A Place Called Here
Encyclopedia
A Place Called Here is Irish
writer
Cecelia Ahern
's fourth novel, published in 2008. The book was entitled "There's No Place Like Here" in the United States
.
. Having worked for the Garda
, the police force of the Republic of Ireland, she left her job to start an agency which looks for missing people.
A man named Jack Ruttle asks Sandy for help looking for his younger brother Donal, who went missing the year before. She agrees, never expecting to become missing herself as she discovers the world where everything which has ever been lost goes to, a place called Here.
Jack goes on a search for Sandy believing that she is the key to finding his brother but learning more about her personal life than he should. Meanwhile, Sandy's possessions keeps getting lost from Here but found in this world. Something is bound to happen but the both of them have yet to know what it is.
She was named Sandy because when she was born, her hair had a Sandy colour although, it turned a coal-black colour as she grew. She is known to be a tall person being 6'01 because of this, her classmate called her daddy-longlegs.
She is obsessed with finding things ever since her classmate disappeared. It fascinates her and leaves her dissatisfied when something goes missing without a trace and she will spend as much time as she can to find it, resistant to buy new items to replace the ones she lost. She labels her possessions so she wouldn't lose them. She has a habit of coming and going as she pleases for her job which is the reason no one else than Jack searched for her in the duration she went missing.
After she has arrived to Here, she finds all her missing belongings but one by one, they go missing meaning they have been found in this world. This occurrence is kept a secret as it may result in chaos or false hope as it is believed that you cannot leave Here. She continues to live in Here, learning and being breathless due to meeting people she has searched for years. Even though told not to be, she remained positive and stubborn that she will go back home.
Jenny-May is a childhood rival of Sandy and also a neighbour. She has been portrayed to be mean and a bully but when she went missing, she was the angelic little girl whose parents want to find her. She had blonde hair and blue eyes and would constantly tease Sandy about her height.
Gregory was Sandy's psychiatrist whose Sandy's parents hired to help her through her obsessions. He is charming and the person Sandy trusted the most. However, their relationship bloomed into romance as an off/on relationship. He ends up getting his PhD and runs his own counselling called Scáthach
's House.
Jack is one of Sandy's customers. His brother, Donal went missing last year. He found sandy's number and decides to give it a try. He spends nights talking on the phone with Sandy. On the day of their meeting, he bumps into Sandy but due to the fact that they've never met in person, he didn't know it was her.
After Sandy goes missing, he finds Sandy's car with her diary and cellphone inside. Dissatisfied, he starts searching for her even though he was discouraged and warned.
Jack Ruttle's younger brother who went missing.
Is one of the people than Sandy wanted to find. He went missing when he was sixteen and is currently nineteen. She meets him at Here as a keeper of a lost and found. His given last name is Stanley.
He is one of the few people who knows about Sandy's secrets (Sandy running a missing persons agency, that her things are going missing, etc). He is known to have an infectious high-pitch laugh.
calls A Place Called Here 'a beautifully written love story.', with Marie Claire
describing the ending as 'warm and cosy'. Review Centre gives the book 3.2/5 stars.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
Cecelia Ahern
Cecelia Ahern
Cecelia Ahern is an Irish novelist, since 2004. In addition to publishing several novels, she has also contributed a number of short stories to various anthologies, for which all her royalties go to charity.Ahern also created and produced the ABC comedy Samantha Who? starring Christina Applegate...
's fourth novel, published in 2008. The book was entitled "There's No Place Like Here" in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Plot summary
Sandy Shortt has been obsessed with finding things which have been lost, since her childhood rival Jenny-May Butler went missingMissing person
A missing person is a person who has disappeared for usually unknown reasons.Missing persons' photographs may be posted on bulletin boards, milk cartons, postcards, and websites, along with a phone number to be contacted if a sighting has been made....
. Having worked for the Garda
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
, the police force of the Republic of Ireland, she left her job to start an agency which looks for missing people.
A man named Jack Ruttle asks Sandy for help looking for his younger brother Donal, who went missing the year before. She agrees, never expecting to become missing herself as she discovers the world where everything which has ever been lost goes to, a place called Here.
Jack goes on a search for Sandy believing that she is the key to finding his brother but learning more about her personal life than he should. Meanwhile, Sandy's possessions keeps getting lost from Here but found in this world. Something is bound to happen but the both of them have yet to know what it is.
Characters in "A Place Called Here"
- Sandy Shortt (The Main Character)
She was named Sandy because when she was born, her hair had a Sandy colour although, it turned a coal-black colour as she grew. She is known to be a tall person being 6'01 because of this, her classmate called her daddy-longlegs.
She is obsessed with finding things ever since her classmate disappeared. It fascinates her and leaves her dissatisfied when something goes missing without a trace and she will spend as much time as she can to find it, resistant to buy new items to replace the ones she lost. She labels her possessions so she wouldn't lose them. She has a habit of coming and going as she pleases for her job which is the reason no one else than Jack searched for her in the duration she went missing.
After she has arrived to Here, she finds all her missing belongings but one by one, they go missing meaning they have been found in this world. This occurrence is kept a secret as it may result in chaos or false hope as it is believed that you cannot leave Here. She continues to live in Here, learning and being breathless due to meeting people she has searched for years. Even though told not to be, she remained positive and stubborn that she will go back home.
- Jenny-May Butler
Jenny-May is a childhood rival of Sandy and also a neighbour. She has been portrayed to be mean and a bully but when she went missing, she was the angelic little girl whose parents want to find her. She had blonde hair and blue eyes and would constantly tease Sandy about her height.
- Gregory Burton
Gregory was Sandy's psychiatrist whose Sandy's parents hired to help her through her obsessions. He is charming and the person Sandy trusted the most. However, their relationship bloomed into romance as an off/on relationship. He ends up getting his PhD and runs his own counselling called Scáthach
Scáthach
Scáthach is a figure in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She is a legendary Scottish warrior woman and martial arts teacher who trains the legendary Ulster hero Cú Chulainn in the arts of combat...
's House.
- Jack Ruttle
Jack is one of Sandy's customers. His brother, Donal went missing last year. He found sandy's number and decides to give it a try. He spends nights talking on the phone with Sandy. On the day of their meeting, he bumps into Sandy but due to the fact that they've never met in person, he didn't know it was her.
After Sandy goes missing, he finds Sandy's car with her diary and cellphone inside. Dissatisfied, he starts searching for her even though he was discouraged and warned.
- Donal Ruttle
Jack Ruttle's younger brother who went missing.
- Bobby Duke
Is one of the people than Sandy wanted to find. He went missing when he was sixteen and is currently nineteen. She meets him at Here as a keeper of a lost and found. His given last name is Stanley.
He is one of the few people who knows about Sandy's secrets (Sandy running a missing persons agency, that her things are going missing, etc). He is known to have an infectious high-pitch laugh.
Reception
GlamourGlamour (magazine)
Glamour is a women's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. Founded in 1939 in the United States, it was originally called Glamour of Hollywood....
calls A Place Called Here 'a beautifully written love story.', with Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Marie Claire is a monthly women's magazine first published in France but also distributed in other countries with editions specific to them and in their languages. While each country shares its own special voice with its audience, the United States edition focuses on women around the world and...
describing the ending as 'warm and cosy'. Review Centre gives the book 3.2/5 stars.