What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Herbert Rowbarge
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SOLVED: Adult Fiction > SOLVED. Book title is male main character's name, he has twin daughters named Babe and Louisa [s]

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Jessica (jessdaygeorge) | 191 comments This is an adult fiction book I read in the early 1990's, I don't think it was much older than that. The cover was orangish and had a tombstone on it with the title, which was the main character's name. He was this rather horrible man (the book was essentially a character study of him) who had grown up in an orphanage and was just determined to be rich. He married a sweet, romantic woman entirely for her money, she was plump and wore a lot of lace and always wanted to be elegant, but she died after being hit by a car while walking and was found upside down on the road with her bloomers showing. (The book was set in the late 1890's, early 1900's.) They had identical twin daughters, the wife named one Louisa after Louisa May Alcott and hoped she would have literary aspirations, he was supposed to name the other and didn't, so she was just called Babe. They always dressed alike, and as they got older this made him uncomfortable, so he had one of them live down the road with an aunt, but they would still coordinate their outfits. The twins made him uncomfortable, and so did mirrors, because he was actually an identical twin, but his brother had been adopted by a kind family as a baby, while he was in an orphanage until he aged out. His best friend from the orphanage was his total opposite, kind and generous, they got rich together, but his friend was always a good man, married for love, etc. He had one handsome son, and the son was in love with one of the twins, but the MC wouldn't let them marry because he was prejudiced against his own friend, because he also grew up in an orphanage, and he wanted his girls to marry old families. Consequently, neither of them married. I actually quite hated this book, because the man was so horrible (I was in high school when I read it), but looking back I'm curious about the title and who wrote it, because I remember the book so clearly I'm coming to realize it was probably really well written. The twins had brown curls and one dimple (each), and things like that have really stuck with me. The MC was not an attractive man, but his best friend was handsome and tall and dark-haired. There is a scene when the twin daughter is dating the friend's son, and they go to a carnival. The MC is so angry that she's with this boy (she may have snuck out) that he goes after them, catching up to them in the fun house. All the distorted mirrors make him ill, and he drags her out kicking and screaming, while he's all freaked out and swearing and even more angry, and he doesn't understand why. Any thoughts?


message 2: by Brandi (new)

Brandi (bburton131) | 3 comments Herbert Rowbarge by Natalie Babbitt?


Jessica (jessdaygeorge) | 191 comments THAT'S IT! AMAZING! Thank you! Natalie Babbitt, no wonder I read it!


message 4: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart | 28714 comments Herbert Rowbarge for the trackable link.


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