, if half of what he wrote was true. I especially liked Uncle Will, unrepentant black sheep of the family.

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Jul 09, 2009 Char rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was surprised at how much I Loved this book!!! Written from a non-mormon perspective, it was hilarious, historical, adventurous, romantic, insightful, and just so fun!--all the better since it was a true story--quite a classic, and well-written. I always like an honest and fair look at mormonism, which is REALLY hard to find, either one way or the other, and this is choice.

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About John D. Fitzgerald

OFFICIAL WEBSITE REFERENCED REPORTS:
John Dennis Fitzgerald was born in Price, Utah, on February 3, 1906, to Thomas and Minnie Melsen Fitzgerald. His father had a pharmacy degree but engaged in a number of business ventures and served on the Price Town Council for four years. John graduated from Carbon High School and at the age of eighteen and left Utah to pursue a career as a jazz drummer. He wo...more OFFICIAL WEBSITE REFERENCED REPORTS:
John Dennis Fitzgerald was born in Price, Utah, on February 3, 1906, to Thomas and Minnie Melsen Fitzgerald. His father had a pharmacy degree but engaged in a number of business ventures and served on the Price Town Council for four years. John graduated from Carbon High School and at the age of eighteen and left Utah to pursue a career as a jazz drummer. He worked in a variety of occupations during his life, including newspaper reporter for the World-Tribune in New York City, foreign correspondent for United Press, advertising and purchasing agent, and bank auditor. He also served on Wendell Willkie's staff when Willkie was running for president.

At the time his first book, Papa Married a Mormon (1955), was published, he was living in Los Angeles and working as a steel buyer. Fitzgerald had collaborated with his sister, Belle Fitzgerald Empey, to write this book. Her name was not included as coauthor of the book because it was written in the first person. Papa Married a Mormon was very popular and was reprinted in several foreign-language editions, including Chinese. Twice chosen as a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, it was also serialized in McCall's Magazine. A sequel, Mamma's Boarding House, appeared in 1958.

Fitzgerald moved to Denver in 1960 where he tried for a short time to make his living as a full-time writer. He later reported that "I quit my job and went to a mountain cabin to make my living writing. I had to sell my jack and a tire to get back to Denver. When I got there I sold my typewriter and swore I would never write again." His wife later bought him another typewriter and he eventually resumed writing.

He had a very successful writing career, publishing more than 500 magazine articles, as well as poetry and songs and two books on writing, The Professional Story Writer and His Art (1963) and Structuring Your Novel: From Basic Idea to Finished Manuscript (1972).

His most successful and widely read novels are the juvenile books in the Great Brain Series. They were loosely based on the adventures of his brother Thomas N. Fitzgerald. Books in this series include: The Great Brain (1967), More Adventures of the Great Brain (1969), Me and My Little Brain (1971), The Great Brain at the Academy (1972), The Great Brain Reforms (1973), The Return of the Great Brain (1974), and The Great Brain Does It Again (1976).

The Great Brain Series has led to one of the most asked questions in Utah literature: "Where is Adenville, Utah?" Adenville is a fictional town created by Fitzgerald, but most readers believe that the geographical setting loosely fits that of a small town in southern Utah.

Fitzgerald and his wife, Joan, moved to Titusville, Florida, in about 1972 where he continued his writing career. He died there May 20, 1988, at the age of 82.

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More Adventures of the Great Brain (Great Brain #2)

The Great Brain at the Academy (Great Brain #4)

The Great Brain Reforms (Great Brain #5)

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