Bride Leads the Chalet School (by Elinor M Brent-Dyer)

(Amazon UK link)

Slowly re-reading my way through the lengthy Chalet School series by Elinor M Brent-Dyer, I reached the one which was 27th in the original series, 31st  by the time they were published in Armada paperbacks. ‘Bride Leads the Chalet School’ returns us to the main Chalet School in the UK, after a temporary diversion to Switzerland to see the new finishing branch in ‘The Chalet School in the Oberland’. 

The last time I re-read ‘Bride…’ was in 2012, so it’s not surprising that I had no memory of the story. I assumed that Bride Bettany would be promoted to Head Girl, which is correct, after the sudden and surprising departure of Bride’s friend Loveday, the previous Head Girl. Bride isn’t too keen on the extra responsibility, but realises that she is the obvious choice.

There are a lot of new girls, far more than would be normal in the spring term. But another school has closed, and since there’s plenty of room the Chalet School has taken on about thirty or forty new girls. And we quickly learn that their former school wasn’t just lax in discipline, it didn’t believe in any kinds of rules or structures at all. Even lessons were optional, meaning that most of the girls are well below their expected academic level by age. 

In addition, the Chalet School encourages girls to do some of their own chores - bed making, and clearing tables, for instance - and frowns on any kind of snobbishness. Some of the new girls take a long time to adjust, particularly Diana, a beautiful but not very bright girl whose father is a self-made millionaire. She had a lot of influence at her former school and doesn’t find it hard to attract a few of the weaker characters in the Chalet School…

It’s not really a new plot idea. The same kind of thing happened in one of the earlier books, when another school closed (‘The New Chalet School’), and there were similar issues in ‘The Chalet School and the Oberland’, when Chalet Girls and others combined to create the finishing branch. However it’s well handled, with a huge shock for Bride along the way.  

A more poignant subplot involves Julie Lucy getting nasty stomach pains, ending up with an emergency operation. The author was perhaps trying to make the point that sharp pains should not be ignored. She also used the opportunity to talk about the importance of prayer, and we see Tom Gay making the first shaky steps in her new career.

There’s a sale at the end of term, with a new theme. It’s based on a book I knew nothing about, but explained clearly and although there’s more detail than I feel necessary, there’s enough human interest that I did read that chapter rather than skimming it rapidly.

Overall I thought this a good read; not one that stands out, but not entirely run-of-the-mill. Best read as part of the series, or at least after a few of the earlier ones as so many characters recur. I’m pleased to know that there were no cuts made in the Armada edition of ‘Bride leads the Chalet School’, so I have no reason to try to find a hardback or Girls Gone by edition.

Recommended to anyone who likes these books. Unfortunately not currently in print, and very expensive second-hand online. But the paperback Armada versions can sometimes be found in charity shops. 

Review copyright 2024 Sue's Book Reviews