Comments on: Young Adult Novel with Purple Wallpaper

Question: Young Adult Novel with Purple Wallpaper

macadamiaranch — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:29:27 -0800

Young Adult Literature: A little girl in an abandoned house and a room with purple wallpaper.

This is about all I remember. I read it in the late 70s-early 80s when I was a young girl, but I think the book was for older (meaning pre-teen) kids. I think the book was written earlier than 70s or 80s -- 30s, 40s or 50s maybe. I remember the girl being an orphan or abandoned. The girl would go to the house and have elaborate daydreams, and the main room she played in had decaying lavender or purple wallpaper. I've Googled and Amazoned and I can't find it. PS: I don't think it's "A Little Princess", but I think it's a similar story.

By: not that girl

not that girl — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:46:55 -0800

I remember this book! The special room was a tower room. Her family were migrant workers, maybe?

Could it be The Velvet Room?

By: runtina

runtina — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:49:37 -0800

Is it The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder?

By: floam

floam — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:54:22 -0800

There is a similar story with yellow wallpaper.

It is about woman whose depression turns to insanity and she experiences many strange hallucinations in the wallpaper.

http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/wallpaper.html

By: thebrokenmuse

thebrokenmuse — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:05:36 -0800

Is the yellow room a story by Mark Twain or W.D. Howell? I think I remember that story also.

By: macadamiaranch

macadamiaranch — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:10:38 -0800

I believe it is The Velvet Room! I think I was also merging the words velvet/violet in my head. There was a tower room, and she'd read on a window seat. Thank you!!

By: bibbit

bibbit — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:11:26 -0800

Is the girl at an orphanage, and she finds a little cottage that she turns into her own? I don't specifically remember purple wallpaper, and the name of the book is escaping me right now, so I'm hoping this jogs someone else's memory...I think the book was the girl's name, and I think it started with an M. There was a room that was covered in seashells in the cottage...

I'll let you know if I wake up at 2am remembering the name of the book.

By: bibbit

bibbit — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:12:07 -0800

All right, nevermind. But I do have to go find that book now. It's somewhere in my parents' house...

By: i_like_camels

i_like_camels — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:17:33 -0800

bibbit-
You are thinking of the book Mandy. It's a great book.

By: not that girl

not that girl — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:21:45 -0800

Remembering the migrant workers let me google it...I googled something like "young adult novel migrant room" and it was the second hit.

By: wildeepdotorg

wildeepdotorg — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 10:26:54 -0800

Mandy is by Julie Edwards (aka Julie Andrews -- yes, the actress).

By: bibbit

bibbit — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 06:10:52 -0800

Yes! Mandy! And fancy that - I had never realized the author was really Julie Andrews. Thanks, folks!