Help me resurrect this novel?
December 1, 2011 10:27 AM Subscribe
Forgotten-YA-Novel-Filter: Help me remember a book I read when I was in middle school. It involved a teenage girl, a church, and grave rubbings!
I remember reading a novel in middle- or early high-school about a young woman (teenage years I believe) who moved, possibly with her mother, to a new place. I can't remember if the book was actually set in Ireland, but I remember it that way-- somewhere very green, possibly an island. I also remember the girl discovered a church and began taking grave rubbings from the stones, and that this was a major part of the novel. It's quite possible that magic was involved somehow, as I do remember the protagonist sitting in a field contemplating something magical or spiritual at one point. I remember being fascinated with this book-- particularly the grave rubbings-- and I would love to find it again!
Thanks Metafilter!
I remember reading a novel in middle- or early high-school about a young woman (teenage years I believe) who moved, possibly with her mother, to a new place. I can't remember if the book was actually set in Ireland, but I remember it that way-- somewhere very green, possibly an island. I also remember the girl discovered a church and began taking grave rubbings from the stones, and that this was a major part of the novel. It's quite possible that magic was involved somehow, as I do remember the protagonist sitting in a field contemplating something magical or spiritual at one point. I remember being fascinated with this book-- particularly the grave rubbings-- and I would love to find it again!
Thanks Metafilter!
I don't know why, but I was reminded of "Wait till Helen Comes" when I read this question.
posted by katypickle at 10:58 AM on December 1, 2011
posted by katypickle at 10:58 AM on December 1, 2011
Response by poster: Time frame for me reading it would be approximately between 1996 - 1999.
posted by WidgetAlley at 11:26 AM on December 1, 2011
posted by WidgetAlley at 11:26 AM on December 1, 2011
don't have time to google at the moment, but I fell like this is familiar and I would have read it around the same time. I know I was reading a lot of lois duncan, christopher pike, and joan lowery nixon at the time, possibly it could be one of theirs?
posted by firei at 11:49 AM on December 1, 2011
posted by firei at 11:49 AM on December 1, 2011
Arrrgh, I remember this. I'll try to see if I can find it.
posted by vivzan at 3:13 PM on December 1, 2011
posted by vivzan at 3:13 PM on December 1, 2011
I don't suppose you remember any words in the title, or any names of any of the characters, or any words in the author's name? Could the book have been part of a series?
posted by I love to count at 5:48 PM on December 1, 2011
posted by I love to count at 5:48 PM on December 1, 2011
Could it have been by R.L. Stine? I feel like I remember something similar to what you described... don't have time to google it now though.
posted by seriousmoonlight at 2:40 AM on December 2, 2011
posted by seriousmoonlight at 2:40 AM on December 2, 2011
A Wizard Abroad by Diane Duane, from the Young Wizards series.
posted by nicebookrack at 5:13 AM on December 2, 2011
posted by nicebookrack at 5:13 AM on December 2, 2011
Response by poster: It was definitely NOT R.L. Stine, as I disdained him to the extreme in my youth. It was also not Wizards Abroad, nor any of the authors fieri mentioned (as far as I can tell from a quick Googling.) I know the time period I read it was mid-nineties but I feel like the book might be older?
I don't remember a single thing about the title, author, etc., which I greatly regret. I do remember that if there was magic it was extremely subtle; and it may have had a purple cover. Thank you guys, I really appreciate your efforts!
posted by WidgetAlley at 8:50 AM on December 2, 2011
I don't remember a single thing about the title, author, etc., which I greatly regret. I do remember that if there was magic it was extremely subtle; and it may have had a purple cover. Thank you guys, I really appreciate your efforts!
posted by WidgetAlley at 8:50 AM on December 2, 2011
Sudden Impulse by Georgia M. Shewmake? Dog People by Merry Whiteford features a female protagonist and grave rubbing, but it's set in New England and no moving...
posted by kittenmarlowe at 9:24 AM on December 2, 2011
posted by kittenmarlowe at 9:24 AM on December 2, 2011
This made me think of A Cry in the Night by Carol Ellis. I vaguely remember something about grave rubbings and a scene in a creepy old church (might have been a house). That's about all that I remember from it, sorry.
posted by Fuego at 8:40 PM on December 2, 2011
posted by Fuego at 8:40 PM on December 2, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Sassyfras at 10:44 AM on December 1, 2011