Bess Hardemon starts work as a Victorian schoolmistress at a grimly Dickensian institution for the daughters of clergymen, little knowing that she will one day end up as an inspiring and legendary head, but at considerable personal cost. Her story is intercut with that of Sarah Beckett, who goes to Bess's old school as a nervous pupil in the 1970s and finally teaches there herself, again keeping a brave face over personal conflicts.
This is an excellent thought-provoking novel which interweaves the plight of two schoolmistresses, separated by a hundred years, both trapped by duty and dedication.
