Bride gets a shock when she's asked to take on a new responsibility, and has an extremely difficult term. A progressive school has closed down, and several new girls have arrived at the Chalet School including a very pretty but rebellious girl called Diana, who refuses to accept the authority of the prefects and gives Bride an extremely hard time.

Amongst run-of-the-mill lessons, and a lengthy description of the end-of-term sale, there are a few philosophical discussions about education included, outlining the ideas of the time - and it becomes clear that the author was very against autonomous learning, despite her progressive theories about inductive teaching and the importance of leisure time to balance work.

Not particularly special, but some interesting moments including a few poingnant sections, and overall, pleasant light reading.

Latest longer review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2024/03/bride-leads-chalet-school-by-elinor... ( )

This is one of the better island-set stories. Bride is promoted to Head Girl when the current girl leaves to go to The Argentine to claim an inheritance (I do wonder if EBD opened her atlas and stuck in a pin!). As usual she asks for time to think it over - I'm sure it comes as a bolt from the blue to every girl who is ever appointed Head Girl, but at least Bride had a good reason to be surprised - but a chat with her sister Peggy (also an ex-Head Girl) as they prepare the tea is enough to persuade her that she should accept the post. Back at school there are more surprises: another Chalet School has closed down and many of those pupils have moved to our Chalet School but, alas, they have strange notions and take some time to settle into our Chalet School ways.
Bride has the Head Girl's usual problems, magnified by the new girls' lack of discipline and earns the enmity of one girl in particular, whose shocking behaviour gives Miss Annersley the chance to temper her justice with mercy. As usual EBD evades the exact method as "No one ever knew what passed ... for neither of the two ever spoke of it to anyone."
Other drama: Julie Lucy ignores 'tummy pains' and then has to be rushed to hospital for an emergency operation. She pulls through but Miss Annersley has another opportunity to demonstrate her ability to handle girls when breaking the news to Julie's sisters.
The other main event is The Sale and it's one of the better ones, I think. The prefects choose to base it on The Crown of Success by A.L.O.E. and the précis that Bride gives and the description of the stalls made me want to read the book. (I did and was disappointed as EBD hadn't mentioned the heavy-handed and long-winded Victorian moralising.) ( )

One of my favourites! Which makes sense considering Bride Bettany was always one of my very favourite Chaletians. :) Kindly lent to me by Shawne. ( )

One of my favourites! Which makes sense considering Bride Bettany was always one of my very favourite Chaletians. :) Kindly lent to me by Shawne. ( )