I went into this book imaging the worst. It was a bit of a let down (the secret that is). The setting however was very good.
A school in middle America and it is a small town. Everyone knows everyone, no secrets it seems and even if there are skeletons in the cupboards, all are protected from outsiders. A new Principal for the school coming for just a year puts the cat amongst the pigeons. She is new school full of ideas and wanting to keep to regulations and procedures, whereas the school seemed to have got on very well in its old fashioned style of looking after both students and teachers alike. The children are happy, the teachers are happy. What more could one want?
All hell breaks loose though with the new Principal and the sad part is that she thinks she is doing the correct thing in rigidly following the letter of the law. The heartbreak and dissension she brings about is immaterial to her as long as procedure and regulations are followed. Detailing small town life and the quirks and eccentricities of its inhabitants, the progress and lives of the teachers as well as the students, the author draws in a lot of color into this story.
For me the secret was nothing much, it was the activity of the school, the town, the inhabitants that made up this really good story.
Sent to me by Netgalley for an unbiased review, courtesy of Legend Press.
Sounds interesting especially since I live in middle America :)
ReplyDeleteI am glad you ended up liking this one, Mystica, despite the secret being underwhelming. It sounds like the book has other things going for it worth experiencing.
ReplyDeleteAs a retired teacher this has a lot of appeal. Like youI would appreciate the details of life at the school and in the community.
ReplyDeleteI'd read this for the setting and the atmosphere, and to relive fleeting moments from my own school life.
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