The only comprehensive biography of pl travers the fascinating woman who created mary poppins the events in this book inspired disneys movie saving mr banks starring emma thompson and tom hanksthe story of mary poppins the quintessentially english and utterly magical childrens nanny is remarkable enough. Mary poppins she wrote 1 the real mr banks helen lyndon goff had two fathers one was real the other she imagined the traces of both men can be found in a third father the completely fictional george banks the melancholy head of the household in the adventures of mary poppins. X 401 p 16 p of plates 25 cm the story of mary poppins the quintessentially english and utterly magical childrens nanny is remarkable enough she was instantly hailed as a classic then became a household name when julie andrews stepped into the role in disneys hugely successful film now she is a broadway sensation all over again. The six mary poppins books published over a 50 year period brought travers professional success but her personal life was often muddled born helen lyndon goff in australia in 1899 travers was