The Vine: May 22, 2013
I started, but never finished, a friend’s YA novel during a “reading day” when I was in fifth or sixth grade (smack-dab in the middle of the ’90s, if that helps).
I have been completely unable to find it since. How will I ever finish it if I can’t find it?? So here’s what I remember:
- The protagonist’s older sister was thought of as some kind of witch, because she gave the protagonist cloves for a toothache (and maybe because she slapped her once, and that left a white streak in her hair where she hit her).
- One of the protagonist’s friends was born with a cleft lip, which they blamed on his mother having looked at a rabbit before he was born or something.
- It was definitely set a few centuries in the past.
- I think she lived in a seaside village, possibly in Cornwall or Wales.
For some reason, I think the title was something about searching for a maid, but I don’t remember anything matching that in the plot (but again, I didn’t finish it, so what would I know).
Any pointers, or indications I didn’t just fall asleep and dream half of a nonsensical book that day, are so very much appreciated!
Sincerely,
My dental plan is also my spice rack
*****
Hi Sars,
Yet another search for a long-lost young-adult book here: I probably read this one sometime around 1988-1990, and it may have been ordered from one of those flimsy little Scholastic book order forms. It was set in the present day, but somehow at a Fourth of July town picnic-type thing, the main character falls asleep under a tree (…I think?) and wakes up in another time period. I believe there was something about being stuck in the wrong time, and the character risked catching either diphtheria or cholera or some other old-timey disease by not being able to escape the time warp. No idea on character names, title, author, zip.
Web searches tend to bring up Love in the Time of Cholera if I try cholera, or Running Out of Time if I try searching for diphtheria, so it’s not either one of those. Thanks, Nation, for your vast knowledge of obscure young adult books from 20 years ago!
I swear I’m not fascinated by diarrheal diseases…
Tags: Ask The Readers popcult
LW2, this isn’t your book, but this reminds me somewhat of Connie Willis’s Doomsday Book which is an excellent read.
LibraryThing says “Quest for a Maid” –
Question: http://www.librarything.com/topic/121822
Book: http://www.librarything.com/work/272605
The first one is definitely Quest for a Maid by Marie Frances Hendry and it is one of my very favorites.
LW2, could it be from this series?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_Time_(Cooney_novel)
Megan, it also reminded me of The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis! If it isn’t the specific book the OP is looking for, it is definitely still a GREAT read.
LW2, this doesn’t quite match your description (protagonist is a lawyer in LA, published in 2000), but it does have enough similar elements (sent back to ancient Rome, has to drink more wine that she’s used to in order to avoid water-borne diseases) that I figured I should mention it anyway. Maybe someone in the amazon reviews will compare it to the one you’re thinking of? It’s actually a really good book, I really enjoyed reading the little day-to-day details of ancient Rome.
http://www.amazon.com/Household-Gods-Judith-Tarr/dp/0812564669/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369243984&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=jane+tarr+harry+turtledove
Katie and Margaret, thank you!
I read Domesday Book every Christmas! I love Connie Willis with a deep and true love.
It is totally Quest for a Maid! Man, now I want to re-read that. It was great. I discovered it via the Chinaberry catalog (does anyone else remember when that was a great place to find books, before they had to give up selling books and switch to toys b/c Amazon?)
LW 2 here, so far those other books sound cool but are definitely not the one I’m thinking of. I feel like the Doomsday author must have read my book, though!
Could LW2’s book be Time for Andrew by Mary Downing Hahn?
http://www.amazon.com/Time-Andrew-Mary-Downing-Hahn/dp/0618873163/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369318204&sr=1-1&keywords=Time+for+Andrew
Jen S 1.0, yes and yes! Bellwether is one of my top favorite books.
Bellwether! It’s my go to for feeling better about humanity in general. Plus, it makes me want to read great novels and eat chocolate cheesecake.
LW2, I think I know what book you’re talking about, but I can’t remember the title! I’m searching hard, though. It was set during the bicentennial~a girl in 1976 ends up back in 1776, there’s parts mentioning Yellow Fever, and the girl she stays with back then is scandalized by her behavior. I remember a bit about her going out without a bonnet and the 1776 girl being aghast.
Amanda, those sound like familiar details to me! Maybe the bicentennial thing is why I think it had a 4th of July picnic involved…ooh, I hope we can figure it out. A Time For Andrew sounded almost like what I was thinking of, but just not quite (and also published a bit too late I think). Man, these YA authors sure loved time slipping stories if there are so many to sort through…
LW2, the book kind of reminds me of one I can’t think of the title to but I have a few more details… In the book I’m thinking of, the girl is recovering from some kind of illness and staying with her grandmother. The grandmother gives her an old doll (I think the doll’s name is Jessie) and the girl goes to sleep and wakes up as an ancestor who is also recovering from an illness (maybe Yellow Fever) and she alternates between these two times whenever she goes to sleep with the doll. She eventually has to choose a time to live in. The girl’s name was Meg, her alter-ego is Morgan. If that’s not the book your looking for, can someone tell me what the name of this book is? Now it’s driving me crazy…
Someone answered my question – Yesterday’s Doll by Cora Taylor.
LW2: All of the details don’t sound right, but could it possibly be Switching Well?
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/805563.Switching_Well
A major plot point is that she has to jump between times at a big town parade or festival.
JoAnne – OMG, Cora Taylor’s books are amazing. LOVED Yesterday’s Doll. Julie and its sequel (Julie’s Secret, I think?) were also favourites.