Help finding Book Title/Author

jonesj · #1 10-23-2003, 11:00 AM

Hi all,

I am new to this forum so am not sure if you do this sort of thing, or even if it is the right place to post. Anyway here goes....

A number of years (about 20 give or take a few) I read a book given to me by my Gran which for some unknown reason has been in my thoughts of late. I don't know the title or author, but I am hoping that someone out there may recognise it by the few plotlines I remember. They are:

- It was about a walking competition
- I think it was set around the beginning of the 20th century
- I think it was set in California (but this is the most vague of feelings, so could be anywhere)
- It was definitely set in the USA
- The main character was not a serious contender for the title, but he may well have won it (don't they always)
- He made some friends along the way, not knowing anyone in the beginning
- One of them keeps coming back to me as an older guy, Texan or something, and he gave him some advice which inevitably helped him to win...(if he did)
- The advice was to do with imagining a rope attached to the guy in front and you were slowly reeling it in as you walked enabling you to catch up on the guy ahead with less effort than normal. (sounds weird, but I used to enjoy long distance running when I was at secondary school (11 - 16 yrs old) and I tried this approach to good effect. Helped me go on when I usually would have given in. And I won a few races too!!)

That's it. Anyone out there recognise it??

Justin.

P.S. It has started to invade my dreams so if you could help I may be able to get some decent sleep before the arrival of my second child who I am sure will most definitely invade my dreams!!!!

**theworm**[$] · #2 10-23-2003, 11:02 AM

Justin!
Welcome to EA!
I can't help you with the title of your book - sorry, but you have posted in the right place. We have lots of wonderful people here in the books forum, and I hope one of them can help you get some sleep! :
Hang out a while, and enjoy all our forums!

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #3 10-23-2003, 11:23 AM

OK, now I want to know about this book. Sounds interesting!

And welcome, BTW

jonesj · #4 10-23-2003, 11:25 AM

Cheers for the welcome!!

I think I got it wrong about the walking. It may well have been a running race (kinda like the Tour De France, but without wheels).

I may have got suckered into thinking it was about walking after reading a synopsis about "The Long Walk" by Steven King (another book I read way back when) and initially thinking that was it. But I am very sure the book I am after did not feature the shooting of the walkers (and also why would my Gran be giving a 10 year old a book like that??).

Anyway, over to you guys.

Justin.

theeye · #5 10-23-2003, 11:30 AM

I'm afraid I can't help either, but I wanted to add my welcome.

Let's see if we can pull some more info out of you that might help someone else recognize it, though.

You say you received the book around 20 years ago. Do you think it was a current book then? Or might it have been published much earlier?

Do you know if it was a novel or a memoir?

Might it have been a 'Young Adult' book? (Were you a teenager at the time?)

Do you remember anything else at all about it? Pictures? Cover art?

theeye · #6 10-23-2003, 11:32 AM

Ah. We posted simultaneously. So you were 10 years old: that makes it likely that it was a 'Young Adult' book. Probably published around 1980 or so.

jonesj · #7 10-23-2003, 11:46 AM

I don't think it was 'Young Adult' as my Gran had read it before passing it onto me. Don't know why, She just thought I would like it.

It was a hardcover edition and I seem to think it was in an almost new condition, so yes It was probably a late 70's, early 80's publication.

Sorry, nothing else is coming to mind. I will have another hard think about it over night and get back to you if anything more pertinent comes up.

Cheers,

Justin