SOLVED. Children's fiction chapter book - Irish or Scottish dancing [s]

[Grace]

Hi! The book I am looking for was published before 1980. It involved an Irish or Scottish dancing contest. I think the location was San Francisco. The dancing girl (maybe named Norah?) lived with her mother, grandfather and brother. The brother's job was to light the gas lamps on the street, so this could have taken place in the turn of the century. They were poor. The girl's dream was to compete in the contest.

Any ideas? Thank you!

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Grace, are you still looking for this book?

[Grace]

Yes, still looking . . .

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Grace--see my post on your previous thread. Again, bump, bump, bump. :o)

[Grace]

BUMP!

[Cheryl]

And here's another bump, for free!

[Grace]

Thank you. I've sort of given up hope, despite the stories of someone's book being found years later.

[Serendi]

Kathleen: The Celtic Knot by Siobhán Parkinson?

[Grace]

The book I'm looking for was published before 1980. But thanks for the thought!

[Serendi]

Oh, well.

ETA: Norah and the Cable Car, by Rita Shields, 1960. (Not on GoodReads.)

Description from AbeBooks:

It is St. Patrick's Day, 1873, in Norah's beautiful San Francisco, and she is hoping to win the step-dancing contest this time. A lock of her hair will then occupy the coveted place in grandpa's gold watch, opposite her mother's. Her twin brothers, lamplighter Hugh and quiet James, are as anxious as she. But this day dawns misty and though the street lamp she calls Hugh's light pierces the gray, a year is presaged during which much troubles Norah's affectionate heart. Grandpa has driven the horse car, behind proud Rory and earnest Tim, these many years. But Hugh believes in the cable car and hopes it will run. What does Norah want? She wants everything the way it once was in the close family circle. Norah wins her place in grandpa's watch but not in the way she expected. Some family changes are effected quietly, others bring sadness and pain. It is nonetheless a happily united family that sees Hugh's light go on, that second St. Patrick's Day.

[Serendi]

I'm adding a comment in case the edit to the previous comment didn't go to the OP. (Does it? I've been wondering if edits get sent out.)

[Andria]

Serendi, I don't believe notifications are sent when comments are edited. Good find! I'll create a GR record for Norah and the Cable Car.

[Serendi]

I meant if you subscribe to the thread, do edits get sent out? Sorry I left that part out.

I love it when a search pays off!

[Andria]

Even if you subscribe to the thread, you will not receive a notification when a previous post has been edited. Notifications are only sent when new messages are added to the thread. Is that what you were asking?

And here's the newly-created GR link: Norah and the Cable Car

[Serendi]

Yes, that's what I was asking. Thanks!

[Grace]

I'm happily stunned right now! Norah and the Cable Car is the book I've been looking for over 25 years. I don't understand how I didn't know someone had posted an answer. Seems like usually I get an email directly, if someone posts on a thread. (Unless I just overlooked it accidentally, of course). So excited to read this - I ordered it before even posting here. I wouldn't have seen the answer, except for the reminder to bump on another thread, which prompted me to look for this thread again. SOLVED. And thank you.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Cool.