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Madonna Dries Christensen
©2004 Swinging Sisters is a one-of-a-kind
book; there is no other story like it. Swinging Sisters parts the curtain on
the 1930s era of all-girl bands, perceived by men musicians as girlie
shows,
more about glamour than talent. The Texas Rangerettes challenge that
idea and
succeed in a male-dominated world. Touring in a 1928 Packard hearse
bearing
their theme song, We’re All Pals Together, the six women garner monthly
headlines in Variety and Billboard,
the bibles of the musical
entertainment world. The Rangerettes set toes tappin’, hands clappin’,
and
fingers snappin’ at theaters across America and on the beaches of
Waikiki. In 1938, the Rangerettes take a
fork
in the road that surprises and bewilders their fans. Paramount Studio
cameramen
camp on the women’s San Antonio doorstep hoping to film a
history-making
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event
featuring four band members (the Jones sisters) and their widowed
mother,
Mary McLaughlin Jones. Based on a true story and enhanced
with photographs and newspaper articles, Swinging
Sisters is a sentimental
journey filled with music and song celebrating a family rooted in the
Irish
famine who achieves happiness and success in two diverse careers. Come along for the ride. Keeping up
with the Joneses has never been so much fun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Madonna Dries Christensen
considered
it the luck o’ the Irish when she stumbled upon her McLaughlin and
Jones
cousins during genealogy research. She declined an offer to collaborate
on a
screenplay of their story and penned this authentic fictionalized
account. Three-times nominated for the
Pushcart Prize, her work has appeared in more than one hundred
publications.
She and her husband live in Sarasota, Florida, where a corner from an
ancestral
McLaughlin tombstone gathers moss in their garden.
Buy Swinging Sisters at www.iUniverse.com, or call toll free 1-877-288-4737. Also available at www.amazon.com, or by order through major bookstores.
Excerpts from reviews: The University of Wisconsin’s summer writing program placed Swinging Sisters on its recommended reading list. Professor Marshall Cook says: Christensen has authored a marvelous historical novel. Long Story Short Senior Editor Denise Cassino says: A delightful romp through yesteryear; charming…a worthwhile read…brings readers memories of a country where one could wander without fear, of families that clung together, and of a time of sweet innocence long since lost and nearly forgotten. (To read a chapter from the book and an interview with Madonna Christensen go to www.alongstoryshort.homestead.com and click on archives.) University of South Florida writing instructor Barbara Anton says: The past revived in a memorable tale of dauntless determination. A fond remembrance told in the inimitable style of this accomplished writer. Author’s notes on
McLaughlin
family connection: My great-great grandparents were Patrick and Mary McLaughlin, who farmed in the Dougherty area from 1876 until their deaths (1899 and 1880 respectively). Their daughter, Bridget, married Henry O’Brien; they also farmed in the Dougherty area. They were my great-grandparents. Patrick and Mary McLaughlin had three sons who lived in Dougherty: Patrick Jr. (married Rose Mulligan); Michael (married Kate Finnegan); and Lawrence (married Martha Burke). Lawrence and Martha McLaughlin moved to Park Rapids, MN in 1903. Martha died six months later and Lawrence died in 1930. When they moved from Dougherty, they left behind two sons, John and Joseph, who continued to farm. Lawrence and Martha were the
parents of Mary McLaughlin
(married Martin Jones). She graduated from St. Francis Academy in Mason
City,
Iowa, and later became the mother of the Jones Girls, the subjects of Swinging Sisters. I welcome comments and or questions about this line of McLaughlins or about my book. E-mail: Iowagirl1@aol.com. |
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