Back when I was in high school, one of my aunts left a bag filled with books at our house. I don’t know where that bag is now; it is possible that I had spread its contents all over my room and in my brothers’ room before going to college. Maybe, on the day I’ll finally feel compelled to look under the beds and into the deepest recesses of my closet, I’ll find those books.
One’s irrevocably lost, however. This one book that I read and liked – liked so much that I lent it to one of the student editors at my high school’s newspaper (I was still just a staff writer, I believe). He didn’t return it, of course. Bastard. And now I can’t find the book anywhere because I can’t remember the book’s title/author.
Anyway, yesterday I felt the urge to post the book’s details – what little I remember of the darn thing – on a couple of LiveJournal communities. Just to finally find out what the book’s called. I shared:
– the first chapter of the novel tells something about a group of boys in a school. one of the boys has just swiped some coins, and the school’s trying to find out who it is
– there’s a scene involving the boy and the mother of his best friend talking in a church
– fast-forward to several years later. the boy and his friend are now young men.
– there’s something about brothels, and syphilis
– there’s something about a family of bankers, or a family with a bank. they are Methodists. the boy’s best friend belongs to this family
– there’s a hint at a relationship between the boy and his best friend
– there’s a scene on a ship where someone gets killed.
– i remember the book as being very graphic
Oh, the things that stay with me.
This morning, I received two replies, and some more details about the novel that finally gave me the answer. It’s Ken Follett’s A Dangerous Fortune!
(I don’t remember this cover, though. I may have had the UK version.)
And now I believe it’s out of print. I’ve been searching online through our local bookstores and can’t seem to find it. Ngarr.
So. If ever you find a copy, message me? :) Thanks a bunch. It’d be fun to revisit the novel that I admired so much back in high school, now that I’m older.
Eliza Victoria 