The Long Secret

Published by
Victoria Piceno
Imperial Valley College
Imperial, CA 92251

Copyright © 1965 by Louise Fitzhugh

For Ms. Rice,
the best teacher of ESL Reading

        In the beach town of Water Mill, Harriet and her family are spending their summer vacations. Also her friend Beth Ellen, whom she calls Mouse, and Beth’s grandmother are in the same beach.

One day in July in Water Mill, disturbing notes began to appear in all parts of the city. Harriet becomes a spy and, with the help of her friend, they decide to discover for the author of the notes.

The first note they saw was in the supermarket. It was written on a large paper in red crayon, saying “JESUS HATES YOU”.

Suddenly, the cashier said: What is that? Why would someone do that?

At the same time Harriet was writing everything in her notebook, she always carried with it.

Harriet and Beth begin to investigate who was the person who wrote these horrible note.

Harriet suspected religious issues, so she research people who read the Bible. 

Harriet forced her friend, Beth Ellen, into all sorts of strange and difficult situations in her attempt to reveal the culprit. Always write in your notebook and repeat “Harriet the Spy is in the case”. For instance, their research focused on Bunny, who is the hotel’s pianist, and Jenkins, who is an eccentric southern family, Janie, who is friends with Harriet and Mrs. Plumber.

Beth learns that her mother will return from Europe, that she left when she was five years old. Her grandmother imagines Beth Ellen very happy for the good news about her mother, but she is indifferent. Beth’s mother is named Zeeney.

Because of the fact that Zeeney has arrived with her new husband, Wallace, Beth is discontent with her. This forced Beth Ellen to reexamine her life with her grandmother, her friendship with Harriet and her life changes with happiness.

After a time of cohabitation between Beth and her mother, the relationship did not improve.

Time later, Beth invites Harriet to sleep in her house. At night they begin to talk and remember that they never discovered the author of the anti-Catholic notes.

Minutes later, Harriet recalls some phrases Beth uses and begins to distrust her.

Harriet believes that Beth is the author of the terrible notes and starts running and Beth ran after her.

“What are you doing?” Beth said.

Harriet enters every room of Beth’s grandmother’s house.

Harriet finds an open Bible and says to Beth: “You are the one who leaves the note”.

Beth denies it.

Harriet finds in Beth’s book of secrets.

Beth turned red and began to tremble.

She took a deep breath and said: “BELONGS TO MY GRANDFATHER”. She opened the book, and there was a red crayon.

“Surely you kept THIS a secret for a long time,” Harriet said.
I was going around all summer and you looked like a fool when you knew the truth all the time.

Beth Ellen smiled and said nothing.

Beth laughed and Harriet said, “I’m going to write about you and those notes!”

Beth Ellen laughed again and nothing else happened.

Main Characters

Harriet, she is a beautiful girl, brash and brave.

Beth Ellen, she is a shy and pretty girl with no personality.
Harriet is still there, brash and brave as ever.

Harriet and Beth Ellen are best friends for the summer, since their families both have houses there, and over the course of the season they meet the Preacher, the Jenkins Family, and Beth Ellen’s real mother, Zeeney.

New Words

1. Culprit: Noun [countable]
The person who is guilty of a crime or doing something wrong. Example: Police finally managed to catch the culprit.

2. Shrieked: Verb [intransitive]
To make a very high loud sound, especially because you are afraid, angry, excited, or in pain.
Example: He shrieked in agony.

3. Briskly: Adverb
Quickly
Example: He strode briskly along the platform.

4. Slam: Verb [intransitive, transitive]
If a door, gate, etc. slams, or if someone slams it, it shuts with a loud noise.
Example: We heard a car door slam.

5. Sparkle: Verb [intransitive]
To shine in small bright flashes.
Example: The sea sparkled in the sun.
6. Tabernacle: Noun [countable]
A church or other building used by some Christian groups as a place of worship.
Example: By the way, we’ve found some children in the old tabernacle.
7. Numb: Adjective
A part of your body that is numb is unable to feel anything, for example because you are very cold.
Example: My fingers were so numb I could hardly write.
8. Hastily:  Adverb
Quickly, perhaps too quickly.
Example: A hastily arranged news conference.

Quotes

As in California on Monday, we have terror, because there is a lot of traffic, people who are in a hurry, arrive late, the alarm does not sound, work routine, etc. For this reason, Harriet says the following:
“Don’t mess with anybody on a Monday. It’s a bad, bad, bad”

After seven years, Zeeney, Beth Ellen’s mother, returned. Her mother asked her what she felt when she saw her. And Beth Ellen replied:

“It isn’t exciting to me” 

My recommendation

        I recommend this book, and I think this is a good book or more than that, because The Long Secret wraps you in the small and funny story of the discovery of these girls, Harriet and Beth. Those who are willing to discover the mysterious author of the anonymous notes that have left the inhabitants of Water Mill worried.

Victoria Piceno