Adult fiction read in late 1970s. Very sad young lady is waiting in a train station, carries a small bottle of cologne she sniffs to feel better.

[Hasan Brusk]

I read this book in late 1970’s...
I was probably 8 or 9 yrs old.
It was given to me by an adult family friend during a short visit.
It was enough to leave a deep impact on me. It was right after a loss in my family. Very close to me.
It made me feel like that relative of mine was exactly the main character in the book.
I didnt finish the book.
I could read only first 20 or 30 pages.

There is a young lady in the book. She is so sad. Waiting in a train station in the waiting area. There is a big crowd in the train station.
It is cold. Probably winter. And she is quietly crying. She carries a small bottle of cologne in her bag. She would sniff her cologne to feel better.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

It is mandatory to include genre and plot details in your header, as per the Group Rules.

We will close threads that don't adhere to this requirement.

[Kris]

I added genre and plot to the topic header. Feel free to update it by clicking the small “edit” link after the header. This only works on the full Desktop website – not the Mobile website or app.

- Is this a children's novel or picture book, or a book for teens?

- How old is the young lady? Is she leaving on the train or waiting for someone to arrive?

[Hasan Brusk]

Kris, Thank you for the help.
as far as I remember, no it wasn't a children's novel or picture book or teen...
it was for adults. I want to say it was kind of classic fiction/novel but I cant say for sure.
the lady is young like in her 20's. not younger. she is going somewhere.
and the reason she is crying is heart ache.
I know first thing comes to mind is Anna Karenina.
Because many people told me that it must be Anna Karenina.
But No. It cant be. Anna Karenina doesn't start with train station and all.

I am not sure if this helps.
but Thanks a lot anyway.

[Rainbowheart]

Sounds like we should change the header to say "adult fiction."

I keep thinking of Anne of Green Gables. It does start off in a train station, but I don't think she ever sniffs cologne. Plus Anne is a young girl, not an adult.

[Becca]

My brief search so far has turned up a biography of Louisa May Alcott that mentions a farewell at a train station, when she was in her 30s, with a young man named Laddie, who gave her a bottle of cologne to remember him by. This moment is described at the beginning of Alcott's fictional work, Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag:

I saw no more shadows on his face till we came to say good-bye.

'You have been so kind to me, I wish I had something beautiful to give you, Laddie,' I said, feeling that it would be hard to get on without my boy.

'This time it is for always; so, as a parting souvenir, give to me the sweet English good-bye.'

As he said this, with a despairing sort of look, as if he could not spare even so humble a friend as myself, my heart was quite rent within me, and, regardless of several prim English ladies, I drew down his tall head and kissed him tenderly, feeling that in this world there were no more meetings for us. Then I ran away and buried myself in an empty railway carriage, hugging the little cologne bottle he had given me.

It's not a fully fleshed-out scene like you describe, with the waiting room and crowds of people, but Alcott frequently drew from real life and I wonder if this moment appears in another of her works. Something by Alcott might be considered appropriate to give to an 8/9-year-old.

[Kris]

Added "Adult fiction" to the topic header. Feel free to update it, make it more specific (e.g., adult historical romance).