Meet Me in St. Louis

By Sally Benson

Book Overview

Sally Benson's charming slice-of-life story is back in print for a new generation of readers.

Originally published as World War II raged overseas, Meet Me in St. Louis is Sally Benson's semi-autobiographical account of the intergenerational Smith family during the twelve months leading up to the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. With warmth and tenderness, Benson chronicles the Smiths' lives as they navigate sibling rivalries, first loves, financial hardship, jealousy, and heartaches in a poignant ode to the bonds of family.

Benson's novel is infused with wit as she details the lighthearted, pleasant existence of the Smith family's five children--one rife with chaste crushes, victimless pranks, and other childhood escapades. Yet, Benson infuses the novel's episodic, squeaky-clean veneer with a dark comedic brilliance that transcends the ages and speaks, even today, to the universal experience of growing up.

Long out of print, this new edition of Benson's timeless work includes a foreword by bestselling author Benjamin Dreyer, who comments both on the book's origins and its afterlife in popular culture as the source material for Judy Garland's beloved musical of the same name. An effervescent midcentury novel waiting to be rediscovered, Meet Me in St. Louis is ready to meet its new generation of readers.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0226853942
• ISBN13: 9780226853949
• Release Date: November 2026
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.

Customer Reviews

good

I liked it. I just wanted to read the book the movie was based on. It was sweet.

If You Love the Movie......

This is the book that the wonderful musical with Judy Garland is based upon. Sally Benson wrote the screenplay and much of the dialogue in the book was transferred to the script. I could hear Judy Garland, Leon Ames,Mary Astor and the rest of the cast uttering the lines from the book in my mind as I read. Written during WWll, the book tried to convey a simpler,warmer time from Benson's childhood...the character of Tootie is based upon Benson herself. It is written as a series of chapters that correspond to the year leading up to the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. It's a fun, nostalgic read. Benson's writing is enjoyable indeed.

"Right here in St. Louis."

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS is the book that inspired both the beloved musical and movie by the same name. The book was originally published as a series of stories in NEW YORK MAGAZINE. The stories were collected and edited together and published as a book in 1941. It was a bestseller. This special edition of the book was published in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the St. Louis World's Fair. The book is divided into 12 chapters, one for each month from June 1903 to May 1904. The chapters describe the quirky adventures that takes place in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Smith of St. Louis. The Smiths have five children: one son and four daughters. The children along with Mrs. Smiths' father, Grandpa Prophater, are involved in all sorts of mischievious delight, usually to the chagrin of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The book culminates in their experiences during the opening month of the World's Fair. MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS is a delightful work of storytelling. The characters in the book reminded me of members of my own family and reading about them often caused me to chuckle as I reflected upon my own adventures of youth. The story is also a wonderful piece of history, describing events of the past in vivid details. It's hard to imagine after two world wars, countless other international missions, and the terrorism that threatens American life that the world was once a much safer and simpler place. MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS reminds us of that. And of course, being from the St. Louis area, it's nice to have a book that takes place and celebrates the area, "right here in St. Louis."