Adrienne at the Chalet School (The Chalet School)

Contributed by Julie Robertson Adrienne Desmoines is a recently orphaned 15 year old French girl. She is struggling to survive since the death of her father three weeks previously and her plight has come to the attention of the nuns from the convent at Arles. Robin Humphries - now Soeur Cecile - and another nun are dispatched to help her, where they are just in time to save her from a unspeakable fate. Arriving at the Chalet School, she makes friends with Ailie Russell & Co and she is determined to do her best and work hard as a 'thank you' to Soeur Cecile. With a knowledge of English from her mother, she proceeds to slog at all her lessons and she is soon tied top of the class. However, this causes unexpected ructions when another girl is jealous. She also has plenty of time for play, enjoying a riotous Half Term Treasure Hunt, and a Senior party at Freudeshiem. Her "new girl" party at Joey's throws up a mystery however - who does she remind them of? Her form also presents tableaux - the theme being Historical Catastrophes - but they nearly have a catastrophe of their own! It does prove fortuitous for more than one of the casualties, however. But it is the arrival of a favourite old girl that finally solves the riddle of Adrienne's identity.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Fiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.