Papa Married a Mormon and The Great Brain book series

[rockwoodchev]

I remember as a kid reading these books and thought they were just the greatest books ever. Do kids today still read these? I grew up in Utah and figured everyone knew about the books, but once I moved away found that many people didn't know about them.

As an adult, I found that the author (Fitzgerald??) wrote an adult book called "Papa Married A Mormon". It was just a great book. My wife got me to read it. She bought copies for all her friends and they loved it as well.

Anyway, does anyone else remember these books? I haven't read the kids series in years. I wonder if they are still available.

If you've read them, do you think the stories were true. I felt like JD and TD were real kids.

Hope someone else knows these books. They were awesome!

[Honor]

I TOTALLY grew up on these books too! My mom would read them to us at night before we went to bed. They were pure genius! Yeah, the author is John D. (as in JD) Fitzgerald. I grew up in California with a mom who LOVES the library so I'm pretty sure that it wasn't entirely a Mormon thing. I haven't met too many others who have heard of them, but it's not like I ask everybody.

Oh, and JD and Tom WERE real kids. It's based on Fitzgerald's life and his brother Tom as well as others from his community but with some creative license taken. He grew up in Price.

Thanks for reminding me about these though. I'm so going to read them to my son when he's old enough to understand. I should read them again just for me!

[Maxel]

Man, I love these books too! My dad introduced them to me. Good times. I've never read Papa Married a Mormon though.

[Connie]

You know, it's funny, i've known about these books nearly all my life because i grew up in the same small town. A family in the area were really into these books and doing some research found out what house these boys grew up in. It is still standing, as far as i know, and is merely four houses down from the house i grew up in. And yet i've only ever read the first book of the series.

If you go on Amazon you can get all of the Great Brain books, but it looks like Papa Married a Mormon might be out of print. That's a shame, it sounds interesting.

[Guest missingsomething]

I never heard of either of these... will have to try to get them on inter-library loan.

[rockwoodchev]

Papa Married a Mormon is one of the best books I think I've ever read. For the ladies, I think it is even better and my wife has gone crazy over the years trying to get copies to give her friends.

I wish there was more information about the real story behind the books. Where in Utah did this all occur? It talks about Adenville, or something like that, but I've never seen anything about that.

I think I'm going to pull these out again and read them. Great piece of Mormon/Utah history I wish were better well known.

[Connie]

Adenville is a fictitious town that Fitzgerald sets actually more in Southern Utah. I read somewhere that he went on a camping trip or something with his family in Beaver County and based the topography more on that than Price (i'll try to find where i read it), but i think it's safe to say that the experiences actually happened more in Price. And, of course, it is fictitious, only very loosely based on actual events.

Here's the wiki on it and i'll try to find some of the other things i read about it. I also wish there were more info about it. I haven't been back to Price in years.

The Great Brain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Connie]

John Dennis Fitzgerald

[Connie]

I found Papa Married a Mormon at the library. I've only read the prologue so far. But i wanted to say, let's keep in mind that this is historical fiction and while the Fitzgerald family members are all based on real people while keeping their real names, the rest of the characters are fictious in name, though perhaps are based on real people (does that make sense?). Captain/Bishop Aden never existed nor do/did the towns of Adenville or Silverlode exist.

There is a picture section in the middle of this particular copy that shows pictures of the Fitzgerald family along with a picture of their house. This is the exact house they lived in in Price. It is the exact house i lived four houses down from.

[prisonchaplain]

Our teacher, probably third or fourth grade, read The Great Brain to us. Never thought it was a Mormon thing as a kid. In fact, the Brain's family was Catholic. Wonderful books. I read the rest on my own. Culturally, Seattle couldn't be much further from Utah, but our class always enjoyed this book.

[rockwoodchev]

Hi everyone, I'm bumping this thread back up in interest. I just found a really cool website that has a ton of information about Fitzgerald and all the books he has written. Sounds like a group of people has gotten together to re-promote the series. Should be fun to watch.

Finding Fitzgerald - Home

[SeekYourWish]

I read Papa Married a Mormon when I was like 14 I believe. Loved it.

[rockwoodchev]

Papa Married a Mormon is a fantastic story. It has been years since I've read the Great Brain series, but this website has regenerated my interest. Shouldn't take very long to read them all again.

[Vort]

As an adult, I found that the author (Fitzgerald??) wrote an adult book called "Papa Married A Mormon". It was just a great book. My wife got me to read it.

Shocking!

For shame!

[rockwoodchev]

Shocking!

For shame!

Good catch...