Mixed Up Heroines Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Blue Castle

Valancy is the heroine of "The Blue Castle" by L.M. Montgomery. Her husband, Barney Snaith, turned out to be both John Foster the author, and Bernard Snaith Redfern, heir to a fortune. Valancy's problem turns out to have been misdiagnosed.

Answer: "Tam Lin" by Pamela Dean

"Tam Lin" is a fascinating book; one of several versions of the "Tam Lin" ballad. The setting is an American arts college in the 1970s.

Answer: The Ladies of Missalonghi

Missy's real name is "Missalonghi Wright", and she marries John Smith, who has bought "her" valley. Smith turns out to be respectable enough in the end, and Missy's condition is much less serious than she led Smith to believe. "The Ladies of Missalonghi" was written by Colleen McCullough.

Answer: "Fire and Hemlock", by Diana Wynne Jones

Polly has to fight Laurel for Tom's life, but fortunately Tom has obliquely given her the weapons she needs for the battle. This is another modern version of the Tam Lin story, taking place in 1980s Bristol.

Answer: Friday's Child

"Friday's Child" is one of Georgette Heyer's romantic comedies.

Answer: "The Perilous Gard" by Elizabeth Marie Pope

Kate manages to rescue Christopher, and the Lady and her people are not only defeated but driven into exile. This version of the Tam Lin story takes place in Tudor England.

Answer: They think they are cousins but are actually half siblings.

Maree's adoptive father and Nick's supposed father are brothers, but it turns out that they share a different father entirely.

Answer: Sophie. Martha is the youngest.

Sophie is the eldest of the three. Lettie comes next, and then Martha. Lettie and Martha swap places at one point, so there can't be many years between them.

Answer: Howl, Rupert, Tom, Mordion

Sophie Hatter eventually marries Howell Jenkins who is using the name "Wizard Howl" in "Howl's Moving Castle".
Maree Mallory will probably marry Rupert Vennables from "Deep Secret".
Polly Whittacker is in love with Tom Lynn in "Fire and Hemlock".
Vierran is in love with Mordion Agenos in "Hexwood".

Answer: Sophie-aged, Vierran-younger, Vivian-in the wrong century

In "Howl's Moving Castle", Sophie, a young woman, spends much of the book "aged" by the Witch of the Waste. In "Hexwood", young woman Vierran spends much of the book convinced she is a child named Ann, while Vivian Smith in "A Tale of Time City" spends most of the book in the far future.

Answer: Anne. Jerusha. Pollyanna. Emily.

Anne Shirley was the heroine of the "Anne" books by L.M. Montgomery, who also wrote the "Emily" books, featuring Emily Byrd Starr. Pollyanna Whittier comes from Eleanor H. Porter's "Pollyanna", and Jerusha (Judy) Abbott from Jean Webster's "Daddy-Long-Legs".

Answer: They were at college together

Judy and Sallie were friends at college, united in their dislike of classmate Julia Pendleton. Judy married Julia's uncle, and later asked Sallie to run the orphanage in which Judy had been brought up. Judy's story is told in "Daddy-Long-Legs".

Answer: Their married name was Pendleton. Both were orphans.

Pollyanna was an orphan who lived with her Aunt Polly after her clergyman father died. She married Jimmy Pendleton. Jerusha (Judy) Abbot never knew anything about her parents. She had no known relatives, and married Jervis Pendleton.

Answer: They both became writers

Jo March is from "Little Women" by Louisa Alcott. She had three sisters, both parents, and became a writer. Emily is from "Emily of New Moon" by L.M. Montgomery. She was an orphan with no siblings. She became a writer.

Answer: Jerusha Abbott, Helen Woolcot, Ruth Blackett

Jerusha "Judy" Abbott renames herself when she starts college. She is from "Daddy-Long-Legs" by Jean Webster, and she dislikes her first name. Helen "Judy" Woolcot probably uses "Judy" as an allusion to Punch and Judy- her other nickname is "Fizz". She is from Ethel Turner's "Seven Little Australians". Ruth "Nancy" Blackett, from "Swallows and Amazons" by Arthur Ransome, changes her name when someone tells her pirates are "ruthless".

Answer: They all used the name "Hero"

Hero Wantage married, but she didn't stammer. Leander's lady was called Hero, and he swam the Hellespont to visit her. They never married, and Hero didn't stammer. They appear in a famous Greek story. Polly was still single at the end of her book, and she didn't stammer either. Polly did use the name "Hero" in a series of literary games she played with Tom Lynn.

Answer: They all come from different countries

Norah is from the "Billabong Books" by Mary Grant Bruce. She lives with her father and brother in Australia. Anne is Canadian. She is an adopted orphan, and comes from the "Anne" books by L.M. Montgomery. Pippi, from the "Pippi" books by Astrid Lindgren, is Swedish.

She has a father. Heidi, from "Heidi" by Johanna Spyri, is Swiss. She is an orphan. Katy is American. She has a father, and belongs to the "Katy" books by Susan Coolidge.

Answer: True

Her other sisters are Clover and Elsie. They appear in "What Katy Did" by Susan Coolidge.

Answer: Rosamond Redding

Rose Red is, according to Cousin Lilly Page "killing and fascinating". She is a mischief-maker, but very popular. She reappears in "What Katy Did Next" as a young wife with a baby.

Answer: They all have elder sisters called Meg

Charles Wallace has just one sister - Meg. He is from "A Wrinkle in Time", by Madeleine L'Engle. Judy has an elder sister Meg, and five other siblings. She is from "Seven Little Australians", by Ethel Turner. Jo March is from "Little Women", by Louisa Alcott. She is one of four sisters, the eldest of whom is called Meg.

Answer: All these things are true

Jane Austen, Emily Bronte and Anne Bronte are all famous authors. Jane appears in L.M. Montgomery's "Jane of Lantern Hill", Anne in the same author's "Anne of Green Gables" and Emily in her "Emily of New Moon".

Answer: Mac

Although "Dr. Alec", Rose's uncle, doesn't approve of cousins marrying, he thinks Rose will do better with one of "the boys" than with a stranger. Charlie dies, Jamie is a child, Archie marries Rose's maid, Phebe, but Mac ends up with Rose.

Answer: Lucy, Georgette, Anne, Jean, Diana

Valency Stirling from "The Blue Castle" was named by L(ucy) M(aud) Montgomery. Hero Wantage from "Friday's Child" was named by Georgette Heyer. Lessa of Ruatha from the "Dragonriders of Pern" series was named by Anne McCaffrey. Jerusha Abbott was named by Jean Webster and Vierran was named by Diana Wynne Jones.

Answer: 5

Susan Coolidge wrote "What Katy Did", "What Katy Did at School", "What Katy Did Next", "Clover" and "In the High Valley" about the Carr family. The Bronte sisters were Elizabeth, Maria, Charlotte, Emily and Anne. The two elder girls died in childhood.

The "Anne" books include "Anne of Green Gables", "Anne of Avonlea", "Anne of Windy Poplars" (aka "Anne of Windy Willows"), "Anne of Ingleside" and "Anne of the Island". The other books that do NOT follow the pattern are "Anne's House of Dreams", "Rainbow Valley" and "Rilla of Ingleside", plus at least three volumes of short stories.

Answer: All these are true.

Lucy Pevensie, from C(live) S(taples) Lewis' "Narnia" series initially enters Narnia through a wardrobe. She meets talking animals there, and has a sister Susan. Alice, from Lewis Carroll's "Alice" books, enters Wonderland and the Looking Glass Land and meets talking animals, including the Cheshire Cat. She has a sister.