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A book by local co-authors Catherine Team and Beverly Smirnis, Anna From Atlanta, has had a fast start out of the gate and its authors are already anticipating a movie that will be inspired by Anna and its soon-to-be released sequel, Letters From Hope.
The historical fiction novel is based on the true story of a severely handicapped boy born in Marshalltown, Iowa, whose life was forever changed when Anna, an African American caregiver from Atlanta, arrived through a remarkable stroke of fate to live with his family in rural Iowa.
Team and Smirnis say that what they have created is not just a story about the main characters, but a story about women—women of different races, backgrounds, and ages, and the paths they choose and, oftentimes, the divine path that is chosen for them, though they may not realize that until later. The same has been true for the authors of Anna from Atlanta!
Anna From Atlanta—A Great Read for Mom, About Moms
A book by local co-authors Catherine Team and Beverly Smirnis, Anna From Atlanta, has had a fast start out of the gate and its authors are already anticipating a movie that will be inspired by Anna and its soon-to-be released sequel, Letters From Hope.
Team and Smirnis say that what they have created is not just a story about the main characters, but a story about women—women of different races, backgrounds, and ages, and the paths they choose and, oftentimes, the divine path that is chosen for them, though they may not realize that until later. The same has been true for the authors of Anna from Atlanta!
The pair met when working together on the Senior Prom committee at Fort Worth Country Day, when Catherine’s youngest child and Beverly’s oldest were graduating back in 2007. The two related the story of how the book came to be, and their challenges in finally getting it to print just recently. While work on the book was in progress, both authors saw their children graduate college, both families saw children married, and both undertook new work projects. Team has a background as an advertising agency owner and freelance media buyer, while Smirnis has enjoyed a career in magazine publishing after graduating from SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts in Journalism. So Anna got shoved to the back burner many times. But Anna, as you will discover, is very strong-willed. Her story would be told!
The idea for the book was based on the reflections by Catherine’s 95-year-old father about his youth growing up in Marshalltown, Iowa, and tales about "the first black woman most people in the town had ever seen." The book is based on the true story of a severely handicapped boy born in Marshalltown, Iowa, whose life was forever changed when Anna, an African American caregiver, arrived through a remarkable stroke of fate to live with his family in rural Iowa. The true character of Anna demanded dignity for Fritzy, the handicapped child, and for herself. She enriched the lives of everyone in the town so much so that Team’s father (who is still alive and lives in Fort Worth) counts Anna as one of the most influential people he met in his life.
“My father, Dan Bechtel was one of those errant boys, whose punishment for poking fun at Fritzy was to come over and read to him in the afternoons after school,” Catherine said. “Anna made the ‘punishment’ enticing with ‘the best cookies anyone had ever tasted.’”
Team asked Smirnis for help in editing and getting the book into final form. Smirnis got involved with more than editing, helping further define the characters and the storyline to the point that Team decided to share the author byline with her. The two are confident that the second book and sequel, which they are now writing together, will even further heighten the popularity of the storyline that has already resonated with its readers.
Anna From Atlanta attempts to lovingly portray people that lived in Marshalltown, as well as give the reader an understanding of what it was like to live in a small town during the Great Depression. Real life events were doctored up with fictional escapades, adding characters similar to the ones who lived in the Marshalltown to create their historical fiction book.
“The real Anna was wise beyond her years and was loved by all in the town, very much like the woman portrayed in the pages,” Team said. “From preparation of meals, to setting people straight, Anna was never shy about expressing how things ought to be. The tale will make you cry and laugh as you follow the daily lives of Anna and the child, Fritzy, that she cared for, and their interactions with the people in the town as they endure the country's Great Depression, experience a bank robbery and solve a mystery. Anna made each day special, encouraged faith in God and never allowed anyone to feel sorry for themselves no matter what the circumstance.”
“The appreciation for flowers and food grown from the garden were very much a part of who Anna was, and that is why we chose Into the Garden for the site to hold our Mother’s Day Weekend book signings,” said Smirnis. “Come find a special item at the store for Mom and put it together with a great book for a perfect Mother’s Day gift package.”
“The book is a true page turner and not because of the action or adventure but because of the solid, genuinely fantastic story telling. Anna's personality jumped right off the pages and the wording (in her dialect) made it easy to hear her saying the words rather than just reading them. Being from the South, the writing of "Anna" did this perfectly.” —Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, Atlanta blogger/freelance journalist.
Paperback or Kindle versions of the book can be purchased on Amazon and major bookstore sites. Follow the progress of the book, the sequel and the movie on Facebook at AnnaFromAtlantaBookMovie.