"Jim Cox brings the washboard weepers back to life in his detailed history of The Great Radio Soap Operas. Here you'll find complete coverage of 31 shows, including themes, storylines, major characters, and information on cast, crew members, sponsors, ratings, and broadcast dates. Cox offers intriguing insights into the genre and shows us why Americans never failed to "tune in tomorrow.""--BOOK JACKET.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 307-315) and index.

1. Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories (The Ultimate Conclusion) 2. Backstage Wife (The Perfectly Named Serial Heroine) 3. Big Sister (John's Other Wife) 4. The Brighter Day (Falling Leaves) 5. David Harum (Bab-O's Own Program) 6. Front Page Farrell (The Unforgettable Radio Drama) 7. The Guiding Light (The Longest Narrative Ever Told) 8. Hilltop House (To the Women of America) 9. Just Plain Bill (A Giant of the Air) 10. Life Can Be Beautiful (A Beam of Hope in a Dark World) 11. The Light of the World (An Eternal Beacon) 12. Lora Lawton (Where So Few Dreams Come True) 13. Lorenzo Jones (More Smiles Than Tears) 14. Ma Perkins (Mother of the Air) 15. One Man's Family (Bewildering Offspring) 16. Our Gal Sunday (Can This Girl...Find Happiness?) 17. Pepper Young's Family (The House That Camay Built)

18. Perry Mason (Murder and Mayhem in the Afternoon) 19. Portia Faces Life (Courage, Spirit, Integrity) 20. The Right to Happiness (Ivory Soap's Own Story) 21. Road of Life (The Duz Program) 22. The Romance of Helen Trent (The Goddess of Goodness) 23. Rosemary (This Is You) 24. The Second Mrs. Burton (Second Wife) 25. Stella Dallas (Nothin' but Trouble) 26. This Is Nora Drake (A Modern Story) 27. Today's Children (A Bridge Over Troubled Waters) 28. Wendy Warren and the News (Reports from the Women's World) 29. When a Girl Marries (Follow Your Heart) 30. Young Doctor Malone (A Page from a New Chapter) 31. Young Widder Brown (The Age-Old Conflict) App. A. Soap Opera Firsts, Lasts and Mosts App. B. Adult Weekday Radio Serials by Year of Debut.