Mama's Bank Account

I won't give away the spoiler that ties together the whole plot, but needless to say it's right up there in the title of the book and it's still a surprise even after sixty years or more since the novel was first published. Kathryn Forbes must have been a delightful woman and her book is one of the finest achievements ever to have been written in San Francisco. And that's saying something, considering what a rich and cultured city ours is. One episode that will stick with me forever is the time when the little girl and her brother are talked into providing food for their whole class at school, and "Mama" saves the day by cooking up some of her good old Swedish (I guess Norwegian) meatballs. When I first read this passage I was but a little boy and had never heard of any kind of meatballs but Italian ones! Next thing you know, my mom and dad took us to dinner and the waiter asked me what I wanted to eat and I surprised them all by asking for "Swedish meatballs on little tooth picks." It's a family book for people whose families are no longer with us. And it will rekindle the spirit of hope in everyone, with its message of universal tolerance and mother love.

This is one of my favorite books to read aloud. I taught junior highers for many years and this was a book they loved! Many times I taught sisters and brothers in later years and they would invariably ask when I was going to read Mama's Bank Account. The story appeals to both boys and girls and though Mama is the central character, I appreciated the fact that Papa was a very strong, loving support to the family. After you have read the book, watch the video! It is one of the few books that made the transition to the screen and is delightful!

I first read this novel in 1946 as a freshman in high school. The author's son was a sophomore in the same school. Dick was enormously popular, class president, a natural athlete, gifted amateur actor, public speaker and writer. Certainly a remarkable lad in his own right. (In 1947, having dropped a water bomb on one of the faculty, I knew my days were numbered and changed schools. Never ran into Dick again. So this is not a review written by a friend). That said, it was only de rigueur to read a book written by a classmate's mother.The story line has been described by other reviewers, and their comments are right on target. One thing I might add is that Kathryn Forbes enjoyed a widespread national celebrity in the late forties, particularly after the Hollywood film was released. The story was also adapted for theater and, later, television. Sadly, celebrity is a perishable commodity.I picked up this book and read it again last year. As a published novelist, I read it on this occasion with a very critical eye. It is as fresh as it was more than half a century ago. Not a great novel in the Faulknerian sense, but certainly a small classic. It is a charming work of great originality. Anyone interested in becoming a writer would do well to study it. See how beautifully Kathryn Forbes blends the theme and story line. Check out the clever characterization, and the simplicity of her writing style (never pretentious). This book is truly a little gem of its genre.

With the abundance of children's books available in today's market, there is not time for all of them. I would rate this book as a "must read" for children, and preferably to be read with their families. It is a book about universal themes of family values, acceptance, growth and love. I found myself often crying and smiling at the same time. A treasure!

I have read this book to my seventh grade English classes for the past twenty-seven years. I am still amazed at how the students of today still enjoy the wonderful events of this Norwegian family's life in turn-of-the-century San Francisco. It really does give children and adults alike a reason to pause and see how life could be. It was made into a wonderful movie entitled "I Remember Mama" with Irene Dunne. It, too, is a wonderful adjunct to the reading of the novel. It is a great book to share with children.