SOLVED. young girl likes to write poetry, title had something to do with a dragonfly [s]

[Courtney]

Another one I read in school!

Was definitely an old book as I got it from this shelf in my classroom full of 'before our time' books. Probably 1980's, 1990's. Cover was a close up of a young girl's face.

The girl worked in a florist, and she was attending night school writing classes. In the first chapter she is walking to night school and she has a pain in her right side. She stops and waits for it to abate. It happens again in her class and she collapses. She is rushed to hospital with appendicitis. She stays in a ward with other women, one of whom says she is there to have her tubes tied because she has so many kids.

Once she is better, she goes back to working at the florist's, I don't have any recollection whatsoever of what happens after that. I want to say her name is Molly but I have a feeling I am miles off. I feel the book centered heavily on her love of poetry. I think before she collapsed in the class, her teacher gave her back an assignment and it was either given a very bad grade and she got upset, or it was a very good grade and she wanted to keep it a secret not to brag, I think it was the former.

The title was something like 'The Dragonfly Song' or something like that, it's so close on the tip of my tongue, it was definitely something to do with a dragonfly.

[Andria]

Possibly The Dragonfly Years? I wasn't able to find a description of the plot with a quick search, but the one review on GR mentions poetry, so it's worth a shot.

Edit: more digging turns up the fact this was also published with title Hold on to Love and here is a review with more plot details: http://www.csmonitor.com/1984/0302/03...

[Courtney]

I think that's the one Andria, even though the cover doesn't look familiar, I do now remember her name was Bridie. Thank you!