Mabel Esther Allan (1915–1998)
Author of Ballet for Drina
About the Author
Series
Works by Mabel Esther Allan
Philomel Follows After 10 copies
Seven in Switzerland, and other stories ... Seven in Switzerland. Three go to Switzerland. Adventure Royal (1961) 8 copies
To Be an Author 6 copies
Holiday of Endurance 6 copies
Blue Dragon Days 6 copies
Seven in Switzerland 5 copies
A Summer in Brittany 4 copies
The Exciting River 3 copies
Adventure in Mayo 3 copies
Adventure Royal 3 copies
Everyday Island 2 copies
Crow's Nest 2 copies
Strangers in New York 2 copies
The Girls of St Brides 2 copies
The haunted valley, and other poems 2 copies
Clues to Connemara 1 copy
Cat off a barrow 1 copy
Associated Works
Every Girl's Annual 1951 — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Allan, Mabel Esther
- Other names
- Allan, M. E. (pseudonym)
Hagon, Priscilla (pseudonym)
Estoril, Jean (pseudonym)
Pilgrim, Anne (pseudonym)
Pearcey, Kathleen M. (pseudonym) - Birthdate
- 1915-02-11
- Date of death
- 1998-05-14
- Gender
- female
- Occupations
- children's author
Warden (of wartime nursery for children of 2-5 years during World War II)
teacher - Organizations
- Women's Land Army (WWII)
- Awards and honors
- Best children's book of the year award for Lise en Italie, France, 1960
Mystery Writers of America Award for Mystery in Wales, 1971
Boston Globe-Horn Book award for An Island in a Green Sea, 1972 - Short biography
- Mabel Esther Allan (1915-1998) was a British children's author, who published under her own name, as well as the various pseudonyms. Allan was born in Wallasey, Cheshire, and was educated at private schools. She served in the Land Army during WWII, and worked as a teacher, both at a nursery and a preparatory school. Allan held progressive views about education, views that often found their way into her books, particularly her school stories. She was interested in folk dance and ballet, and was a frequent traveler. She died in 1998.
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Wallasey, Cheshire, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Heswall, Cheshire, UK
- Associated Place (for map)
- UK
Members
Discussions
Back in time to WWll in Name that Book (July 2011)
Reviews
Recovering from a bad bout of pneumonia, British schoolgirl Felicity Boden is dismayed to learn that she is being sent to Switzerland for her health, and will not be allowed to return to her beloved boarding school in north Wales for at least three terms. Deeply attached to her schoolmates at Llanrhysydd Castle, and to the progressive ethos of the co-educational school, Felicity is unhappy at the idea of being a new girl at The Oberland School for Girls, where she knows no one, and where she show more will be forced to endure a far more traditional, rules-bound educational experience. Despite her reluctance, the sensible Felicity is soon established at Oberland, where she befriends the half-Swiss, half-English Hanni, as well as Italian-Swiss girl Tamina. The latter friendship soon causes trouble, however, as jealous Brigitta, a fiery Italian girl from Milan, whose influence upon Tamina is now being discouraged by headmistress Miss Esmond, determines that Felicity is her enemy. Jealous of the newcomer's developing friendship with her erstwhile boon companion, as well as of her many accomplishments - Felicity is an excellent student, a gifted singer, and is soon a proficient skier - Brigitta makes trouble for the British girl as often as she can. Fortunately for Felicity, she has many other friends who make her experiences in Switzerland pleasant ones...
Although connected to the earlier School Under Snowdon, which was set at Llanrhysydd - there is even a brief mention here of that book's heroine, Verity Armitage - Swiss School is less of a sequel than a related school story set in the same fictional world. I found the contrast between the reluctant Verity, who did not want to attend Llanrhysydd in School Under Snowdon, and the reluctant Felicty, who did not want to be parted from Llanrhysydd here, quite interesting. Although there are many paeans in Swiss School to the superior qualities of the educational experience at Llanrhysydd - Mabel Esther Allan is known for creating school stories set at progressive co-educational institutions where the pupils play a large role in governing themselves and the school - there is also the acknowledgement here that more traditional schools can also offer a valuable experience. In particular, Felicity learns to appreciate the opportunity to study with girls of many nationalities, and to learn a multitude of new languages. That said, I'm not sure I was convinced by her decision, at the close of the story,to remain in Switzerland for the duration of her education, rather than return eventually to Llanrhysydd , as I think her long-standing attachment to her earlier school and friends would have had more of a pull than her fondness for the new. On the other hand, perhaps Allan was attempting to emphasize that some schools are better for some pupils, at different times in their lives, and that education should not be a one-size-fits-all endeavor. However that may be, this was an engaging story, one I would recommend to lovers of the girls' school-story genre, if they can obtain it. Although the reading experience will be enhanced by having read School Under Snowdon (as well as various Allan stories also set at Llanrhysydd), it is not essential. show less
Although connected to the earlier School Under Snowdon, which was set at Llanrhysydd - there is even a brief mention here of that book's heroine, Verity Armitage - Swiss School is less of a sequel than a related school story set in the same fictional world. I found the contrast between the reluctant Verity, who did not want to attend Llanrhysydd in School Under Snowdon, and the reluctant Felicty, who did not want to be parted from Llanrhysydd here, quite interesting. Although there are many paeans in Swiss School to the superior qualities of the educational experience at Llanrhysydd - Mabel Esther Allan is known for creating school stories set at progressive co-educational institutions where the pupils play a large role in governing themselves and the school - there is also the acknowledgement here that more traditional schools can also offer a valuable experience. In particular, Felicity learns to appreciate the opportunity to study with girls of many nationalities, and to learn a multitude of new languages. That said, I'm not sure I was convinced by her decision, at the close of the story,
After her mother's sudden and unexpected death, Joan Bradshaw comes to live with her maternal uncle, aunt and cousins in London in this quietly moving tale of finding a new family, leaving behind her childhood home in Lancashire. Quiet and proud, and still reeling from the terrible grief of her recent loss, Joan feels that she will never belong in the Garland household, for the Garlands are a "ballet family." Father Edwin is the orchestra conductor for the world-famous Thorburg Company, show more where mother Mona is a famous prima ballerina and eldest sister Pelagia is a dancer in the corps de ballet. Younger siblings Edward, Anne and Delphine, in the meantime, are all studying ballet at the Thorburg School. Their entire world revolves around ballet, something Joan finds absolutely foreign at first. Slowly though, through trial and error, Joan and the Garlands become better acquainted, and when Joan's talent for both piano composition and drawing are revealed, it transpires that she may have more in common with "the ballet family" than anyone had imagined...
I always enjoy Mabel Esther Allan's work, finishing each new book wondering why I don't read more of her, given how prolific she was! The Ballet Family was originally published in 1963, under Allan's own name, but the edition I own was published in 1989 under the pseudonym 'Jean Estoril,' which Allan often used for her ballet fiction, most notably, the Drina Ballerina series. Perhaps it was reissued this way in order to draw in fans of the Drina books? However that may be, I enjoyed the tale here immensely, and felt that Allan, as always, had a sensitive appreciation for characters who feel out of step with those around them. In her school stories this is usually the "new girl" who must find her feet as a pupil, but here it is the new girl in the family, and the adjustments are necessary on all sides. I really appreciated the way in which Allan dealt with regional prejudices within British society at the time, and the way in which she gently challenged the Garlands' assumptions about what people in Northern England would be like, their feelings of unconscious superiority, and surprise that not everyone would value the more sophisticated London over less 'urbane' areas of the country. It would have been all too easy to make the Garlands horrible snobs, but they're nothing of the kind - not even spoiled Delphine! Rather, they're thoroughly decent people, who really make an effort. This makes the eventual understanding that develops between them and their northern cousin all the more satisfactory. I sped through this one very quickly, enjoying the characters, the story and the setting (geography is VERY important in Allan's work!), and had no sooner finished it than I was reaching for the sequel, The Ballet Family Again. What stronger recommendation could there be? show less
I always enjoy Mabel Esther Allan's work, finishing each new book wondering why I don't read more of her, given how prolific she was! The Ballet Family was originally published in 1963, under Allan's own name, but the edition I own was published in 1989 under the pseudonym 'Jean Estoril,' which Allan often used for her ballet fiction, most notably, the Drina Ballerina series. Perhaps it was reissued this way in order to draw in fans of the Drina books? However that may be, I enjoyed the tale here immensely, and felt that Allan, as always, had a sensitive appreciation for characters who feel out of step with those around them. In her school stories this is usually the "new girl" who must find her feet as a pupil, but here it is the new girl in the family, and the adjustments are necessary on all sides. I really appreciated the way in which Allan dealt with regional prejudices within British society at the time, and the way in which she gently challenged the Garlands' assumptions about what people in Northern England would be like, their feelings of unconscious superiority, and surprise that not everyone would value the more sophisticated London over less 'urbane' areas of the country. It would have been all too easy to make the Garlands horrible snobs, but they're nothing of the kind - not even spoiled Delphine! Rather, they're thoroughly decent people, who really make an effort. This makes the eventual understanding that develops between them and their northern cousin all the more satisfactory. I sped through this one very quickly, enjoying the characters, the story and the setting (geography is VERY important in Allan's work!), and had no sooner finished it than I was reaching for the sequel, The Ballet Family Again. What stronger recommendation could there be? show less
Fraternal twin sisters Doria and Deborah Darke - the former a shy, insecure brunette; the latter an extroverted, confident blonde - both love ballet in this engaging novel from prolific British children's author Mabel Esther Allan. When the two go up to London to audition for scholarship spots at the celebrated Lingereaux Ballet School in Bloomsbury Square, both girls are offered a place, but only Debbie is given a scholarship. Dorrie is devastated, and her unhappiness is compounded when the show more girls' parents decide that Debbie will not be permitted to attend either. Willing enough to have both girls move two-hundred miles from home in order to pursue their training, Mr. and Mrs. Darke draw the line at the idea of Debbie going off on her own. Angry and rebellious, Debbie says terribly hurtful things, putting great strain on the sisters' relationship. Then Dorrie is offered a scholarship after all, when another pupil must withdraw from the school, and the 'ballet twins' head to London. All is not well however, and Dorrie struggles with her insecurity, and her feeling that she will always come second to her more popular, talented sister. She also mourns the loss of her once close friendship with Debbie. Can things be put right between them, and will Dorrie ever step out of Debbie's shadow...?
Originally published in 1967 under the name 'Jean Estoril,' a pseudonym that Allan used for much of her ballet fiction, including her series about Drina the Ballerina, We Danced in Bloomsbury Square is the third ballet-focused novel I have read from this author, following upon her The Ballet Family and The Ballet Family Again. I enjoyed it a great deal, although perhaps not as much as those other two. Dorrie is the narrator here, and we therefore see everything from her perspective. As a result, it's difficult not to think of Debbie as a bit of a selfish monster, although Allan resists the temptation to turn her into a villain. There certainly is a certain shallowness and insensitivity to her, but the episode in whichDorrie goes missing demonstrates that she is also capable of deep and sincere love for her sister. On another note altogether, I thought the very brief mentions of race in the story were quite interesting, given the date of publication. One of Aunt Eileen's boarders is a young black man from Jamaica, and she comments at one point that it would be un-Christian to object to "coloured students" in her house. It is my understanding that many boarding houses in London did discriminate based on race during this period, so Aunt Eileen's remark felt like a direct authorial response to the issue. Dorrie herself mentions the sole black student at the Lingereaux school in a positive way, although she also reflects that it would be difficult for the girl to fit in with any ballet company, revealing the almost exclusively white nature of the dance form at that time.
These were very brief moments in the book, and although they are certainly of interest to me as a scholar who tries to situate the historical children's literature that I read in its contemporaneous cultural milieu, the chief focus of the book was Dorrie's journey toward a better understanding of herself and of her sister. Like so many of Allan's books, it offers a sensitive depiction of a young person's complicated relations with family, friends, and school. Recommended to anyone who enjoys ballet fiction and/or stories of twins for middle-grade readers. show less
Originally published in 1967 under the name 'Jean Estoril,' a pseudonym that Allan used for much of her ballet fiction, including her series about Drina the Ballerina, We Danced in Bloomsbury Square is the third ballet-focused novel I have read from this author, following upon her The Ballet Family and The Ballet Family Again. I enjoyed it a great deal, although perhaps not as much as those other two. Dorrie is the narrator here, and we therefore see everything from her perspective. As a result, it's difficult not to think of Debbie as a bit of a selfish monster, although Allan resists the temptation to turn her into a villain. There certainly is a certain shallowness and insensitivity to her, but the episode in which
These were very brief moments in the book, and although they are certainly of interest to me as a scholar who tries to situate the historical children's literature that I read in its contemporaneous cultural milieu, the chief focus of the book was Dorrie's journey toward a better understanding of herself and of her sister. Like so many of Allan's books, it offers a sensitive depiction of a young person's complicated relations with family, friends, and school. Recommended to anyone who enjoys ballet fiction and/or stories of twins for middle-grade readers. show less
Fourteen-year-old Joan Bradshaw and her London cousins, the Garlands, return in this worthy follow-up to their initial adventure, chronicled in the The Ballet Family. Although more integrated into her new London life and family, Joan faces new challenges, in the form of a commission from Johann Thorburg to write a new ballet, after her initial effort in that direction bore such wonderful fruit in the first story. Not sure at first she is up to the task, she nevertheless buckles down, and show more soon finds herself caught up in her work. The Garland siblings also confront their own challenges, from unhappy Anne, who resents the seeming loss of her best friend Lisa, who has quit the dancing life; to spoiled Delphine, who has a frightening accident. Edward and Pelagia both struggle with relationship issues, the former discovering that his first real girlfriend is not what she appears, the latter thinking she isn't interested in marriage, much to the dismay of her beau. All ends happily for the ballet family, of course, and the book closes in Paris, where the Thorburg Company is on tour...
First published in 1964, the years after The Ballet Family, this sequel opens just a few days after the conclusion of that earlier book, and feels almost like a continuation of the same story, rather than a wholly separate work. I suppose The Ballet Family Again could be enjoyed on its own, but I think it would make a markedly better read if one has already read the first. Leaving that aside, it is every bit as engaging, poignant and heartwarming as its predecessor - an absolute pleasure to read! As I mentioned in my review of the earlier book, I always finish a title from Mabel Esther Allan - my 1990 edition of this one was published under the name 'Jean Estoril,' a pen name Allan often used for her ballet fiction, although the first edition was published under her own name - wanting to read more. She has such a warm, perceptive way of writing about her young characters, capturing their flaws but never losing sympathy with them. I chuckled with recognition and fellow-feeling as Anne cries to her mother that "I thought I was sane and balanced too. I thought I was nearly grown up. I'll be fourteen very soon. I thought one s-suffered less as one grew older." To which Mama Garland replies: "You'll still be saying that when you're forty" How very true...
There is much here to enjoy, from the engaging characters to the unusual family dynamics, the ballet and musical background to the rich sense of place - always a hallmark of Mabel Esther Allan's work. Highly recommended to anyone who has read The Ballet Family. show less
First published in 1964, the years after The Ballet Family, this sequel opens just a few days after the conclusion of that earlier book, and feels almost like a continuation of the same story, rather than a wholly separate work. I suppose The Ballet Family Again could be enjoyed on its own, but I think it would make a markedly better read if one has already read the first. Leaving that aside, it is every bit as engaging, poignant and heartwarming as its predecessor - an absolute pleasure to read! As I mentioned in my review of the earlier book, I always finish a title from Mabel Esther Allan - my 1990 edition of this one was published under the name 'Jean Estoril,' a pen name Allan often used for her ballet fiction, although the first edition was published under her own name - wanting to read more. She has such a warm, perceptive way of writing about her young characters, capturing their flaws but never losing sympathy with them. I chuckled with recognition and fellow-feeling as Anne cries to her mother that "I thought I was sane and balanced too. I thought I was nearly grown up. I'll be fourteen very soon. I thought one s-suffered less as one grew older." To which Mama Garland replies: "You'll still be saying that when you're forty" How very true...
There is much here to enjoy, from the engaging characters to the unusual family dynamics, the ballet and musical background to the rich sense of place - always a hallmark of Mabel Esther Allan's work. Highly recommended to anyone who has read The Ballet Family. show less
Lists
Ballet Books (4)
Awards
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Statistics
- Works
- 174
- Also by
- 2
- Members
- 3,080
- Popularity
- #8,286
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 56
- ISBNs
- 238
- Languages
- 5
- Favorited
- 4