Praise for Until I Smile At You
I very much enjoyed reading Until I Smile At You. The list of key female tunesmiths of the Great American Songbook is short: Dorothy Fields, Ann Ronell, Kay Swift, Carolyn Leigh — not many more. The list of Canadian women in this elite company is much shorter: Ruth Lowe. Period. Lowe, who came out of left field (Toronto) in 1940 to write Frank Sinatra’s megahit “I’ll Never Smile Again” — the first Number One on the first Billboard chart and the song that turned Sinatra into a national star — wasn’t content to stop there: in 1943 she wrote his signature tune, “Put Your Dreams Away” — which, 55 years later, was played at his funeral. The woman who arguably bookended Frank Sinatra’s career richly deserved a biography, and in Until I Smile at You, Peter Jennings gives Lowe the one she deserves: a marvelously detailed and affectionate life of a great woman and an important artist. ~ James Kaplan, Author of “Sinatra: The Chairman” (2015) and “Frank: The Voice” (2010)
Fabulous story! Reviewed in Canada on November 12, 2020 What a fabulous story about a truly amazing woman. You’ve captured the life and times of Ruth Lowe beautifully. No wonder Sinatra linked his career to hers! Loved the commentary from the celebrities talking about her songs. A truly great book! ~ Rosie
.***** Fascinating book that I couldn’t put down What a story! I couldn’t put down this fantastic account by Peter Jennings and Tom Sandler of the incredible life of Tom’s mother, songwriter Ruth Lowe! Reading it felt like I was there watching her life story unfold on the big screen. From a childhood marked by poverty, tragedy and loss, Ruth rose to break barriers for women in the then male-dominated music industry. She is a significant figure in music and life as a hero and a pop star of the 20th Century. She is certainly a hero of mine. This book is written with care and loving admiration, full of reminiscent and heartwarming accounts from Ruth’s family, friends, and famous colleagues in music and entertainment, as well as a beautiful foreword by Nancy Sinatra about her father, Frank’s, serendipitous and lifelong musical alliance with Ruth, plus photos and memorabilia that augment the story and carry the reader through this fascinating book.
~Camille, Canada, posted on Amazon.ca, 5 stars
***** Wonderful story Story about a little known Canadian who deserves more recognition. I very much enjoyed the story and the history involved about a Woman from Toronto who even though she mingled with the rich and famous never forgot where she came from. She chose to leave it behind to come home and become a wife and mother. She sounds like the kind of person whom would enhance the lives she touched. I wish I had known her.
~Dave Miller, Canada, posted on Amazon.ca, 5 stars.
***** An Enjoyable and Very Informative Read Peter Jennings has written the story of the remarkable Ruth Lowe whom I learned to love and respect as I read the incredible tale of her life and times. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I grew up not far from where Ruth lived in Toronto after her return from New York. As for the times, I was fascinated by the first person accounts of “Ruthie” and her friends, like “Tommy”, “Frankie”, and all the great characters who were a such a big part of the Big Band Era and of that great music. We need to put Ruthie on the Canadian One-Hundred Dollar Bill.
~John Fitzgerald, Canada, posted on Amazon.ca, 5 stars
***** It’s an amazing story! This book is the story of my grandmother, Ruth Lowe. I’m slightly biased but she had a wonderful life and an almost fairy tale experience of rubbing shoulders with music royalty for a time. This is well worth the read and it’s wonderful to see her story kept alive. It is an inspiration! One person found this helpful
~Scott Sandler, Canada, posted on Amazon.ca, 5 stars
***** Great Read! This is a woman who has always fascinated me. Her unforgettable song is truly eternal. Her story is very touching and moving. A world ago we were neighbors and although she has been gone for many years her memory shines on.
~m e simmons, Canada, posted on Amazon.ca, 5 stars