Looking for childhood book

July 21, 2008 12:24 AM

Help my find a book about a "haunted" dollhouse from my childhood!

When I was in grade school (late 80's/early90's) I read a book about a girl who moves into an old Civil War era house, and finds a dollhouse replica of her new home in the attic. She notices that she can watch scenes from the past through the dollhouse, which was built as a gift by a slave hidden in the house as part of the underground railroad. She eventually sees the death of a girl and she tries to save her. She lives there alone with her mother, who starts to have a bit of a personality change from living in the house. I don't know how I can remember so much about the story and forget the title! I've searched everywhere, and asked my Aunt who is a K-6 librarian and she had never come across it!

PS: It is definitely NOT "The Haunted Dollhouse" by Susan Black, or "Sweet Miss Honeywells Revenge: A Ghost Story" ...

PPS: This is unrelated to the similar post from February.

posted by starfyr to grab bag (12 comments total)

This earlier thread mentions The Haunted Dollhouse by Susan Blake. Could this be the book?
posted by longsleeves at 1:57 AM on July 21, 2008

I think I remember reading this- was it in paperback and did it have a purplish cover with a painting of a kid in an attic encountering the dollhouse on the front?
posted by suedehead at 2:00 AM on July 21, 2008

Oh, Susan Black=Susan Blake. Sorry.
posted by longsleeves at 2:00 AM on July 21, 2008

I read it too in the late 80s, but no idea on a name. I also remember a purple cover and perhaps a blonde hair young girl on the cover as well.
posted by k8t at 2:18 AM on July 21, 2008

I read a similar book, but I'm not sure if all the details match. Could it be Midnight in the Dollhouse?
posted by itesser at 3:51 AM on July 21, 2008

The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright? The Civil War details don't quite match up, though.
posted by nonane at 4:47 AM on July 21, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I definitely know what book you're talking about, but I can't remember the title, either; the only help I can offer is that I remember the smell of magnolia blossoms was a fairly pivotal plot point. Good luck, I'm curious, too!
posted by sarahsynonymous at 7:29 AM on July 21, 2008

It sounds like Time Windows by Kathryn Reiss.
posted by MaddyRex at 8:13 AM on July 21, 2008

YES! You found it- that is definitely it. I think I love you! :D Thanks!
posted by starfyr at 8:52 AM on July 21, 2008

I was just about to come in and post it! An hour too late. Yes-- that was a pretty sweet book :)
posted by dmaterialized at 9:37 AM on July 21, 2008

Hooray! Happy to help.
posted by MaddyRex at 9:40 AM on July 21, 2008

Whoa, nonane, you found the book I was looking for! Thanks! This thread is a doubly-solved one!
posted by suedehead at 10:18 PM on July 22, 2008