# Help me identify mainstream novel of 50s or 60s **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 16, 2001, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-mainstream-novel-of-50s-or-60s/87776 "2001-10-16T19:00:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-mainstream-novel-of-50s-or-60s/87776/1 "2001-10-16T19:00:01Z")
I know of no better source to try and find this boyhood memory than to enlist the wide-ranging intellects of SDMB, an unsurpassed resource. The facts: Sometime between the early-1950s and mid 1960s there was published a mainstream American novel that I am trying to identify. I _think_ that the version I read appeared in a Reader’s Digest Condensed book. I believe I borrowed it from my grandparents, which gives an upper limit of about 1966 on it. My grandfather died in early 1968, and I’m sure that I read it before my senior year in high school (1966-67). The plot concerns a young couple expecting their first baby. IIRC, it was a first-person story from the point of view of the father. The last line was “And that’s how Cassandra Templeton was born.” I haven’t been able to find a comprehensive list of the books abriged by the RD since they began the project in 1950. Neither a check on google using various wordings nor a check of the RD homesite led me to any sort of list, though I did learn that they’re still doing it, only now they call them “Select Books” rather than condensed… I’m guessing that’s because they are the bane of existance of every used book store in the country. One could probably purchase them in cents-per-ton quantities and stack them as a super insualtion material between the walls of new home. So other than people like me being nagged by old memories, there doesn’t seem to be much of a market for them, and certainly no collectors interested in completing the whole set. There you have it. Any help would be greatfully appreciated. Many thanks from your humble Hometownboy. ---
**Author:** ![sorrel554](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@sorrel554](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sorrel554)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-mainstream-novel-of-50s-or-60s/87776/2 "2001-10-16T20:51:21Z")
I don’t know what novel that is, it doesn’t ring any bells, but[this](http://www.krentz-quick.com/booksboard/messages/6330.html) suggests that you could contact Reader’s Digest’s customer service for a list of titles. ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-mainstream-novel-of-50s-or-60s/87776/3 "2001-10-17T00:31:58Z")
Thanks for the tip, **D Marie**. I’ve e-mailed the Reader’s Digest folks and will post back here if I get a result, in case others are interested in such a list. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-mainstream-novel-of-50s-or-60s/87776/4 "2001-10-17T04:54:53Z")
I remember reading this when I was a kid in some back issues of Reader’s Digest as a Condensed Book, but I don’t remember the title, sorry. I’m about 95% sure it was from 1958 or earlier. The part I remember was the wife was trying to decide on a girl’s name, and she considers Pattye Ann Templeton. The ‘e’ at the end of Pattye was the wife’s attempt at being creative (whatever), and the kid’s monogram would be the same as her nickname. ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-mainstream-novel-of-50s-or-60s/87776/5 "2001-10-18T17:18:01Z")
Yes! Thanks, **rowrrbazzle** , that is indeed the story that I’m thinking of. I had forgotton the “Pattye” (shudder!) and now I know why. No answer from the Reader’s Digest folks so far. We’ll see how it goes. In the meantime, I must compliment you on a great username. Ah, Albert, Pogo and the crew. Miss Mr.Kelly. He would have had some cogent things to say these past few years. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2001, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-mainstream-novel-of-50s-or-60s/87776/6 "2001-10-19T03:55:49Z")
**Home** , thanks for the compliment on my username. But I didn’t know it was associated with Pogo until I read your post! I just thought it sounded funny. The context I originally read it in was not connected with Pogo, and it went something like “He’s getting rowrbazzle bucks for that.” In other words, it meant a surprisingly large but indefinite amount. ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-mainstream-novel-of-50s-or-60s/87776/7 "2001-10-24T00:35:06Z")
Sorry to be so late in getting back to this, but have been involved in huge project in hours not at regular work and SDMB time has suffered, Must say, I couldn’t quite place the name at first and Googled it to find [this site](http://foldoc.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/foldoc.cgi?baz) which reminded me of Pogo and the gang. Even if you just picked it as “a large but indefinite amount” you get the bonus of extra meanings. It remains a killer username, under whatever guise.Wear it proudly. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-mainstream-novel-of-50s-or-60s/87776/8 "2011-11-05T03:40:59Z")
Yes, this is a very old thread, and the OP (who is still active here) may have found this info already or lost interest, but I’m posting it just for the record. I searched for _“pattye” templeton_ on Google Books and found that the book was _Small Wonder_ by Graham Porter, published in 1957. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-mainstream-novel-of-50s-or-60s/87776/9 "2011-11-05T08:38:56Z")
You are one in a (teeming) million, **rowrrbazzle**.