Andre Norton Forum

Re: Re: another collecting tale

Irene, you told us

: Most of you, by now, know that I collect just about anything with Andre Norton's name on it.

I had rather gotten that impression. And here, in partial return for all the good you have done for Nortonophiliacs in general (and myself in particular) is my little bit.

I have been reading -- and collecting Ms. Norton's books for years -- from a time when I had to save my meagre allowance for two weeks to get another paperback.

I was "introduced" to Ms. Norton by the librarian in the private school which I attended in 7th Grade (and I won't say how long ago that was), who turned me on to Star Guard and the Solar Queen books (back when there were only three stories in the series). Something about the writing appealed to me very much, and I quickly began looking for everything with her name on it.

For more than twenty years, I have been looking for one particular book, Stand to Horse, which has eluded me at every turn. Two weeks ago, I got an e-mail from the book search service I use most (Advanced Book Exchange -- plug!) saying that one of their member stores had a copy at a price I could afford.

So, of course, I sent for it.

Yesterday, a package was in my mailbox when I got home. I opened it carefully, and there the book was -- Stand to Horse (the Voyager trade paperback edition) was in my hands at long last. The cover painting looked strangely familiar, although I could not be sure just why -- after all, it might just be the resemblance to any of a thousand Antebellum Cavalry novels I have ignored over the years.

So I sat down and read it through, and discovered that I have been reading Andre Norton longer than I thought -- I first read this exact book (different copy, though) 'way back in Second Grade! I had suspected as much for some time, but up until now, could not be certain.

Maybe that memory explains why I've spent so much energy looking for it over the years!

Michael B. Caffrey Stellae Nostrae Sunt!