Comments on: Find that book!

Question: Find that book!

macfly — Fri, 18 May 2007 16:51:12 -0800

It's another find that book I read as a kid question!

OK, nobody's been able to ID this book for me, and Google and Amazon have both failed me. Here's what I remember:
I read it in elementary or middle school in the 1980s.
It was about a girl, pretty young (maybe 11-13?) whose mother was taking her to auditions for commercials and whatnot. I believe the girl started getting a fair amount of work, maybe even landing a series role at some point. Eventually, her income was basically supporting the family (I don't remember any mention of a father but there may have been sibling(s)).

After having a fight with her mother the girls describes the look on her mother's face by saying something along the lines of "After that, if I ever had to work up tears for a scene I just remembered that look on my mother's face."

I'm pretty sure she describes her mother by her first name throughout the book and that her mother's name began with 'D'.

A couple of books I'm pretty sure it's not:
Adorable Sunday by Marlene Fanta Shyer
ENCORE by Joan Lowery Nixon
LOVE STORY, TAKE THREE by Gloria D. Miklowitz

Anybody? I'm starting to think I made it up.

By: thebrokedown

thebrokedown — Fri, 18 May 2007 19:09:46 -0800

Well, I dunno that answer, unfortunately, but a book for older folks that reminded me strongly of your description was "Colors Insulting to Nature" by Cintra Wilson.

Sorry I couldn't help with your childhood memories, but it is a very good read. :)

By: Margalo Epps

Margalo Epps — Fri, 18 May 2007 20:01:15 -0800

Could it have been one of Noel Streatfeild's books? Perhaps one of the Gemma books?

By: nkknkk

nkknkk — Fri, 18 May 2007 20:51:04 -0800

Noel Streatfeild's "Movie Shoes" may be the closest (although all the 'shoe books' have some elements you've listed - it could be a combination of several).

By: peep

peep — Fri, 18 May 2007 22:24:34 -0800

Was it Deenie by Judy Blume?

By: Mozzie

Mozzie — Fri, 18 May 2007 23:31:14 -0800

I would have gone for the Sunday book... I'll try to see if anything else comes to mind.

By: IndigoRain

IndigoRain — Sat, 19 May 2007 01:20:46 -0800

I was a Judy Blume fanatic as a kid, and Deenie didn't do commercial tryouts or anything like that.

By: macfly

macfly — Sat, 19 May 2007 06:10:22 -0800

I know it's not Deenie.

I'll hit the library and check out the Noel Streatfeild books but the descriptions at Amazon don't ring any bells. I'm really pretty sure that there wasn't a father in the picture.

By: redfoxtail

redfoxtail — Sat, 19 May 2007 06:52:40 -0800

Don't worry about checking Movie Shoes, that's definitely not it. It could just possibly have been one of the Gemma books, though -- Gemma is living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins during the series, but used to be a child tv and movie star, living alone with her mother, who is a piece of work.

By: mediareport

mediareport — Sun, 20 May 2007 08:01:08 -0800

If you don't get help here, the librarians on the Fiction-L list answer this kind of question all the time. Just subscribe, ask and wait; it's free.

By: SisterHavana

SisterHavana — Sun, 20 May 2007 21:13:37 -0800

Maybe Domestic Arrangements by Norma Klein? Although you didn't mention anything sexual in your summary, and the book did have a lot of sex.