Anne Hills latest CD is not only a work of art, but it a snapshot of a unique individual’s remarkable story and creativity. It is an important piece of Americana. It also serves as a lesson in how we view the world and deal with individuals who see the world in a different light.

In recent years, the publishing world has taken some hits with the revelation that some authors will play with the truth when writing autobiographical pieces. In some cases, there have been questions as to who did the actual writing – the subject or a ghost writer.

There is nothing new about this scrutiny.

In 1920, Atlantic Monthly published a book called “The Book of Opal: The Journal of an Understanding Heart“. The book came from a diary that Opal Whiteley began when she was six years old. Opal Whiteley was born in a logging camp in Oregon at the end of the 19th Century, and her diary related fanciful observations of her rural world and adventures as a young girl. Opal communed with nature and gave names to the flora and fauna taken from classic literature. Her dog was named Brave Horatius, taken from a poem about the Roman hero. She had a pet crow that she called Lars Porsena, the name of a king in ancient Rome. A pet wood rat was known as Thomas Chatterton, also the name of an English poet, and the family horse was William Shakespeare. When she spoke of the “fairy world” around her, she was not describing imagined encounters but rather speaking of the spirit of nature in more symbolic terms.

The book quickly became a best seller. Readers fell in love with Opal’s charming style and prose. The book probably have earned the status of an American classic, but Whiteley would soon be disgraced and drop from public view.

Within a year of publication, the book was out of print – the result of questions about the authenticity of the writer. Critics began to doubt that the book represented the writings of a six year old girl but was actually the writing of a young adult. In the book, Opal said that she was not born to a family in Oregon but was in reality a French princess who was adopted by the Whiteley’s. Opal Whitely was accused of being a fraud and a con artist. There was concern that the book was merely a product of an ambitious young author working a con with Atlantic Monthly.

Whiteley left the United States to gather evidence to prove her claims. After traveling to India and France, she would eventually be found living in a crumbling tenement in England. She was declared a ward of the state, diagnosed as mentally ill and confined to an institution for the remaining years of her life – nearly 50 years. She would only speak French and kept up her instance that she was a princess. She would pass away in 1992 at the age of 95, all but forgotten by the public that once fell in love with her writings.

In recent years, interest has grown in the life and works of Opal Whiteley. Benjamin Hoff’s book “The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow: The Mystical Nature Diary of Opal Whiteley” would inspire Anne Hills to explore her writings.

With Anne guiding the project, Michael Smith would set the lyrics of Opal Whiteley to music. Over the last few years, Anne has been performing these songs and introducing audiences to the story. At the Old Songs Festival in 2005, Anne gave two workshop performances on the subject. I sat there with the rest of the enthralled audience, discovering the beautiful works of Whiteley that could only have been interpreted by the lovely voice of Anne Hills whose passion for the project is obvious.

Finally, we have these songs available on a CD! For the recording project, Anne selected 13 passages from the diaries of Opal Whiteley. Scott Pettito has done a superb job of arranging adn producing this CD. In addition to setting the words to music, Michael Smith plays guitar on the CD. The other supporting musicians include Eugene Friesen on cello, Peter Vitalone on piano, Barbara Rizek on flute, Peter Davis on clarinet and Ann Churukian on English horn and oboe. Priscilla Herdman, Leslie Ritter and Beth Reineke supply harmony vocals, and Scott Petito also adds his guitar, bass, laud and percussion.

The song settings are evocative and respectful of the source material. Anne brings us to that special world that Opal Whiteley described in her writing. There is an innocence in these songs that reminded me of my own childhood – wandering through woods near my home and marveling at the wonders of nature, an age where I may not have understood the scientific explanations for what was around me but the spiritual aspect overcame my senses. In Opal’s words, a simple plant like a potato becomes a vehicle for observing the world.

One of my favorite cuts, coming from one of the few pieces of Whiteley’s writing that has crept into recognition beyond the community of her admirers, is a song called “Brown Leaves“. The dieing leaves of fall become a way of looking back at their life since spring and the ultimate renewal. Anne captures the evocative mood of the piece in a stunning performance.

As a child, I loved to go to a park near my home and play on the swings. I would literally spend hours swinging away as I watched the clouds, so the song “Cloudships” really hit home for me. While I did not have a cow named Elizabeth Barret Browning to share the experience with me, I did share the same feelings of comfort as I watched the clouds and felt the wind. Such memories run deep, and Whitely recognized the importance of these experiences. We are lucky that Anne Hills also shared the vision and created such a compelling recording. Anne drew me back to those times.

In addition to her writing, as a teenager Opal Whitely was a leader of a Christian youth group and began lecturing and teaching children about the wonders of God and nature. One song on the CD, “Glad for Spring“, is a perfect example of Whitely offering praise for the gifts that nature shared with her. Anne’s subtle performance is a perfect accompaniment to words that do not attempt to preach or convert, but simply give thanks for the beauty she cherishes.

Was Opal Whiteley a fraud? To this day, the authenticity of her work is questioned. There are strong arguments that suggest she was telling the truth, but we will never know for sure. Her “mental illness” may have been a condition known as Asperger’s Syndrome, recently recognized as a form of autism. People with Asperger’s have been known to focus on particular subjects that they are interested in and reach near-genius levels of knowledge. Regardless of the “truth” behind their creation, the words attributed to Opal Whiteley possess a rare beauty and deserve greater recognition.

This CD will not gather dust in my library. Anne Hills has given us an insight into a remarkable woman with a remarkable skill. The 13 passages that Anne chose serves as a sampler to the writings of Opal Whiteley and will hopefully create more interest in the author. As an artist, Anne Hills has given us a collection that showcase the skills that have earned her a reputation as one of the premier interpreters of song. She has crafted one of the most intriguing CD’s that I have heard in years.

As a side note – Anne Hills will perform with Cindy Mangsen and Priscella Herdman at the Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club in Paramus on November 4, 2006