What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
This topic is about
The Loch
SOLVED: Adult Fiction
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SOLVED. Lake slowly receding, small town discovers underground neolithic cave-dwellers had been living beside them for centuries. [s]
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One scene that always stuck in my mind was the description of the town's women hanging their carpets out in the sun on that first nice Spring day, and beating them clean with their brooms. So alien to my own urban life!I've decided the "running uphill" memory was actually from another novel I read the same year, a dark novel about a young lady, a loner, in (maybe) Appalachia or the Catskills, who falls for a doctor or preacher?
Regardless, I am sure that in this novel, the lake does suddenly rush back, flooding those houses where the women were Spring-cleaning. That other novel (which, coincidentally also remains nameless in my mind) was definitely set in America. But I'm thinking this one I'm looking for here was not.
There was an early (minor) plot-event where a previously-submerged boat or car was revealed by the receding waters, and the townspeople realized that someone thought to have left town years ago had actually been murdered.
I think the protagonist is in her 20's.
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bump (receding lake & cave dwellers)
Laurenpie, do you remember anything else about the main character, how she was involved in the plot?And, do you remember why the lake was receding?
What genre the book fit in? Fantasy, magical realism, sci-fi, literary, etc?
It reminds me of something. I'm not sure what! John Wyndham or Stephen King or something... My memory!
part of it made me think of On Beulah Height (Dalziel & Pascoe, #17) with the disappearing people and the lake. But I have to admit its completely different in several important aspects :/
Grey wrote: "It reminds me of something. I'm not sure what! John Wyndham or Stephen King or something... My memory!"Its a tricky thing. But it does sound a bit horror-like dont it?
GENRE: I was such an inexperienced reader at the time I read it, and it was so long ago, that I can only guess now at the genre. I'm certain it wasn't fantasy, sci-fi or horror. Though it was clean, it didn't have a YA feel. I don't think it was romance. Though there were a few thrilling sections, it didn't have an action or adventure feel to it at all. It could possibly have been literary, but more probably simply mystery or suspense.In my memory, the writing felt patient and introspective, more of a tempered 50's or 60's feel, though since I didn't actually read it until the late 80's, or possibly even 90's, it could have been written later.
Possibly set in Ireland or Wales. The lake was receding for an unknown, natural, geological reason.
The heroine was fairly passive, simply an observer at first, but ended up being drawn in. She was part of a small group (two or three) that entered the caves and discovered what was going on. Not because she enjoyed adventure or sleuthing, but simply of a determined necessity.
Have a look at John Wyndham or John Christopher? Their bibliographies may give you a yes/no on them.
@Grey and Kagama:Yay! Finally some ideas!!!
Looks like it's not John Wyndham or Reginald Hill. Found some interesting novels on both their lists to add to my TBR shelf! Didn't have a Stephen King feel.
You may want to check out this blog post. It has a book list of drowned towns. Maybe something will stick out. http://beyondrivalry.wordpress.com/20...
A few from that list that may work:
Mabel Esther Allan, Pendron Under the Water (1961):Juvenile fiction, set in the UK. When Pendron villlage is drowned to form a reservoir, all the villagers except one take the date stones from their cottages. The story is about the recovery of that missing stone one summer when the reservoir is very low because there is no rain.
Sylvia Fair, The Ivory Anvil (1974UK/1977US) Juvenile fiction, set in the UK. A piece of a 3-D cube puzzle is found in a submerged village that that dries out during a heatwave.
Both of these are stretches, but something in the description may jog your memory
@Tab: Great list! Unfortunately, my books isn't on it--maybe because my town isn't drowned on purpose.@Grey: Unfortunately, also not John Christopher; wasn't apocalytical or sci-fi.
Thanks so much, though, for the suggestions!
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http://beyondrivalry.wordpress.com/20... "
That is a great list.
I think it was standalone. :)
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Yes, thank you Lobstergirl.
Your description sounds like American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. Of course, it is also completely different, too.
Hi Gail,Unfortunately it's not. I've read American Gods... that's a much newer book with a very different feel.
Did you find this book?!The magic of Google led me to this thread when searching for this exact book. You describe it perfectly...
Was there maybe a boy living in the cave/river, were they on boats of some sort? I feel like I have a distinct memory of him stepping off onto the ledge of the cave.
This has been torturing me for years.Is this it?!
"The Lake at the End of the World" by Caroline MacDonald?!
Unfortunately, not the Caroline MacDonald.. thank you for the suggestion, though!
Keating, So excited that someone is finally joining me on this quest! I'm very hopeful that we both read the same book. I don't recall a boy, though he may have simply slipped my mind since it's been too long. However, the "stepping out onto a ledge" does seem to tickle the back of my memory. Neither do I remember the cave dwellers using boats... The only boat that I recall in the story is the boat that, when exposed, in turn exposes the decade-old murder.
Drat. I wonder why this book is so hard to find.The cave dwellers being on boats could be a manifestation of my mind...
Well, I'll keep searching!
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still looking :) ty!
wow! I think you found it!!! I can't wait to get the book and try.. though I'm traveling so won't be until January or February. Thank you, thank you, thank you Rockabilly Werewolf! Interested.. how did you find the title? What did you google?
I'll come back and let you know whether it's the right book or not, but the description sure looks right to me.
It's available for free at the Internet Archives. You need to be a member to "check out" books, but membership is free; you only need to give them an internet address.
FOUND!! Good catch, good memory! thank you so much Rockabilly Werewolf!It was definitely The Loch. Loved it again upon the re-read.
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What's the Name of That Book???
Books mentioned in this topic
The Loch (other topics)The Lake at the End of the World (other topics)
American Gods (other topics)
On Beulah Height (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Neil Gaiman (other topics)John Christopher (other topics)
John Wyndham (other topics)
Reginald Hill (other topics)
The main character is a 20-something girl in a very small town.
As the lake slowly recedes, submerged items become visible, shedding light on town mysteries of past decades (crimes, missing persons).
The best part is that they discover (view spoiler)[an underground native tribe, still living as they would have in B.C., afraid of the people above. This underground tribe must occasionally kidnap, and keep as lifelong prisoners, men from above for breeding purposes. Gave rise to myths and fairy tails about being stolen by leprechauns or faeries or something? (hide spoiler)]
The end is very thrilling, where (view spoiler)[suddenly, on the first nice Spring day, when everyone's doing their spring cleaning, the empty lake suddenly rushes full of water and the townspeople must run uphill to escape the flood. (hide spoiler)]
This was actually quite a serious novel; not serious as in serious classic literature, but the main character was a somber, serious girl. I don't think it was YA. I read it probably in the 80's, possibly early 90's, though even then it seemed old.