End of Summer Birthday Bash | Day Four ~ Guest Post & Giveaway by Anne Mateer

Part of the joy—and the challenge—of writing historical fiction is putting a reader firmly into the another time period. That means more than just clothing and home decor, professions or methods of travel. It means little details of life. Part of those details in early twentieth century life include pop culture.

When I decided that Lula, my main character in Playing by Heart, would have some musical abilities, I also decided I wanted that to be a source of conflict with other characters. One way to do that was to set different types of musical preferences at odds with one another. Lula figures if she has to teach music, at least she’ll teach “serious” music, as opposed to “popular” music. And so guess what our hero, Chet, enjoys?

You guessed it! Popular music. But what kind of music was popular in 1917? I really didn’t know, other than the song “Over There” by George Cohen. So I went on a search and found some really fun things.

“All the World Will be Jealous of Me” by Al Dubin and Ernest R. Ball

This song spent six weeks as the top sheet music seller in August 1917, according to Billboard Magazine. (Yes, Billboard magazine has been around since 1894, though it did not begin “regular” music charts until the 1930s.) When I read the words, I knew this was a song that would appeal to my sensitive hero—and to my reluctant heroine. It was also a song that Lula’s romantic sister and brother-in-law would purchase as sheet music. Here’s a youtube recording of the song and the lyrics in case you can’t distinguish them in the recording:

 I was jealous and hurt

When your lips kissed a rose,

Or your eyes from my own chanced to stray;

I have tried all in vain Many times to propose,

Now at last I've found courage to say:

Let's suppose that the lips I found kissing a rose

Were to tell me to look in your eyes,

if I'd find there a light that for me only glows,

More and more would my heart realize;

The roses all envy the bloom on your cheek,

And the sun even envies your smile;

The birds in the wildwood are stilled when you speak,

Their songs don't seem half worth the while.

The light in your eyes makes the bright stars grow pale,

They're jealous as jealous can be;

But when one word or sign tells them all you are mine,

All the world will be jealous of me!

“Livery Stable Blues” by Original Dixieland Jass Band

While ballads like “All the World” were certainly more the norm, 1917 marked a new direction in music. Original Dixieland Jass Band produced the first jazz recordings of the era. Since Lula’s brother-in-law owned a livery stable, I figured it was the perfect song for the story. You can hear it here:

“My Hope is Built on Nothing Less” by Edward Mote

Of course, old standbys remained popular, too. This hymn, sometimes referred to as “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand,” was written in 1834 and included in many hymnals. It continues to be a favorite today, probably because the imagery is so clear—the solid rock vs. sinking sand. It’s a hymn whose words always move me. But what I really love is that just at the time I turned in Playing by Heart, which includes this hymn as one that helps Lula when her world seems to swirl out of control, we began singing a kind of “updated” version in church. Here are links to listen to both the old and the new.

Music is an aspect of life we sometimes take for granted today because it is so available. But for those living in the early 1900s with fewer entertainment options, music was huge. Whether for dancing or singing, through phonograph records or sheet music for the piano, tunes found their way into the populace and became part of their lives. It was fun to rediscover some of those old songs while writing Playing by Heart. 

About Anne Mateer:

Anne Mateer has a passion for bringing history to life through fiction. She is the author of four historical novels as well as a contemporary short story in this season’s Cup of Christmas Cheer II. Anne and her husband live in Texas and are the proud parents of three young adults.

About Playing By Heart:

Lula Bowman has finally achieved her dream: a teaching position and a scholarship to continue her college education in mathematics. But then a shocking phone call from her sister, Jewel, changes everything.

With a heavy heart, Lula returns to her Oklahoma hometown to do right by her sister, but the only teaching job available in Dunn is combination music instructor/basketball coach. Lula doesn't even consider those real subjects!

Determined to prove herself, Lula commits to covering the job for the rest of the school year. Reluctantly, she turns to the boys' coach, Chet, to learn the newfangled game of basketball. Chet is handsome and single, but Lula has no plans to fall for a local boy. She's returning to college and her scholarship as soon as she gets Jewel back on her feet.

However, the more time she spends around Jewel's family, the girls' basketball team, music classes, and Chet, the more Lula comes to realize what she's given up in her single-minded pursuit of degree after degree. God is working on her heart, and her future is starting to look a lot different than she'd expected.

Enter for a chance to win a copy of Playing By Heart! Giveaway is open to the US and Canada. Ends 9/28.

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