Darlene's Tour
Welcome to Munsonville! Stroll through our haunted woods or, grab your row boat and fish, stop for a quick bite at Sue's Diner, or visit our historical society. There's something for everyone!
Daniel Baran has a fascination for maps and geography. He worked out "driving directions" to fictional Munsonville based on reading the Bryony books. Warning: Munsonville exists solely in the imagination. I'm not sure where one might end up by traveling this route.
Assuming Grovers Park, Illinois, is near Highland Park, Illinois:
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1) Go south on Highway 94 to Highway 196 (114.96 miles; 2 hours, 16 minutes)
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2) Go north on Highway 196 until Highway 131 in Grand Rapids, Michigan (79.80 miles; 1 hour, 19 minutes) -
3) Go north on Highway 131 to Exit 15 (Black Spruce Road) in Thornton (164.30 miles; 2 hours, 45 minutes) -
4) Stay east through the towns of Shelby (30 minutes), Jenson (30 minutes), and into Munsonville (30 minutes). (82 miles; 1 hour, 30 minutes) -
Estimated travel distance and time: 359.85 miles; 9 hours, 10 minutes
Directions to Munsonville
Life in the village
The box-shaped cottage was too flat, too old, too gray, too small, and most of all, too ugly." Melissa's new home.
"The road to the right leads deeper into Simons woods. The road to the left winds up a hill to Melissa's home, which was once the former servant's cottage of John Simons' estate."
A small, cream-colored, clapboard church with arched windows and an ornate steeple sat further back."
" Brian turned and rolled his eyes. Melissa mouthed back, "Probably get food poisoning"
"At the top, Simons Mansion, tall and majestic, dominated the view."
"Neverless, the backwoods atmosphere baffled her, from the one-piece, wooden desk and chair sets to having twelve grades contained in one building."
Shadows lengthened on the ground; thick clouds masked the sun. The air cooled, and she strained to see Brian and Scooter. Mist ascended from the lake and hovered on the path directly above Melissa.
"She stepped into the silent and starry night, neverminding whom she offended. In the distance John and that horrible woman strolled toward the gazebo."
"Melissa gazed around the library's single room. Just ten rows of green-painted bookshelves lined one end."
Munsonville Inn had a three-story turret."
"With a start, Melissa awoke and rubbed her eyes. The heady combination of firewood and roses permeated the air. She propped herself on an elbow and surveyed her surroundings. She was no longer in her bed, nor was she in Bryony's bed. Several desks sat at the end of the room. One held a heavy, black, silver, oddly shaped typewriter, very different from her mother's slim, beige, electric machine. Fully awake now, Melissa rested her head on the back of the settee and blinked in surprise."