Wednesday, September 15, 2021

My Ticket To Ride - A Book Review




I just finished a really great book called My Ticket to Ride by Janice Mitchell.   This is the true story of a girl named Janice and her adventures in London in the autumn of 1964.


Janice had a pretty rough childhood in Cleveland, Ohio.  Her parents left her, and she lived with a difficult aunt.   Things in Janice's life got better in December 1963 when she first heard The Beatles on the radio.   Like so many other girls, the Beatles and their music made a huge impact on her, and she automatically became a fan.   Beatles became her life -- she listened to their music, read the magazines, and, of course, watched them on the Ed Sullivan Show. 

Janice talks her best Beatle buddy, Marti, into leaving their troublesome lives in Cleveland and traveling to London to start a new life.   A life where they could meet The Beatles, go to the clubs in Soho, and work for Brian Epstein.     So the day after they went to the Beatles concert in Cleveland, the two 16-year-olds left with their new passports and Marti's college fund money and flew to London without telling their guardians. 

The story of two Beatle-crazed American teenagers in 1964 London was so interesting!   Janice Mitchell is a very good writer and by reading about her adventure, you are transferred to a much more innocent time in what was the beginning days of "Swinging London."    The girls go to all of the top clubs in Soho, including the Marquee, the 2i's, the Flamingo, and others that you have heard about.  They hitchhike to Liverpool and meet some very kind boys along the way who helped their adventures. 

I really loved this story.   Janice and Marti actually did something that every teenage girl wanted to do in the 1960s.   Sadly, they did not get to meet the Beatles, but they sure had a fun time trying!  I was stuck at what an innocent time it was.   Janice had such little life experience, and yet no one took advantage of her naiveté, and the boys were such gentlemen.   

Beatle fans of all generations will enjoy this coming-of-age story.  It is one that was an easy read and was a lot of fun.  I highly recommend it! 


 https://amzn.to/48AyteS
 

9 comments:

  1. It would be useful to know what percent of the book is London. Amazon preview shows the 1st 6 chapters at least are pre-London, and if, say, that's half the book, I'd not find the book a priority.

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    1. About half the story takes place in London, including descriptions of visiting the 2i’s Coffe Bar, the Crawdaddy Club, the Flamingo Jazz Club, and the Marquee Club. Also includes hitch-hiking overnight to Liverpool and other UK details. Hope that's helpful.

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    2. I agree -- half of the book takes place in London.

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  2. I always enjoy and appreciate your book reviews. Thanks!

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  3. If the Beatles themselves are not in it, who cares? Pass!

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  4. Ron Schaumburg's excellent Growing Up With The Beatles book from the mid-70's started books of this ilk if I recall correctly. This one sounds interesting, thanks Sara.

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    1. Yes it did. His book is considered a "classic" Beatles book. He did not meet the Beatles either, but it still is a great book.

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  5. Schaumburg actually tells a story in his book about a brief meeting w/ Ringo later in his adult life in 1974, but it's not the central focus of the book.

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