Mary-Lou Of The Chalet School
Synopsis:
Mary-Lou Trelawney is a week late starting the autumn term at the Chalet School, after the sudden illness and death of her grandmother. Mary-Lou was very close to her 'Gran', and her death marks the end of Mary-Lou's childhood: she is also now a senior at the school and her long-established Gang is breaking up now that its members are scattered across different forms.
Mary-Lou hopes that she can have a relatively quiet term, but then Joey Maynard puts her oar in and asks her to tackle new girl Jessica Wayne. Jessica's family circumstances have made her very unpleasant to live with, which is partly why she has been sent away to the Chalet School. Joey fears that she may prove too intransigent for the Chalet School authorities, but hopes that Mary-Lou's forthright brand of kindliness will put Jessica straight in a way that her elders and betters have been unable to do.
Jessica's truculence leads to a furious row with 'Plato', the eccentric singing master Mr Denny. Both he and she lose their temper completely in one singing lesson and she is severe danger of missing the form's expedition to the Falls of Rhine as a result. It is only thanks to Mary-Lou's intervention that Jessica calms down, and both parties apologise.
November brings with it torrential rain, flooding and landslides, which mean that food supplies cannot reach the Gornetz Platz. The whole school is put on a restricted diet until the railway is working again and the first train up can bring a load of meat, coffee and tea and other commodities which had been running very short.
The staff hold a Feast of St Nicholas evening to entertain the girls, but the school is disappointed to hear that there will be a carol concert this year instead of the traditional Christmas play.
Towards the end of term the weather improves enough to allow the girls out for the usual winter sports. Emerence Hope deliberately disobeys orders and takes her toboggan right to the top of the slope, above where a submerged pine tree has fallen. Emerence's panic as she careers down the hill very nearly results in a tragedy for the School.
contributed by Christina Erskine, London __ working from a hardback edition
As the link suggests, it gives more of the story - without, of course
giving everything away!