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類別：小說，青少年成長
(agent :
Yu-Shiuan)
Finding Violet Park
尋找紫羅蘭女士：穿越陰陽兩界的友誼
作 者：Jenny Valentine
Format：208頁，HarperCollins Children’s Book (UK)出版 (January , 2007)
本書作者Jenny Valentine 是英國兒童文學新人，此書是她初試啼聲的傑作，於今年七月甫獲英國衛報兒童小說獎（Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize），此獎自1967年成立以來，由大英國協的兒童文學作家擔任評審，遴選出該年的傑出兒童及青少年文學作品，在英國兒童文學地位形同美國的紐伯瑞兒童文學獎（Newbery Medal）。
《尋找紫羅蘭女士》融合神秘、魔幻寫實及成長小說的元素，16歲男孩Lucas頭一次聽到紫羅蘭女士的名字是一場巧合：凌晨 + 妹妹歸還順手借的Lucas的外套，卻忘記把口袋的錢掏出來 + 計程車呼叫中心 + 乘客遺忘在車上的骨灰甕….. 骨灰甕裡存放的就是紫羅蘭女士遺留下來的骨灰，其實紫羅蘭女士對Lucas是沒有意義的，因為她已經死了。但想到骨灰甕中的人曾經存在，Lucas甚至相信紫羅蘭女士正以這樣的方式跟他溝通，他開始循線追蹤這位女士的生前，殊不知抽絲剝繭的過程中Lucas 意外發現失蹤父親的下落，已故的紫羅蘭女士和失蹤的父親成為Lucas自我認知過程的兩個主軸。
夲書被譽為自《深夜小狗神秘習題》（Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time）以來最獨特的敘事聲音，講述一個正值青春期的男孩和骨灰被遺忘在計程車呼叫中心的老女士穿越陰陽兩界的「友情」故事。除了已獲得衛報兒童小說獎外，已經入圍多項英國兒童文學重要獎項，包括卡內基獎（Carnegie Medal）、布蘭福博斯獎（Branford Boase Award）。作者第二部作品Broken Soup也入圍英國最大的連鎖書店Waterstone’s的童書文學獎。
Summary
Narrated by the most unique voice since "Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time", this is a quirky and original voyage of self-discovery triggered by a lost urn of ashes. The mini cab office was up a cobbled mews with little flat houses either side. That's where I first met Violet Park, what was left of her. There was a healing centre next door, a pretty smart name for a place with a battered brown door and no proper door handle and stuck-on wooden numbers in the shape of clowns. The 3 of number 13 was aw stuck on sideways and I thought it was kind of sad and I liked it at the same time. Sixteen-year-old, Lucas Swain becomes intrigued by the urn of ashes left in a cab office. Convinced that its occupant - Violet Park - is communicating with him, he contrives to gain possession of the urn, little realising that his quest will take him on a voyage of self-discovery and identity, forcing him to finally confront what happened to his absent (and possibly dead) father...
作者
About the Author
Jenny Valentine
moved house every 2 years when she was growing up. She has just
moved house again, probably not for the last time. She worked in a
wholefood shop in Primrose Hill for 15 years where she met many
extraordinary people and sold more organic loaves than there are
words in her first novel.She has also worked as a teaching assistant
and a jewellery maker. She studied English Literature at Goldsmiths
College, which almost put her off reading but not quite. Jenny is
married to a singer/songwriter and has two children.
夲書獲得英國衛報兒童小說獎，入圍多項英國兒童文學重要獎項，包括卡內基獎（Carnegie
Medal）、布蘭福博斯獎（Branford
Boase Award）。
http://www.manchesterbookaward.com/book/104/
夲書獲衛報兒童小說獎，作者專訪：
http://books.guardian.co.uk/childrensfictionprize2007/0,,2086408,00.html