30 of 31

My Favorite Reads is hosted by Alyce from At Home With Books every Thursday. What a great way to read reviews of books that were mainstream (or not!) a while back but have faded off the radar of what is "hot" right in the land of literature. You should also check out Misfitandmoms blog at misfitandmom.livejournal.com as she is blogging about forgotten gems as well.


The Family Name by Jan Washburn. It was a Whitman hardback book that I read in the 1970s. If you're around my age and were a young girl at the time, you probably remember the Whitman books.

The Family Name was about a girl named Kathryn Drews whose nickname was Ryndy. I was convinced that I would name a daughter that... I loved the name so much. She had three older sisters who were all very talented in some area. Ryndy didn't really feel like she fit in as she didn't have a unique talent. She and her best friend, Gloria, nicknamed GoGo or Go, are involved in a boating accident. Ryndy is injured. At the hospital, she meets a little boy whose older brother she has a older brother she has a crush on. With her entire family, GoGo and the new boyfriend (whose name I've forgotten) watching her, she wins a very important swim meet. All's well in the end as she realizes that she has lived up to The Family Name. I loved this book so much that I would put slash marks on the front page every time I read it. I can't remember exactly how many there were but I would venture to say more than twenty. I have no idea where this book is right now. It might still be at my Mom's house in a box somewhere. I should really look for it as I'd liked M to read it.


I carried my black Dooney & Bourke Donegal Crest satchel today. It's one of my favorite black bags... but then, I have a lot of favorite black bags :o)