A Door Near Here [Mass Market Paperback]

Heather Quarles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 2000

Without even noticing, 15-year-old Katherine has become the head of her household. She hasn't had time to notice. Her single mother, an out-of-work alcoholic, has been in bed for weeks, leaving Katherine and her three younger siblings to band together and fend for themselves. But it has gotten harder and harder to maintain any sort of stability. There's no time for housework, food and money are running out, and the kids' teachers are starting to get suspicious. Worst of all, Katherine's youngest sister, Alisa, seems to be losing her grip on reality; she is obsessed with finding a door to the imaginary land of Narnia. And the longer they all struggle to maintain their pretense of normality, the more they have to fear--and to lose.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Teens are always fascinated by the idea of running life on their own, free of parental interference. But what happens when reality sets in--when the laundry piles up, the sink overflows, you run out of money for food, and your little sister starts getting very sick? In A Door Near Here, winner of the annual Delacorte Prize for Best First Young Adult Novel, Heather Quarles shows readers that "no parents" is no fun. The mother of the four Donovan kids has taken to her bed and bottle, only stumbling out of her pigsty of a room occasionally in search of more vodka. Katharine, the eldest at 15, tries to keep her brother and sisters clean and fed and in classes, but things are slipping out of her control--especially when 8-year-old Alisa decides to run away from school in search of the kingdom of Narnia. Katharine can't turn to their cold and selfish father for help, so the four siblings cling to their secrets--terrified that an adult, seeing beneath the appearances they are desperately trying to uphold, will alert Social Services. When a kindly teacher begins to ask questions, Katharine panics and lashes out with an accusation that could well destroy this concerned man--only to be met with an act of breathtaking forgiveness. Both teens and adults will find the poignant resolution of this compelling novel utterly engrossing. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

PW's starred review said, "A candid narrative voice joins with skillful pacing" for this story of 15-year-old Katherine, who tries to conceal her alcoholic mother's incapacity from authorities to prevent the family from being split up. Ages 12-up. (Jan.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf; 1ST edition (January 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440227615
• ISBN-13: 978-0440227618
• Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 0.8 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #849,927 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #49 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Personal Health > Teen Health > Drug & Alcohol Abuse
  • #72 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Social Issues > Drug Use & Abuse > Fiction
  • #76 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Issues > Drugs

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Door Near Here, April 15, 2005

By 

Bailey (Strum, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Door Near Here (Mass Market Paperback)

How would you feel if you were sixteen and your alcoholic mother hasn't been out of bed for weeks? You have three other siblings that need food and supplies just as much as you do but you don't have any money. Well Katherine, in A Door Near Here by Heather Quarles, doesn't like it. She has to do all the chores around the house, worry about how much food they can eat for dinner and where they're going to get the money to buy more. She also has to keep up with her school work because Mr. Dodgson, her interfering teacher, might suspect child neglect and call social services.
That`s the last thing Katherine wants because then Alisa, her little sister, would get separated from the family. Her mom would get put in a hospital until she gets better. If her mother got sent away, Katherine and her other siblings would have to live with their father. The only thing they've seen from him in the last ten years is a child support check. She really dislikes him for leaving their mother and not being a good father. She really doesn't want to live with him.
I recommend A Door Near Here for people who enjoy books that make you want to keep reading until you're done. I think it's the kind of book that has many suspenseful parts that can really surprise you. I really enjoyed reading this book. I hope all the people that will read it will enjoy it too.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I thank God for this book, November 24, 2002

By 

Scott Foster (Marlboro, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Door Near Here (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

Heather Quarles has captured the reality of life within an alcoholic, broken family in a way that highlights the devastation and hope involved with such an upbringing. In the midst of some of the most unbelievable suffering children can experience, the power of the love of an individual and the love of God is displayed and revealed to be TRUE. If you or someone you know has suffered, then this book is for you. I cried throughout most of this book. But I also turned to God and thanked Him for the amazing ways He reveals Himself - especially in the midst of tragedy. This is a book that I will read again and again.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Effort!, August 24, 2000

By 

K S B (Everett, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Door Near Here (Hardcover)

I grew up reading & re-reading CS Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia." Narnia was my escape from the alcoholism that invaded every facet of my life as a child. Lewis' characters faced many of the same emotions I did, and "connected" me with others outside of my isolated life--albeit imaginary friends, but friends nonetheless.

I never thought I'd see another author capture the growing pains of childhood as well as Lewis did, until I picked up Quarles' book by mistake. Since I had it, I read it, and I was astounded at her ability to capture the reader, transport them inside the character and recreate all of the fears, pain, excitement, uncertainty and ingenuity of childhood.

This book is a MUST-READ for anyone who loved CS Lewis, or for anyone whose life has been touched by parental alcoholism. "A Door Near Here" gives outsiders a peek inside the secret world of an alcoholic home, and gives insiders a family of friends who know how it is.

Finally, Quarles loving treatment of Aslan and Narnia in the real world of an 8-year-old is astounding--Ms. Quarles, thank-you.