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Will Holden Caulfield rise again?

In Mary O'Connell's projected novel 'In the Rye,' a high school senior searching Manhattan for her vanished English teacher encounters Holden Caulfield.

Writer Mary O'Connell's novel 'In the Rye' was acquired by Amy Einhorn Books.
  • By Molly Driscoll Staff Writer

Writer Mary O’Connell plans to  continue the story of “Catcher in the Rye” protagonist Holden Caulfield with a new book, titled “In the Rye.”

“In the Rye” was acquired by Amy Einhorn Books and will follow the story of a high school senior who is searching in New York City for her missing English teacher. Holden appears to her from the pages of “Catcher in the Rye.”

O’Connell has previously published a short story collection for adults and has a young adult novel, “The Sharp Time,” due for release in November.

There’s no word yet from the estate of “Catcher in the Rye” author J.D. Salinger, but the estate became embroiled in a 2009 fight to prevent Holden Caulfield from appearing in books by other authors. In the 2009 case, an author who went by the name John David California released a book titled “60 Years Later” which featured a protagonist, “Mr. C” – a man escaping from a nursing home – who resembled a later-in-life version of Salinger's Holden. The book was banned from being sold in the US or Canada after a judge said there were too many similarities to Salinger's novel, but the book was made available in Europe.

In a question-and-answer session on the website Random Buzzers, O’Connell said she was inspired to become a writer after reading “Catcher in the Rye.”

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