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DEAR PAPA by Thyra Ferre Bjorn

DEAR PAPA

By

Pub Date: Jan. 27th, 1962
Publisher: Holt, Rinehart & Winston

Mama of Papa's Wife, Papa's Daughter and Mama's Way is settled in Miami and at eighty-one looks forward to graduating from earth life. In the meantime, she decides to write Papa, who has gone on ahead, and bring him up to date on the eight children, also letting him in on some of those moments carefully concealed from his stern gaze earlier. Each child in turn receives the attention of an anecdote in time of mischief, always of the best intended sort, or time of trial, when prayer or good works prevail. Greta the college professor once fell in the brook, and Mama found her singing hymns on her way out to sea; Pelle killed a rooster while trying to bring a farmer back into the fold -- and his honesty won the man; Kerstin proposed to her man the first night she met him; Calle disposed of an unwanted call to a plush church; Torkel saved a parishioner from drink by making a sermon come alive with a snake in her handbag...and so it goes. Mama goes too, after a brief stroke, leaving her brood with fond memories and the letters to Papa. The effect of this windup book is of a light Sunday supper, with well known dishes warmed over and stretched a bit.