# Hard and annoying "ID this Book" request. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 12, 2016, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-and-annoying-id-this-book-request/762516 "2016-08-12T01:16:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-and-annoying-id-this-book-request/762516/1 "2016-08-12T01:16:00Z")
I only remember a tiny fragment of this book. And it wasn’t a particularly important one. I hang my head in shame for this request. ☹ 1. Fantasy book. Absolutely no earlier than 2000, probably more like 2005-2009ish. 2. Might be someone like Sanderson. 3. The tiny fragment of a plot I remember: a) Vaguely Roman-ish world (legions, olive trees, marble statues, etc) b) Young girl (8? 12?) is on her parent’s somewhat run-down estate, alone, maybe in an olive grove or something. She’s maybe sitting on a bench reading a book or something. c) Her grandfather? great-uncle? Much older male relative in any case is in charge of a large group of Legionaires…anyway, he comes riding up, Legions behind him. d) Something’s happened–invasion? revolt? uprising? I dunno, but he tells the girl to come with him e) she does. I told you this would be annoying. I remember nothing else about the book, but that scene was just so vivid. Any ideas? Guesses? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-and-annoying-id-this-book-request/762516/2 "2016-08-12T01:27:48Z")
Desperate longshot: Robert Silverberg’s “Roma Eterna.” Way beyond desperate Hail Mary longshot: Edgar Rice Burroughs’, “I Am a Barbarian.” ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-and-annoying-id-this-book-request/762516/3 "2016-08-12T02:54:45Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > I only remember a tiny fragment of this book. And it wasn’t a particularly important one. I hang my head in shame for this request. ☹ > > 1. Fantasy book. Absolutely no earlier than 2000, probably more like 2005-2009ish. > 2. Might be someone like Sanderson. > 3. The tiny fragment of a plot I remember: > a) Vaguely Roman-ish world (legions, olive trees, marble statues, etc) > b) Young girl (8? 12?) is on her parent’s somewhat run-down estate, alone, maybe in an olive grove or something. She’s maybe sitting on a bench reading a book or something. > c) Her grandfather? great-uncle? Much older male relative in any case is in charge of a large group of Legionaires…anyway, he comes riding up, Legions behind him. > d) Something’s happened–invasion? revolt? uprising? I dunno, but he tells the girl to come with him > e) she does. > > I told you this would be annoying. I remember nothing else about the book, but that scene was just so vivid. > > Any ideas? Guesses? I think this is Stephen Baxter’s Coalescent ([Coalescent - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalescent)): a big part of the book is the story of a girl born in Roman Britain just as Rome is losing its grip on Britain; she lives on her parent’s estate initially which is falling into disrepair (tiled floors unrepaired, etc.) - and after the estate becomes not safe for her to live in, her grandfather, a Centurion, eventually takes her to the Roman encampments south of Hadrian’s wall. The book is from 2003. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-and-annoying-id-this-book-request/762516/4 "2016-08-12T12:41:53Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > I think this is Stephen Baxter’s Coalescent ([Coalescent - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalescent)): a big part of the book is the story of a girl born in Roman Britain just as Rome is losing its grip on Britain; she lives on her parent’s estate initially which is falling into disrepair (tiled floors unrepaired, etc.) - and after the estate becomes not safe for her to live in, her grandfather, a Centurion, eventually takes her to the Roman encampments south of Hadrian’s wall. The book is from 2003. You are a god among men. That _has_ to be it. Seriously, I’m pretty good with book IDs, but you’re freakin’ amazing. How _do_ you do it, Holmes? 🙂 Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-and-annoying-id-this-book-request/762516/5 "2016-08-12T13:27:39Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > You are a god among men. That _has_ to be it. > > Seriously, I’m pretty good with book IDs, but you’re freakin’ amazing. How _do_ you do it, Holmes? 🙂 > > Thanks! No problem. I don’t know how I do it - something about your description just reminded me of the Baxter book, and as I thought about it, more and more details fit.