The Password to Larkspur Lane facts for kids
Original edition cover
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| Author | Carolyn Keene |
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| Illustrator | Russell H. Tandy |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Nancy Drew Mystery Stories |
| Genre | Juvenile literature |
| Publisher | Grosset & Dunlap |
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Publication date
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1933, revised 1966 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Preceded by | The Sign of the Twisted Candles |
| Followed by | The Clue of the Broken Locket |
The Password to Larkspur Lane is the tenth book in the exciting Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It first came out in 1933. The book was published under the name Carolyn Keene, which was a pen name (or pseudonym). The real writer was a "ghostwriter" named Walter Karig. He wrote this book and two other Nancy Drew stories.
Because Walter Karig passed away in 1956, this book and his other two Nancy Drew books became available for anyone to use or share. This happened on January 1, 2007, in Canada and other countries. This means the stories are now in the public domain.
Contents
The Mystery Begins: Plot Summary
This book tells a thrilling story about Nancy Drew. She finds herself solving a puzzle involving a secret password and a strange place.
The 1933 Original Story
The adventure starts when Nancy is taking care of her beautiful delphinium flowers. A mysterious carrier pigeon lands in her yard. Nancy quickly contacts the people who keep records of carrier pigeons.
Meanwhile, Nancy's kind housekeeper, Hannah Gruen, falls and hurts herself. She needs to see a doctor. Her doctor, Dr. Spires, tells Nancy's father, Carson Drew, and Nancy something very odd. He had to treat an elderly woman for her shoulder. But the people who drove him there blindfolded him. This was so he couldn't tell where they were going.
The doctor thought their destination might have been a place called Larkspur Lane. He also believed the old woman was being held prisoner. The only clue to the woman's identity was a bracelet with a special family symbol. Nancy decides to find out whose family crest it is. She learns it belongs to the Eldridge family from St. Louis.
Soon, the pigeon registry contacts Nancy. They suspect something illegal is going on with the bird. Hannah's temporary helper, Effie Schneider, also gets involved. Nancy tries to follow the carrier pigeon's flight into the countryside. A fierce woman attacks Nancy and steals the bracelet from her. Because of threats and growing danger, the Drews decide to leave town for a bit. They go to visit Nancy's friend Helen Corning at Sylvan Lake.
By chance, Nancy saves a young Eldridge child from an accident at the lake. She learns that an elderly relative of the child is missing. Nancy and Helen explore the area. They finally find a road called "L.S. Lane." Near this quiet road is a large house with delphinium flowers all around it. It also has an electric fence. Elderly patients are outside on the grounds. Mrs. Eldridge is also outside near the fence. She tells Nancy that she is indeed a prisoner.
Nancy and Helen come up with a clever plan. They dress up as an old lady and her nurse. They get into the house using a secret password: "singing horses." Nancy reaches Mrs. Eldridge and helps her escape. She sends Mrs. Eldridge away safely with Helen. But then, Nancy gets caught. The evil doctor and his partners imprison her. These bad people kidnap rich, elderly people. They force them to sign over their money and valuable papers.
Nancy manages to escape from her jail, which is a cistern (a type of tank). She then messes with the crooks' getaway airplane. Just as she finishes, the police arrive and catch the criminals!
The 1966 Revised Story
In 1966, the book was updated. The word "The" was removed from the title. The new cover looked much like the original 1933 one.
The main story is similar, but it's shorter. Nancy's friends, Bess and George, are in more of the action. There's also a new part of the story. It involves strange events at Helen Corning Archer's relatives' summer home on Sylvan Lake. They see ghostly blue wheels of rolling fire! This leads Nancy to go there. The butler, Morgan, is also involved in some smaller crimes. In this version, Bess goes with Nancy to rescue the old lady instead of Helen. Bess dresses as a nurse, and George pretends to be the sick person.
Nancy Drew on Screen
Movie Adaptation
In 1938, this story was used for the movie Nancy Drew, Detective. This was the first of four Nancy Drew movies. The actress Bonita Granville played Nancy Drew.
Television Show
An episode of the Nancy Drew television series is called "The Lady of Larkspur Lane." In this episode, Nancy, Ned, and George visit a local mental hospital. This hospital is named Larkspur Lane.
Artwork in the Book
The original pictures for the 1933 book were drawn by Russell H. Tandy. He was a fashion artist who illustrated the Nancy Drew series from 1930 to 1949.
Tandy's original artwork for the book's dust jacket stayed in print until 1962. This was long after most early Nancy Drew book covers had been updated. The original art shows Nancy kneeling down in a full, loose dress.
Collectors think the publisher, Grosset & Dunlap, asked for a new drawing of the same scene around 1953. This was when a new artist, Rudy Nappi, took over the series. However, the new drawing showed Nancy crouching in a slim skirt. It might have shown too much of her leg. People believe this was thought to be not suitable for American readers. So, the artwork was not used. This art later appeared on British book covers for this story in 1960.
