Are you any good at finding books from the past with literally nothing to go on?!!

[TheBearIsThere]

If so, please could you help me with this one?

Here's all I know ..

It's a book from the 1970s or very early 80s.

It featured a girl called Araminta, known as Minty. She had a brother I believe

It was definitely NOT Moon Dial by Helen cresswell

And that's all I can recall. I know it's not much to go on but you never know!

Is it a kids book? There was a series of children’s books with Araminta Spook (Minty) as the main character.

Yes it was a children's book.

I feel Minty was from a disadvantaged background and it was quite a 'gritty' book

Just googled Araminta Spook and definitely not that but thank you as it's another one to rule out

The ordinary princess, M. M. Kaye

Thanks @PuffingPuffin - it's one to rule out as definitely not that one

Minty was definitely a teenage girl and the setting was urban I think.

This sounds so familiar, but I'm not sure.
This is an interesting thread though! https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4177388-Help-me-find-this-childrens-time-slip-novel-I-read-in-the-80s-90s-please

@TheBearIsThere this has got me curious so I had a google and this is a possibility. According to the internet it has a character called “Minty” but I can’t get a plot synopsis. It was published 1975.

The only other book I can find is Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman but I don’t think that fits your description.

Good luck in your search and let us know if you find it!

@Needmorelego that looks promising thank you. How did you find out it has a Minty in it?

But it definitely fits the aesthetic and the timeline so I'm quite hopeful

@TheBearIsThere I googled “books with characters named Araminta” and “Minty” and a random website with book character names list came up (I will probably never find that list again 😂).
This seems the right era. Unfortunately I can’t seem to find a plot synopsis for the book. There’s copies for sale on Amazon/abe books etc but none of the descriptions give the actual story!
It’s got me very curious.
I read a few books by the author in the late 80s/early 90s and they were mostly contemporary set “urban” stories as far as I can remember!
Fingers crossed your mystery will be solved. I love these “what’s this book” threads 😍

The Humbles by Hilary Seton also known as beyond the blue hills. published in 1973 and has a main character called Araminta.
i don’t know the book but just got it from
searching.

This?

@SpringSparrow thanks so much for looking - I'm almost certain that's one I can rule out as it wasn't that type of story at all - from the brief description I can find

@Notsuretoputit I don't think it's gypsy girl as the character seems a little bit young but I can't totally rule it out. Thank you for checking and I'm keeping open mind on this one for now

@Needmorelego yes I sort of recognise the author Geraldine Kaye and I'm pretty sure the book was a contemporary almost 'gritty' modern story. Nothing magical or anything like that

This does seem the closest fit so of course I'll have to get hold of it now!

@TheBearIsThere abe books have got one. Let us know if it turns out to be the one.
I have now discovered Geraldine Kaye wrote many more books than I realised 🙂