The Chalet School and Barbara

While the storyline of this book is a standard one: new girl's troubles, adventure on walk, half-term trip and nativity play, it's wonderful to get back to Abroad and I think it is one of my favourites of the later, Swiss-set books. Having recently re-read the La Rochelle books, I was able to fit all the Guernsey characters in as well.

Barbara, who used to be an invalid, goes to the Chalet School in Switzerland when she is 14. There's not much plot, but a bit more human interest than many of the later books in the series. This is the first term of the school after moving to the Swiss Alps.

I re-read it after fourteen years, in hardcover form, and again ten years later. It's cliched, of course and caricatured, but I do like the people, who feel almost like old friends. I was a little disappointed that there's so little of Joey Maynard (who is quarantined for most of the book). However this volume comes immediately after 'Joey goes to the Oberland', which features Jo's family and nothing of the school.

It's an important book for fans of the series, introducing the new show more branch of the school, but not particularly good as a stand-alone or as introduction to the series.

Latest longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-chalet-school-and-barbara-by-el... show less