At fifteen, Richenda is the only child of a middle-aged father who specialises in early Chinese ceramics. We first meet her with an almost priceless item in her hands - and her father is so furious that he decides to take her out of the school she loves, away from her friends, to a boarding school in Switzerland…

Although Richenda sulks at first, in typical Chalet School style she finds the people and surroundings irresistible. Most of the story is told from her point of view, including some close observation of decor in the school and in local houses. This gave some new insights into how the author imagined the school, and I thought was nicely in keeping with a girl whose passion is art, with a keen eye for detail.

I have an abridged Armada paperback, but apparently nothing of importance is missed out. Since I hadn't read it for at least twenty years I'd forgotten most of the story. I liked it a great deal more than the previous two books in the series ("Excitements" and "Coming of Age"), and would recommend it. ( )