Book Review - Mystery of the Haunted Pool by Phyllis A Whitney

Like many of the reviewers I first read Ms. Whitney as a young adult and was happy to find this copy and pick it up for some leisurely summer reading. I do take a bit of umbrage at the reviewers who try to paint this book with the social brush of today. Any work is a product of its times and should be judged in that context. To that end this book, which won an Edgar Award for juvenile mystery, is smooth, pleasant read. Ms. Whitney develops her characters well and paints an enchanting setting. It does deal with gender roles, disability, financial hard times, and aging, all from the lens of a young girl. Although there are clear gender roles (the women do all the food preparation, for example), that was the norm in 1960 to set it otherwise would have made it difficult to relate to the intended audience. However, there is nothing the protagonist, Susan, does not do or is prohibited from because she is a girl. Also Gene's disability is treated, again inside the context of the time, with compassion and empathy and some amount of empowerment. I am still looking for a copy of the first Whitney mystery I read, Mystery on the Isle of Skye. Whitney writes well and this mild read was a welcome change from the much more "in your face" work of more contemporary writers. Recommended if you want a quiet nostalgic well-written read.

Throwback Thursday - Phyllis A Whtney

Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books!
Here’s how it works:

1. Pick any media (or non-media item) released more than 5 years ago. Remember to keep it book-related!
2. Write up a short summary (include the title, author, and cover art, if applicable) and an explanation of why you love it.
3. Link up your post at The Housework Can Wait or Never Too Fond of Books.
4. Visit as many blogs as you can, reminisce about books you loved, and discover some “new” books for your TBR list – or some other classic!

Thanks for participating, and we look forward to seeing what you choose to remember!



One of my favorite authors growing up was Phyllis A Whitney. I read all of her Juvenile Mysteries but my favorite was Mystery on the Isle of Skye. An orphan travels with relatives to Scotland where distant relatives and new surprises await her.

The book mixes the deep history of Scotland, including clan feuds and Bonnie Prince Charlie, modern (for then, it was written in 1955) influences, and a rich landscape as Cathy and her two Scottish cousins track down mysteries old and new.

The book is well-written and has many levels of plot and subplot carefully intertwined. It was/is a marvelous read.

Have you read any of Ms. Whitney's books?

Throwback Thursday - Harriet the Spy

In honor of the last Thursday in Women in Literature Month, I'd like to remember one of the first strong female protagonists (and a stellar female author). Harriet the Spy was a book I got as part of a book club my parents subscribed me to. They took the base two books every month, no matter what they were; I had no choice. And I devoured every one that came.

Harriet was the first female protagonist I remember. She was precocious, smart, and energetic. She made mistakes and learned from those mistakes. I read the book three times the first year. I felt her pain and could see in the relationship of Sport, Janie, and Harriet the interactions of some of my friends and myself.

Unfortunately Louise Fitzhugh had died by the time I read Harriet and I did not read any of her other novels. However, she and Harriet are rightfully judged "a milestone in children’s literature" (Neva Grant, NPR 2008).

Anyone else love Harriet as a kid?