Anna’s Celebration: How a Girl Changed the Calendar

By Marjorie Thurgood Barton and Daniel Majan

It is 1876 and Anna Jarvis is a twelve-year-old girl living among the hills of West Virginia in the village of Grafton. As she attends church with her family and goes about her daily life, Anna has no idea she will soon change a nation and influence the world.

When Anna’s mother dies before her dream to create a special day for all mothers is fulfilled, her daughter embarks on a special journey fueled by love and devotion to pick up the pieces to honor her memory and monumental wish. As she leads others down a fascinating path into the past to unveil scientific discoveries, gripping Civil War reunions, and thousands of letters, Anna provides a poignant glimpse into how her determined journey eventually prompted the residents of over fifty countries to mark their calendars and send cards home to honor the mothers in their lives.

In this historical tale Ann Marie Jarvis wishes for a day to celebrate mothers. Years later, Anna Jarvis, her daughter, fulfills her mother’s dream by establishing Mother’s Day.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664233942

Marjorie Thurgood Barton

Marjorie Thurgood Barton is the mother to ten children and grandmother to thirty-four. Known for her active imagination since she was little, she has told stories to countless youth groups, audiences, and mother organizations including American Mothers, Inc., who named her Texas Mother of the Year in 2011. The tale of Anna Jarvis is one of her favorites to tell.

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