Discovering Mrs. Baja Greenawalt!

Hello, bookfriends! Thought I would share my serendipitous discovery of Mrs. Baja Greenawalt, the inspiration for this bookblog.


The Setup:
Last October, my friend and co-author, DeLynne, posed this question on facebook: Can you find a note? Apparently, there is a group on Flicker that posts photos of found notes. Intriguing...

The Stage:
The school library... remember the entire school library being moved into my classroom.
Maze of Books
Look at it Now

Kismet:
You may know by now that I'm compelled to open and read a few pages of every book that catches my eye... and so many do. A very old worn book lying in one of the haphazard piles begged for notice. It was a 1933 edition of The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy. Since I've been an anglophile from childhood, my interest piqued.

Opening the cover, my eyes were immediately drawn to the most amazing note written by Mrs. Baja Greenawalt in October 1951, exactly 58 years ago (found in Oct 2009). What a happy accident! Didn't expect to find a note for Delynne's hunt so wasn't even on the lookout. Certainly wouldn't have envisioned a note more suited to capture the imagination of a bookworm such as myself. Couldn't wait to share it with DeLynne, knowing she'd also be completely charmed by the note.

Mrs. Baja Greenawalt's Note:
Did you notice the penmanship? Who writes such elegant script anymore, much less in cursive? Cursive is becoming a lost art, you know.

Isn't the name absolutely captivating? Never heard one like it... in the 20th century but harkening back to an earlier era. To me the name is epic and romantic. Mrs. Baja should be a character in a book or a Masterpiece Theatre mini-series!

I find the message delightful. Could I be infusing it with sentiment not intended by the writer? I don't think so. Deep down in my bookish soul, I know Mrs. Baja Greenawalt is a kindred spirit.

The Quest:
Since discovering this note, I have been obsessed with searching for Mrs. Baja. Who is or was she? Where is she? Does she have a family? How did her book end up in a rural Oklahoma school? Has her life been adventurous and fulfilling?

The quest has begun but the trail is cold. I am optimistic, however, that Mrs. Baja will be found. As clues arise, I will keep you posted.

One more thing, no one ever read Mrs. Baja's book. No one ever signed it anyway. Just heartbreaking, don't you think? Mrs. Baja, where ever you may be, I am reading your book!