SOLVED. YA or Middle Grade Fantasy about a young person finding a tavern at a crossroads. Read around 2004. [s]

[Olivia]

YA or Middle School level book about a town that has tavern on the outskirts where a mythical realm meets the real world. I think the tavern owner's name is Stein or the tavern is called Stein's. It has centaurs and fawns and other creatures, but I don’t remember what they were.

I probably read this book about 20+/- years ago. I think the main character was female, but not 100% sure. I remember that to cross into the other realm, you had to walk down a dirt road, but it didn't always lead to the mythical realm?

[Becca]

The Crossroads series by Nick O'Donohoe? The first book is The Magic and the Healing.

[Olivia]

No, not a series, sorry. I should have mentioned that

[Becca]

Are you sure? The tavern is called Stein's in the books, but perhaps that's not a unique name for fantasy tavern.

You describe the protagonist as a 'young person' - do you think they were a child or a teenager? BJ, the protagonist in the Crossroads series, is old enough to be a fourth-year veterinary student.

[Olivia]

No, I think they were 10-13? I don't remember exactly.

[Olivia]

It seemed to be written in a time when children could go off by themselves more freely

[Olivia]

Am trying to find "The Magic and the Healing" because after sitting with it for a while, it does kind of ring a bell, but I can't find it anywhere- library and library apps, to see if that is the one before I buy it.

[Becca]

There's a copy on archive.org here - https://archive.org/details/magicheal... - or a Google Books snippet view if you prefer - https://www.google.co.uk/books/editio...

[Olivia]

INTERNET HUGSSSSS! Yes, this is the book I was looking for

[Olivia]

Seems my memory was wrong. Surprise, surprise lol

[Becca]

I'm glad I could help!

[Kris]

Glad you found your book, Olivia.

The Magic and the Healing (book 1) of the Crossroads series by Nick O'Donohoe - Becca's find.