Thursday 1 September 2011

When I came across this book in the children's library last week, I was convinced that it was a much-loved but long-forgotten story that I'd read many years ago.
But as I read it, something seemed wrong ... yes, there was a wonderful dolls' house, a Dutch doll, a tumbling boy doll, made out of plush, an imperious posh doll.
But they weren't quite how I remembered them. And surely I wouldn't have so completely forgotten that menacing ending when the malevolent posh doll exerts her will and simple-minded, celluloid Birdie goes up in flames.
And then last night - from the deep recesses of memory where books about dolls' houses get filed - something struggled to the surface. The book that I'd loved was Five Dolls in a House by Helen Clare ... about a little girl who shrinks to visit her dolls: bossy, old-fashioned Vanessa, gentle Jane whose leather feet reminded me of a Dutch doll, Lupin who only wore a vest, their French paying-guest and a monkey who shouted rude words down the chimney.
And now, of course, I'm desperate to read it again - and it isn't in the library.
I haven't seen a copy for years but I remember loving the characters and all their dolls' house furniture. Is it still around today?
Another book that I'd love to read again is Marigold in Godmother's House, by the the author of Milly-Molly-Mandy, which I remember as absolutely entrancing.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Apparently it is still available but not cheap by any means.

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/title/five-dolls-in-a-house/author/helen-clare/sortby/3/

Good luck!

mary said...

I was hoping there might be one on Amazon for 1p, Toffeeapple, but no.

Lucille said...

And Marigold is here
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=5595031737&searchurl=bt.x%3D56%26bt.y%3D6%26sts%3Dt%26tn%3Dmarigold%2Bin%2Bgodmother%2527s%2Bhouse
but again, not cheap.

mary said...

One day in a charity shop, Lucille ... bound to turn up!