Katherine Woodfine got hooked on Carolyn Keene’s Nancy Drew mystery stories when she was just nine years old, here’s why
I first encountered girl detective Nancy Drew on a family holiday to Wales when I was probably nine years old. I have a vivid memory of lying on the top bunk, reading The Mystery of the Lilac Inn - and being immediately hooked.
So what was it about Nancy Drew that grabbed my attention? Perhaps it was the romance of the titles (The Secret in the Old Lace, The Sign of the Twisted Candles) the exotic locations, or simply the satisfaction of seeing the mystery solved. Most of all though, it was the character of Nancy herself. I read a lot of mysteries at this time - especially series by Enid Blyton, such as the Famous Five, as well as books by (the less well-known) Malcolm Saville. The girl characters in these books were always depicted as being somehow flighty - impetuous, a bit moody, usually either timid like Anne or headstrong and “difficult” like George, who was continually being reprimanded by Julian and Dick. In these books, it was always the boys who led the way when it came to solving the mystery, investigating the secret tunnels or exploring the ruined castle whilst poor Anne was left behind to wash up the picnic lunch.
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So what was it about Nancy Drew that grabbed my attention? Perhaps it was the romance of the titles (The Secret in the Old Lace, The Sign of the Twisted Candles) the exotic locations, or simply the satisfaction of seeing the mystery solved. Most of all though, it was the character of Nancy herself. I read a lot of mysteries at this time - especially series by Enid Blyton, such as the Famous Five, as well as books by (the less well-known) Malcolm Saville. The girl characters in these books were always depicted as being somehow flighty - impetuous, a bit moody, usually either timid like Anne or headstrong and “difficult” like George, who was continually being reprimanded by Julian and Dick. In these books, it was always the boys who led the way when it came to solving the mystery, investigating the secret tunnels or exploring the ruined castle whilst poor Anne was left behind to wash up the picnic lunch.
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