In the High Peaks
















Friday, February 4, 2011

Which Books Would I Love to Live In?

Thanks to The Blue Bookcase for hosting The Literary Blog Hop Feb. 2-5. There's still time to participate!

I've been cogitating on this question all morning, and so far my mind refuses to stray from all the books I dreamed of inhabitating when I was a child and teenager. Not a single adult book has entered my brain yet, though I'll think more about it while snowshoeing today. So check back later tonight and tomorrow to see if my memory is cooperating.


When I was twelve, I desperately wanted to live in the family Madeleine L'Engle created in Meet the Austins and Moon by Night. I'd still live to be an Austin cousin and visit for a week. L'Engle wrote a third book about the family, Ring of Endless Light, but not until I was in my twenties. And, I never thought I'd be saying this, but I'm so grateful to Wikipedia for this sterling reproduction of the original dustjacket.


When I was eleven, I wanted to live within the stone walls of Misselthwaite Manor and roam the Yorkshire moors of the classic The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I longed to explore the manor as Mary did on rainy days, and at night, when she searched the endless corridors for the source of the screaming and crying. Working to bring the Secret Garden back to life and keeping that secret also stirred me. And, once again, I'd still love to live this book! According to Wikipedia, the cover art I've posted belongs to the 1911 edition.

6 comments:

  1. This is a gorgeous blog - so glad I found you.
    What a lovely edition of The Secret Garden.

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  2. I love the idea of a secret garden, in my case with a building at the end containing a library, possibly entered through some labyrinthine pathway of evergreen shrubs. Give me this & the world can go #@*"+!!!

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  3. I'm with you on The Secret Garden but I don't know the other book, lovely covers. I loved The Railway Children too and a book called Sahara Hostage by Kelman D Frost about a horse as I recall.

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  4. Oh yes, those children's favorites! Wouldn't it be great to live there. I'm going for a wild and isolated place: Alaska. Some of my favorite books take place there. http://leeswammes.wordpress.com

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  5. Thanks for visiting my blog--I'm loving yours too! I didn't participate in the Lit.Hop this week because I couldn't think of anywhere I actually want to go (I get all practical, realistic and pessimistic and decide I'm pretty happy where I'm at) but I also used to dream about The Secret Garden. It was such a magical place for me. The copies you have are fabulous.

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  6. Great choices....stopping by ALL the blogs to read all these great answers.

    Stop by my blog to see my answer.

    http://silversolara.blogspot.com

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