In connection with the 50th anniversary of the unexpected hit series "Gilligan's Island," Dawn (who portrayed the lovable farm girl next door, Mary Ann Sommers), has released "A Guide To Life: What Would Mary Ann Do?" through Taylor Trade Publishing and Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.Dawn writes about the meaning of the Mary Ann character and observes the cultural shifts that have occurred since she was on the island. From the get-go, the Mary Ann character was different. She wasn't a Hollywood creation. She was molded by Dawn, from Dawn. The Character that was originally listed as "And the rest" on the credits became the fan favorite, garnering more fan mail that even the title character. With over 150,000 fans on her FaceBook page and fan clubs across the U.S., her following has remained faithful.
Dawn says that Mary Ann fits today just as she fit two generations ago, because she is timeless. In a world where the industry and society has been celebrating their "Bad girls," Mary Ann continues to be, for many, the breathe of fresh air as the “Good Girl.” Pop culture is too powerful and too pervasive to be controlled by parents, siblings or colleagues. It can be confused with reality. This leaves young people in a vulnerable position - they have to make decisions that are normally beyond their maturity. Dawn discusses decisions we make in life and even goes straight to the BIG DECISION and delivers her concept of the meaning of sex. In a world of participation trophies, easy praise, and entitlement attitudes, how do you define achievement? Dawn describes it as a journey of failure and learning and tenacity that requires a constant personal re-examination of what success really means.