The Orange Blossom Special

When we first meet Tessie Lockhart in 1958, she is pinning her hair into a French twist, dabbing Jean Naté on her wrists, and getting ready to change her life. This widowed mother of a thirteen-year-old has decided it's time for a fresh start for both of them, time to leave behind Carbondale, Illinois, and the pain of loss. Tessie and her daughter move to Gainesville, Florida, where they discover that they aren't the only ones struggling to move forward in the wake of tremendous grief. Betsy Carter has perfectly captured both the innocence of the 1950s, when even the complex events of our lives seemed somehow easier to endure, and the startling and irreversible changes of the 1960s. A story about the relationships people develop in the face of loss, The Orange Blossom Special introduces us to a remarkable cast of characters, all of whom are tested—and transformed—by the changes in their midst. In her own touching and funny style, Carter shows us the unexpected ways in which strangers can become family.

(String Solo). Hillbilly concert piece for violin and piano.

(Book). One of the most bizarre stories in all of popular music is the history of "Orange Blossom Special," arguably the century's best-known fiddle tune. The man credited with its ownership, Ervin T. Rouse, endured tragedy, alcoholism and mental illness. He spent his last years fiddling for tips in isolated taverns at the edge of the Florida Everglades, and died all but unknown. The man who claimed co-ownership, Chubby Wise, achieved fame as the seminal fiddler of the bluegrass genre, but struggled to overcome personal demons and to heal the scars of childhood abandonment and abuse. This fascinating book uncovers how their legacies are forever linked with the legendary diesel streamliner which inspired the tune six decades ago, as it roared through American history, bringing wonder and hope to every stop. Includes a Collector's CD of rare, unreleased original recordings of "Orange Blossom Special" by Bluegrass Etc., Byron Berline, Dennis Caplinger, Buddy Emmons, John Henry Gates, The Hellcasters, Gary Morse, Benny Martin and Mike Stevens. Also features the original Rouse Brothers recording from 1939, a live performance by Chubby Wise, and six vintage bonus tracks. Randy Noles is a publisher of city/regional magazines in Florida. During his 25-year career, he has won awards for investigative reporting, feature writing and commentary. Born in Tuscaloosa, AL, he has lived in Orlando since 1967. He is married and has two children. "If you go back and listen to Ervin and Gordon Rouse's original 1939 recording, it's easy to hear 'Orange Blossom Special''s beauty, elegance and power. It bonds the romance of rambling around on trains with the mystique of a far-away land known as Florida. It is pure country music; it is pure Americana." from the foreword by Marty Stuart

Carbondale, Illinois. 1958. For widowed Tessie Lockhart, booking two seats on a passenger train to Florida symbolizes a fresh start, far from her memories of love and loss. For Tessie’s teenage daughter Dinah, who misses her father terribly, the move to Gainesville means a new school and the painful ordeal of making new friends. Rich, popular Crystal Landy is one of the first girls Dinah meets—and it will be Crystal, along with her exquisite mother, Victoria, who will transform the Lockharts’ lives in ways they never could have imagined. For as war and change come to this small southern town, the bonds between mothers and daughters will be tested, friendships sealed, secrets revealed, and relationships forever altered by the turbulence of the coming decades. Wise, moving, and warmly funny, The Orange Blossom Special, spans twenty years in the lives of an unforgettable cast of characters. Betsy Carter has crafted a powerful, richly rewarding novel about growing up, moving on, and turning strangers into friends.

Jerome Malcolm needs a partner for one last waltz. . . The author of Georgia Author of Year Award winners Bless Her Heart and Oh My Stars presents a novella about the family we have, the family we make, and how those two sometimes come together at the oddest times. Edie Malcolm isn’t sure she wants to keep living after her husband of sixty years, Jerome, passes away. Jerome, as he always did, had other plans—and a few surprises for his beloved wife. Unfortunately for Edie, those plans involve teaming up with her not-so-favorite sister-in-law Janice and two neighboring teens who haven’t quite figured out who they are going to be in life, much less how to deal with Jerome’s death. Thanks to Jerome’s wacky will, the foursome will have to travel the length of Tennessee in the Orange Blossom Special, an ancient hearse that Jerome had painted an orange and white checkerboard in homage to his beloved Volunteers. As they spread his ashes in the places he requested, Edie and Janice are tempted to leave behind years of hostility and forge a new kinship. Even though nothing goes according to plan, the quartet still learns about love, grief, and the odd ways in which friendship can blossom.

"One of the most bizarre stories in all of popular music is the history of the 'Orange Blossom Special,' arguably the century's best-known fiddle tune. Here revealed is the tale of its feuding owners, Rouse and Wise, and Johnny Cash, who made the song a mainstream hit. This trio's disparate legacies are here told - and forever linked with the legendary diesel steamliner."--Publisher's website.

With a light and compassionate touch, the author depicts a mother and daughter who create a family out of the people living at the crossroads during the social upheaval that shook the 1960s.

Jerome Malcolm needs a partner for one last waltz. . . The author of Georgia Author of Year Award winners Bless Her Heart and Oh My Stars presents a novella about the family we have, the family we make, and how those two sometimes come together at the oddest times. Edie Malcolm isn't sure she wants to keep living after her husband of sixty years, Jerome, passes away. Jerome, as he always did, had other plans-and a few surprises for his beloved wife. Unfortunately for Edie, those plans involve teaming up with her not-so-favorite sister-in-law Janice and two neighboring teens who haven't quite figured out who they are going to be in life, much less how to deal with Jerome's death. Thanks to Jerome's wacky will, the foursome will have to travel the length of Tennessee in the Orange Blossom Special, an ancient hearse that Jerome had painted an orange and white checkerboard in homage to his beloved Volunteers. As they spread his ashes in the places he requested, Edie and Janice are tempted to leave behind years of hostility and forge a new kinship. Even though nothing goes according to plan, the quartet still learns about love, grief, and the odd ways in which friendship can blossom.