Clare Mallory (1913–1991)

Juliet Shand Harding leaves her home in New Zealand to attend the English boarding school where her mother and aunt were pupils in this immensely engaging girls' school story. Determined to play her part in making Shand House, named for her own grandfather, a success, Juliet is dismayed to discover that of the four houses at Queen Elinor's, her own is lowest in standing, and is known for a lack of discipline, a lack of ambition, and a poor work ethic. This sorry state of affairs is owing to show more a dearth of seniors in Shand, and to the general laxity of what seniors there are. The new house captain, Cara (Caroline) St. Aubrey, nicknamed 'the Duchess' because of her aristocratic background and her cool, superior way, seems at first glance a poor choice to improve matters. Juliet herself, who becomes Cara's study mate, is both impressed and intimidated by this calm, collected peer, and frustrated by her seeming indifference to house standing. Slowly however, Juliet gets to know Cara better, helping her to turn Shand around, and restore it to its former glory...

Kiwi author Clare Mallory (real name: Winifred Constance McQuilkan Hall) wrote a number of girls' school stories, and seems to be an author who is particularly interested in the fortunes of the house, and the student's participation in the house, to judge by the books I have read thus far. Certainly, her Merry trilogy - Merry Begins, Merry Again and Merry Marches On - focused on this theme, and so too does Juliet Overseas. Published in 1949, the book is dedicated to fellow girls' school story author Josephine Elder, and mentions Evelyn Finds Herself as one of the finest examples of the genre. When I finish my current Mallory binge, I will have to return to Elder! In any case, I enjoyed this story quite a bit, finding both Juliet and Cara engaging characters. I thought that Mallory did an excellent job capturing Juliet's blend of forthright self-confidence when it came to school and house matters and insecurity when addressing personal relationships. I enjoyed every single one of the subplots, from the schoolgirl shenanigans (and how Juliet handled them) to the program Juliet started to aid the beleaguered kitchen staff of Shand House. In fact, I enjoyed this so much that I ended up reading it in one sitting, staying up until 3am to do so! If that isn't a recommendation, I don't know what is. Recommended to fans of the girls' school story, or to readers interested in vintage New Zealand children's fiction. For my part, I am eager to read more from Mallory! show less

Merry (Rosemerryn) Arundel returns to Tremayne School for a second term in this sequel to Clare Mallory's Merry Begins, and soon she and her friends in Dormitory Ten have their hands full with the new girl, Holly Stafford. Raised by an overindulgent grandmother, Holly had never been to school, and was used to doing much as she pleased. She couldn't see the point of many school rules, and she often clashed with authority, whether exerted by the prefects or the staff. She had no interest in show more Sennen, her school house, and her rule-breaking looked as if it would ruin their chances of winning the house championship. For all her flaws, Holly had her good points, being both generous and honest, and eventually, through the good influence of Merry and the other 'Bups' (members of the 'back up Pauline' society), as well as some of the prefects and staff, she came to find her place at Tremayne...

Much like its predecessor, Merry Again belies its name, being as concerned with the school at large, as with its eponymous heroine's experiences. If anything, this second story is largely taken up with Holly's travails, as she makes a bad start at school, and must slowly learn her lesson. There were aspects of this process that I found distasteful at times, and many moments were I was in sympathy with Holly's rebellion against what seemed, at least to her, to be pointless regulations and arbitrary authority. On the other hand, there were times where I grew impatient with her stubborn insistence on her own way, and her willful rudeness when her will was checked. I appreciated the fact that Clare Mallory managed to convincingly portray both sides of Holly, and that she demonstrated, through the sub-plot involving Anne, that sometimes authority is inappropriately applied, albeit not in the way that Holly would object to. As with Merry Begins, I enjoyed the fact that the reader gets to share multiple perspectives here, rather than just that of the titular character. Recommended to anyone who read and enjoyed the first book in this series. show less

When Rosemerryn Arundel - known as Merry - comes to Tremayne, a private girls' school near the New Zealand city of Dunedin, she longs with all of her heart to become a boarder, rather than a day girl, and to belong to Sennen House, where her own mother - missing and presumed dead in a plane crash - once belonged. With the help of Sennen Captain, Pauline Templeton, Merry does just that, and is soon thick as thieves with the other IIIA girls in Dormitory Ten. Making friends - particularly with show more Hildreth Ballantyne - Merry soon finds herself a 'BUP' - part of her dormitory's campaign to 'back up Pauline' in the face of trouble being stirred up in Sennen House by a popularity-mad Senior student. In addition to doing their best to get marks for their house, the BUPs also form the Torchlight Club, a secret society that holds midnight feasts and reads plays together. This clandestine activity has unexpectedly positive results, when a crisis is reached in the conflict between Pauline and the cadre of 'sentimental' girls who oppose her...

Published in 1947, Merry Begins is the first volume of a trilogy devoted to its eponymous heroine's school adventures, and is followed by Merry Again and Merry Marches On. It is quite unusual, in that it has a New Zealand setting, something not often seen in vintage girls' school stories. The author, Clare Mallory (real name: Winifred Constance McQuilkan Hall), worked for a number of years as a teacher and then as a headmistress of a girls' school, which no doubt explains the convincing atmosphere of her tale. I enjoyed this book immensely, appreciating the fact that a number of different perspectives were explored - that of Merry, but also that of Pauline - and that the schoolgirl conflicts were treated realistically, rather than as melodrama. Although the book is named for Merry, I often found the other characters, particularly Pauline and Hildreth, more interesting. That said, I enjoyed pretty much everything about the book, from the writing to the story to the characters, and I finished it with a desire to pick up the sequels.

Two things that particularly struck me, as I was reading, were the Cornish place-names used throughout - Tremayne was founded by an immigrant from Cornwall, and had house names such as Sennen, Constantine, Lamorna and Tintagel - and the casual (and brief) mention of Madchen in Uniform and Regiment of Women. Both of these works, which are written for adults but set at girls' schools, address lesbian relations between the characters, something that is clearly hinted at, when Georgie (prefect and schoolgirl librarian) declares: "Thank goodness we go to a school without obvious peculiarities." This oblique reference to lesbianism seems relevant to the story, as Pauline immediately afterward thinks of Nora, the Senior attempting to charm the impressionable younger girls in order to win popularity. Was Clare Mallory implying that the sort of silly 'sentimentalism' her main characters opposed was actually some kind of same-sex romanticism? Or is this brief passage a reference to the growing concerns about girls' only education, at least in the UK, during the mid-20th-century, driven by fears that it were encouraging homosexuality? It's impossible to say, but it certainly is fascinating!

Leaving these issues aside - and the passage in question is easily missed - Merry Begins is an engaging, entertaining, and wholly satisfying school story, one I would recommend to fans of the genre, as well as to those seeking vintage New Zealand children's novels. show less

Candy (Candida) Nevill was the youngest and seemingly least significant of the four Nevill children, being neither a talented sportsperson and a great social success like the twins, Mark and Roslyn; nor brilliantly gifted intellectually, like Bets (Mary Elizabeth). Her father, Dr. Nevill, valued achievement in his children, and while he wasn't unkind, it was clear that he wasn't sure what to make of the shy, awkward, non-achieving Candy, who was clumsy in games, and seemingly uninterested in show more her schoolwork. Candy's one area of interest - cooking - didn't particularly strike her family as an important one, although her contributions to the household chores certainly made home more pleasant for the entire family. Slowly, over many years, in school and at home, Candy gained greater confidence as a person, and grew in her culinary skill. She also demonstrated, time and again, far more important qualities than either good cookery or scholastic achievement. Namely: an honest, upright nature, and a kind and generous heart. In the end, these qualities were put to the test, and only afterward did the Nevill family realize how much their youngest member had sacrificed for them, and how her seemingly insignificant contributions had allowed the rest of them to shine...

Originally written from 1949 through 1950, while New Zealand author Clare Mallory (real name: Winifred Constance McQuilkan Hall) was living in London with her husband, Candy Nevill was never published in its author's lifetime. It remained as a type-written manuscript in her papers, until the London-based Margin Notes Books published it, in 2012. Thank goodness they did, as this is simply a marvelous book! I am amazed that no one wanted to publish it, especially in Mallory's own country, where the story is set. Engaging, entertaining, and ultimately heartwarming, this is a story of a child overshadowed by her elders, and underestimated by almost everyone in her life; a child who knows she isn't the best and brightest, but who always manages to do her best, when it comes to the activities she enjoys, and the people she loves. As Mr. Howard notes at the end, Candy has something even better than medals and prizes: she has a loving and generous heart. Although nothing like Candy when I was young myself, I entered wholeheartedly into her story, and was continually rooting for her. I loved reading about her different cooking adventures, her Saturday morning excursions with Bets, the ups and downs of her friendship with Ianthe Howard - in short, everything in the book was delightful. The conclusion, in which the Nevills finally really see her, is deeply satisfying, and is made all the sweeter, for both reader and heroine, as it is a reward that has been long-delayed. I found myself tearing up, while reading it.

Candy Nevill is the tenth children's novel I have read from Mallory, whose work I greatly enjoy, and it is the first of her two posthumously-published titles I have encountered. Unlike the earlier nine books, it is not a school story, although it is set partially at school, and has school story elements. Unexpectedly, given how much I have enjoyed the earlier titles, I think this is my favorite so far, of Mallory's books, which is saying something indeed! I found Candy a fascinating figure, partially because she is so very endearing, and partially because I am working on a fanfiction (my very first work of fiction, in a field entirely unrelated to this) that features a similar type of character. I was more emotionally involved with her story, than with any other Mallory character I have thus far encountered, and finished the book with a deep sense of satisfaction. Highly recommended, to anyone who appreciates well-written, entertaining, and emotionally satisfying middle-grade fiction. show less