Publisher's Synopsis
This is the edited story of Opal W. Fitzgerald, told in her own words as found in her handwritten autobiographical journals. It is also a complete collection of her poetry, both secular and spiritual. Born in 1909 into a working family in her beloved West Virginia, Fitzgerald moved to Pennsylvania in 1931, where she spent most of her remaining 72 years. Although her formal education was very limited, she began developing her talents as a writer from an early age. Her life story, set against the backdrop of three major wars, the 1918 influenza pandemic, and the Great Depression, was punctuated by personal hardships. Yet, her written works are engaging, entertaining, and inspiring. Readers will find strength and hope in her honest portrayal of the events in her life and will appreciate the extraordinary literary skills of an ordinary woman who shares her life, her faith, and her personal collection of poetry in this book. The majority of Fitzgerald's writings have never before been published. This book, therefore, introduces a previously unknown but highly deserving writer for the first time. It should be of interest, not only to the casual reader, but also to scholars, teachers, and students of the literary arts, for whom Fitzgerald will be a new discovery.
