Love Finds You in Poetry, Texas

By Janice Hanna

Description:

Belinda Bauer in her ivory tower. In the quaint community of Poetry, Texas, Belinda spies an opportunity. The tiny town is filled with farmers and railroad men in need of wives, so she sets herself up as a marriage broker. She writes little poems to be printed in newspapers all over the country and one by one, women begin to arrive in Poetry. Theres only one problem Belinda doesnt have a clue what shes doing and all the brides marry the wrong men! One client is particularly unhappy. Georg Kaufman, the local barber, has lost more than one prospective wife to Belindas fumbled attempts. For some reason, she just cant seem to find Georgs perfect match, though its not for lack of trying. Is there a poetic ending in store for Georg and for Belinda herself?

Book Takeaway:

The best laid schemes of mice and men (er, women who pretend to be matchmakers when they're really not) can really go astray! Things don't always turn out like we plan for them to. Sometimes. . .well, sometimes they're better!

Why the author wrote this book:

I made up my mind to write a funny mis-match-maker story back in 2007. I started the book at that time with another publisher in mind. I was devastated when the book didn't sell. Then, one year later, I met up with Rachel Meisel from Summerside and knew the story would be a perfect fit for the town of Poetry. I'm a Texas gal through and through, so I was able to visit Poetry and take pictures, which are in cluded in the book.

Here's a little more about the town's description:
Town Description
On Highway 175 East, about halfway between the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex and the tiny town of Eustace, where my mom lives, you will find the town of Terrell, Texas. In this part of the country, you are far more likely to see cows and horses than skyscrapers and bumper-to-bumper traffic. And if you venture about six miles north of Terrell, you will stumble across a bend in the road that was once the town of Poetry, Texas. Poetry was established in 1837 by Elisha Turner and initially went by the name of Turner’s Point. The name was later changed to Poetry. Some say the town got its moniker because it was as beautiful as a poem in the springtime, but no one knows that for sure. By 1904 the population of Poetry was about 234, and in its heyday it boasted a hotel, a hall, a grocery store, a post office, multiple churches, a cemetery, and several saloons. Today, one can find mostly green, rolling fields covered in tiny purple flowers known as vetch and dotted with oak, elm, and pecan trees. When I visited Poetry, I felt as if I’d stepped back in time—and that’s exactly how I hope you feel as you read this whimsical tale.
—Janice Hanna