Synopses & Reviews
The remarkable life of P.L. Travers, the creator of Mary Poppins.andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;An arresting lifeand#8230;Lawson is superb at excavating the details. and#8211;andlt;Iandgt;Library Journalandlt;/Iandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;The spellbinding stories of Mary Poppins, the quintessentially English and utterly magical nanny, have been loved by generations. She flew into the lives of the unsuspecting Banks family in a childrenand#8217;s book that was instantly hailed as a classic, then became a household name when Julie Andrews stepped into the title role in Walt Disneyand#8217;s hugely successful and equally classic film. But the Mary Poppins in the stories was not the cheery film character. She was tart and sharp, plain and vain. She was a remarkable character.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;The story of Mary Poppinsand#8217; creator, as this definitive biography reveals, is equally remarkable. The fabulous English nanny was actually conceived by an Australian, Pamela Lyndon Travers, who came to London in 1924 from Queensland as a journalist. She became involved with Theosophy, traveled in the literary circles of W.B. Yeats and T.S. Eliot, and became a disciple of the famed spiritual guru, Gurdjieff. She famously clashed with Walt Disney over the adaptation of the Mary Poppins books into film. Travers, whom Disney accused of vanity for and#8220;thinking you know more about Mary Poppins than I do,and#8221; was as tart and opinionated as Julie Andrewsand#8217;s big-screen Mary Poppins was cheery. Yet it was a love of mysticism and magic that shaped Traversand#8217;s life as well as the character of Mary Poppins. The clipped, strict, and ultimately mysterious nanny who emerged from her pen was the creation of someone who remained inscrutable and enigmatic to the end of her ninety-six years.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Valerie Lawsonand#8217;s illuminating biography provides the first full look whose personal journey is as intriguing as her beloved characters.
Synopsis
The remarkable life of P.L. Travers, the creator of Mary Poppins.
An arresting life...Lawson is superb at excavating the details. -Library Journal
The spellbinding stories of Mary Poppins, the quintessentially English and utterly magical nanny, have been loved by generations. She flew into the lives of the unsuspecting Banks family in a children's book that was instantly hailed as a classic, then became a household name when Julie Andrews stepped into the title role in Walt Disney's hugely successful and equally classic film. But the Mary Poppins in the stories was not the cheery film character. She was tart and sharp, plain and vain. She was a remarkable character.
The story of Mary Poppins' creator, as this definitive biography reveals, is equally remarkable. The fabulous English nanny was actually conceived by an Australian, Pamela Lyndon Travers, who came to London in 1924 from Queensland as a journalist. She became involved with Theosophy, traveled in the literary circles of W.B. Yeats and T.S. Eliot, and became a disciple of the famed spiritual guru, Gurdjieff. She famously clashed with Walt Disney over the adaptation of the Mary Poppins books into film. Travers, whom Disney accused of vanity for "thinking you know more about Mary Poppins than I do," was as tart and opinionated as Julie Andrews's big-screen Mary Poppins was cheery. Yet it was a love of mysticism and magic that shaped Travers's life as well as the character of Mary Poppins. The clipped, strict, and ultimately mysterious nanny who emerged from her pen was the creation of someone who remained inscrutable and enigmatic to the end of her ninety-six years.
Valerie Lawson's illuminating biography provides the first full look whose personal journey is as intriguing as her beloved characters.
Synopsis
The story of Mary Poppins, the quintessentially English and utterly magical children's nanny, is remarkable enough. She flew into the lives of the unsuspecting Banks family in a children's book that was instantly hailed as a classic, then became a household name when Julie Andrews stepped into the starring role in Walt Disney's hugely successful and equally classic film. Now she is a Broadway sensation all over again. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; But the story of Mary Poppins's creator, as this first biography reveals, is just as unexpected and remarkable. The fabulous English nanny was conceived by an Australian, Pamela Lyndon Travers, who in 1924 came to London from Sydney as a journalist. She became involved with theosophy and traveled in the literary circles of W. B. Yeats and T. S. Eliot. Most famously, she clashed with "the great convincer" Walt Disney over the adaptation of the Mary Poppins books into film. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Travers, whom Disney accused of vanity for "thinking you [Travers] know more about Mary Poppins than I do," was as tart and opinionated as Julie Andrews's big-screen Mary Poppins was cheery and porcelain beautiful. "You've got the nose for it," Travers candidly assessed the star. Yet it was a love of mysticism and magic that shaped P. L. Travers's life as well as the character of Mary Poppins. The clipped, strict and ultimately mysterious nanny was the conception of someone who remained thoroughly inscrutable and enigmatic to the end of her ninety-six years. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; "Who is P. L. Travers?" the American press inquired of "this unknown Englishwoman" whose creation resulting in Hollywood gold had won her international fame. Valerie Lawson's illuminating biography, andlt;iandgt;Mary Poppins, She Wroteandlt;/iandgt;, provides the first and only glimpse into the mind of a writer who fervently believed that "Everyday life is the miracle."
About the Author
Valerie Lawson is a feature writer for andlt;iandgt;The Sydney Morning Heraldandlt;/iandgt;. Her previous books are andlt;iandgt;Connie Sweetheartandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;The Allens Affairandlt;/iandgt;. She lives in Sydney and London.