What was this book?

[JeanBodel]

This is hopelessly vague. This book really moved me about 25 years ago - does anyone have any ideas?

It was about a girl. I think she might have gone on holiday; anyway, she goes off somewhere and meets a new friend, whose name I believe was Miranda.

All I really remember is that they were eleven years old and by the end of the book the girl had decided that Miranda (possibly a ghost?) was sent to her to help her learn how to be twelve (which was the age girls grew up and got their periods).

I have a vague recollection of a green book cover and of a garden/nature being important in some way.

Any suggestions will be very gratefully received.

I was moved myself by a book about the same time ago. It was also about a girl who went on holiday (Corwall ish perhaps, definitely a village with a small post office I recall). The girl who becomes her friend in the book did indeed turn out to be a ghost. She was called Marnie and the book was called 'When Marnie was there'.

The Collins classic cover is here on amazon.

www.amazon.co.uk/Collins-Modern-Classics-Marnie-There/dp/0007104774

If it does sound like it is the one, it is available here.

www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/title/when-marnie-was-there/author/joan-g-robinson/sortby/3/page-1/

That does sound like it. Do you have it? Does it have a line at the end where the girl realises her friend has been sent to her to help her get ready to be twelve?

Thanks for your awesome deduction btw.

As soon as I read your description I immediately thought of "When Marnie Was There". I don't remember the moment of realisation but there is a bit of the book that has always stayed with me when the girl gets caught out in the rain and then goes to the house of the family she is friendly with but has been feeling awkward with. She is sopping wet and says to the mother "I'm inside now" with the obvious inference that Marnie has taught her how to stop feeling like an outsider, and the mother says "Yes, you are".

I don't have it, no. I borrowed it from the library as a child and never got my own copy. I'm very tempted to buy myself a copy to re-read.

There's a bit more info here.

www.readingmatters.co.uk/book.php?id=158

I think it deserves its title as a classic as I remember being haunted by the memory of reading it for years and having to try and find out about 8 years ago what it was to satisfy my curiosity then.

Oops -

www.readingmatters.co.uk/book.php?id=158

Ok, the next step is clearly to buy it. It appears to be out of print and second-hand editions seem to be quite expensive so this will have to wait until payday.

Many thanks, everyone.

I've bought a copy (second hand from Amazon) and it's arrived today. It's v old-looking and has a stamp from a Church school in the front. :)

I don't know whether I'm desperate to read it now it's here, or reticent in case it doesn't live up to my expectations and memories.

I'm sure it is responsible for my love of fantasy books today.