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Chalet School - Complete
Peace Comes to the Chalet School
Peace Comes to the Chalet School is set in the gap between The Chalet School and Rosalie and Three Go to the Chalet School.
300 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2005
45 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 15, 2015
As a rule, I find the Chalet School fill in novels complex. A part of me welcomes their presence as it reflects that readerly hunger of mine for this series, and yet another part of me rampantly dislikes it and begins to think of the dilution of intellectual property and the impingement upon Brent-Dyer's canon of work by others. I get selfish, I think, with these books: I want them all for my own, and so to acknowledge the transformative impact that they have had on others (made manifest in the writing of these novels) is an inherently complicated notion.
But I really like Peace Comes To The Chalet School.
I bought it on a whim, full of pique at all these novels connected to this beloved series of mine (there's that possessive pronoun again) and at the way that I only had a few of them in my greedy readers hands. I liked the sound of it; the way it dealt with a period of time that was, to be frank, a period which bought some of the best writing from Brent-Dyer. I've written about the great grace of The Chalet School in Exile before, and that period also sees some of the greatest moments in Chalet School history. Elizabeth. Betty. Polly Heriot on the train. The Peace League. Lavender's bath. Bride Bettany. The thought of an another author approaching that period both intrigued me and, in a way, made me a little bit envious. I wouldn't do it. I don't think I could adhere to the markers of plot and of structure and of canon that are scattered so liberally before and after.
But Bruce does so very well. I love Peace Comes To The Chalet School and I'd warrant that it's one of the best fill-ins I've read. Bruce balances the needs of the series (the old girls, the religion, the middles!) with a fine awareness of the historical period. Her writing is occasionally too workmanlike and controlled, wrapping off moments before they should be wrapped off or explored further, but those moments are intermittent and fleeting. What Bruce does very well is capture the adults and that sense of wild relief and euphoria that must have come with the news of the wars end. There's some beautiful and intensely moving moments, which are only further explored with the reactions of the girls. I cried. My heart grew three sizes. Bruce handles that very well and with a distinct element of skill (such a big cast. Such a big cast).
(And oh, Joanna Linders! The European girls!)
I like this novel. I like it a lot, because it feels true and whilst I know it's a fill in, quite distinctly so at points, there are moments when I forget that. And I think that's perhaps one of the greatest compliments that I can give it.
But I really like Peace Comes To The Chalet School.
I bought it on a whim, full of pique at all these novels connected to this beloved series of mine (there's that possessive pronoun again) and at the way that I only had a few of them in my greedy readers hands. I liked the sound of it; the way it dealt with a period of time that was, to be frank, a period which bought some of the best writing from Brent-Dyer. I've written about the great grace of The Chalet School in Exile before, and that period also sees some of the greatest moments in Chalet School history. Elizabeth. Betty. Polly Heriot on the train. The Peace League. Lavender's bath. Bride Bettany. The thought of an another author approaching that period both intrigued me and, in a way, made me a little bit envious. I wouldn't do it. I don't think I could adhere to the markers of plot and of structure and of canon that are scattered so liberally before and after.
But Bruce does so very well. I love Peace Comes To The Chalet School and I'd warrant that it's one of the best fill-ins I've read. Bruce balances the needs of the series (the old girls, the religion, the middles!) with a fine awareness of the historical period. Her writing is occasionally too workmanlike and controlled, wrapping off moments before they should be wrapped off or explored further, but those moments are intermittent and fleeting. What Bruce does very well is capture the adults and that sense of wild relief and euphoria that must have come with the news of the wars end. There's some beautiful and intensely moving moments, which are only further explored with the reactions of the girls. I cried. My heart grew three sizes. Bruce handles that very well and with a distinct element of skill (such a big cast. Such a big cast).
(And oh, Joanna Linders! The European girls!)
I like this novel. I like it a lot, because it feels true and whilst I know it's a fill in, quite distinctly so at points, there are moments when I forget that. And I think that's perhaps one of the greatest compliments that I can give it.
July 16, 2015
Unusually in boarding school fiction, Elinor M. Brent-Dyer's Chalet School series took the real world into account at a point when World War II was unfolding every day, and the outcome was by no means ensured. That makes for a stretch of really quite brilliant books set in Wales, at a time when blackouts and rationing became routine. Katherine Bruce's Peace Comes To The Chalet School has a great basic concept - it will do what Brent-Dyer didn't do in the canon of the series: usher the School and its occupants into a new era of peace. This makes for a worthwhile, if occasionally tedious read, for Bruce's serviceable but dry prose does not always measure up to her many good ideas.
Chiefly, the book concentrates on the effects of Germany's surrender on this community of schoolgirls and mistresses, some of whom have long left the institution but still remember it with much fondness and love. Students and teachers alike remember those they have lost, and rejoice when they are reunited with loved ones. The School prepares for its annual Sale, while girls work for Guide badges and on their form gardens.
In many respects, Bruce's book is a treasure trove for diehard fans of the series, as she brings many favourite characters - many of whom have already disappeared, effectively, offstage - into her narrative. We get to meet illustrious alumni like Juliet Carrick and Elisaveta of Belsornia, while one old girl offers Jacynth Hardy some advice on her future career. The chapter that updates us on what former history mistress Con Stewart underwent in her flight from Singapore during the war also makes for a very good read.
It's a bit of a shame, though, that Bruce's writing doesn't always do justice to her ideas. Her dialogue and descriptions of incidents feel stilted, at times, lacking the smooth, engaging flow so characteristic of Brent-Dyer's words - which often make even the tiniest, most forgettable moment come alive.
There's no denying that Bruce has a firm grasp on Chalet School lore though. Her book is a masterful attempt to round up and reconcile some of the worst EBDisms (errors that are the right of Brent-Dyer, and no one else, to make!), which faithfully recounts events both real and imagined within the history of the School.
As a result, fans will find a great deal to enjoy in PEACE, though they might find it hard to completely lose themselves in it and pretend that it's a long-lost chronicle of the School's adventures.
Chiefly, the book concentrates on the effects of Germany's surrender on this community of schoolgirls and mistresses, some of whom have long left the institution but still remember it with much fondness and love. Students and teachers alike remember those they have lost, and rejoice when they are reunited with loved ones. The School prepares for its annual Sale, while girls work for Guide badges and on their form gardens.
In many respects, Bruce's book is a treasure trove for diehard fans of the series, as she brings many favourite characters - many of whom have already disappeared, effectively, offstage - into her narrative. We get to meet illustrious alumni like Juliet Carrick and Elisaveta of Belsornia, while one old girl offers Jacynth Hardy some advice on her future career. The chapter that updates us on what former history mistress Con Stewart underwent in her flight from Singapore during the war also makes for a very good read.
It's a bit of a shame, though, that Bruce's writing doesn't always do justice to her ideas. Her dialogue and descriptions of incidents feel stilted, at times, lacking the smooth, engaging flow so characteristic of Brent-Dyer's words - which often make even the tiniest, most forgettable moment come alive.
There's no denying that Bruce has a firm grasp on Chalet School lore though. Her book is a masterful attempt to round up and reconcile some of the worst EBDisms (errors that are the right of Brent-Dyer, and no one else, to make!), which faithfully recounts events both real and imagined within the history of the School.
As a result, fans will find a great deal to enjoy in PEACE, though they might find it hard to completely lose themselves in it and pretend that it's a long-lost chronicle of the School's adventures.
March 13, 2023
fännitoode. ehk siis: internaatkooliraamat täiskasvanud lugejale, kes on (ilmselt lapsena/lapsest saadik) lugenud läbi kõik Chalet Schooli sarja originaalraamatud ja mäletab kõiki tegelasi ja tahaks neist... veel lugeda.
minu jaoks poleks see raamat küll midagi kaotanud sellest, kui oleks ära jäetud kõik täiskasvanute omavahelised vestlused - alguses tundus intrigeeriv see idee, et meid lastakse pikemalt ka õpetajate tuppa ja lubatakse pealt kuulata vestlusi, mis ei puuduta otseselt õpilasi ja nendega sel teemal toimunut. aga üsna varsti selgus, et tegu on infokallamise peatükkidega, kus hulk prouasid istub ümber kamina ja klatšib omavahel teisi, kohal mitte viibivaid prouasid. okei, "klatšib" on inetult öeldud, õelust seal ei ole, aga lihtsalt lõputult heietatakse, et kes endistest õpilastest nüüd omadega kus on ja mitu last neil juba on (alla kolme ei võeta siin üldse jutule/jutukski, kohutavalt paljulapselised on nad kõik seal!) ja mis nimed ja kas isa või ema nägu.
(lõpus on väga pikk lisa, kus raamatu autor oma kullipilgulisele lugejale ükshaaval ära tõestab, mis õigusega ta ühe või teise inimese elusaatuse kohta midagi väitis, viidates originaalidele ehk Elinor Brent-Dyeri raamatutele. lehekülje täpsusega. asjaolu, et EBD ise üldse nii konsistentne ei olnud ja eri raamatutes sama inimese kohta eri asju väitis, paistab talle tegevat suurt meelehärmi.)
aga ok, tavaline lasteosa on ikkagi ka, internaatkoolitüdrukud ja nende vembud ja tülid ja leppimised ja saavutused. kõige taustaks kooli gaidirühmade tegevus, mis oli tegelt see, mille pärast ma üldse viitsisin lugema hakata seda raamatut (ma ei ole tegelt Chalet Schooli sarja suurim fänn ja olen ainult paari näppujuhtunud osa lugenud kümnetest võimalikest). ja see oli tore, aga jäi vahepeal pikkadeks peatükkideks nende täiskasvanute heietuste varju jälle.
ja kogu tegevus toimub 1945. aasta kevadel ja sinna on siis üritatud sellist realistlikku sõjaaja lõpu vaibi lisada, kuigi EBD muidu vist oma raamatutes väga ei vaevunud arvesse võtma, mis aastal täpselt. mis toiduaineid saada ei olnud ja pimendamine kohustuslik oli.
aga mulle meeldis saada natuke rohkem aimu neist vanaaegsetest briti gaidikommetest, juba selle nimel oli lugemist väärt.
minu jaoks poleks see raamat küll midagi kaotanud sellest, kui oleks ära jäetud kõik täiskasvanute omavahelised vestlused - alguses tundus intrigeeriv see idee, et meid lastakse pikemalt ka õpetajate tuppa ja lubatakse pealt kuulata vestlusi, mis ei puuduta otseselt õpilasi ja nendega sel teemal toimunut. aga üsna varsti selgus, et tegu on infokallamise peatükkidega, kus hulk prouasid istub ümber kamina ja klatšib omavahel teisi, kohal mitte viibivaid prouasid. okei, "klatšib" on inetult öeldud, õelust seal ei ole, aga lihtsalt lõputult heietatakse, et kes endistest õpilastest nüüd omadega kus on ja mitu last neil juba on (alla kolme ei võeta siin üldse jutule/jutukski, kohutavalt paljulapselised on nad kõik seal!) ja mis nimed ja kas isa või ema nägu.
(lõpus on väga pikk lisa, kus raamatu autor oma kullipilgulisele lugejale ükshaaval ära tõestab, mis õigusega ta ühe või teise inimese elusaatuse kohta midagi väitis, viidates originaalidele ehk Elinor Brent-Dyeri raamatutele. lehekülje täpsusega. asjaolu, et EBD ise üldse nii konsistentne ei olnud ja eri raamatutes sama inimese kohta eri asju väitis, paistab talle tegevat suurt meelehärmi.)
aga ok, tavaline lasteosa on ikkagi ka, internaatkoolitüdrukud ja nende vembud ja tülid ja leppimised ja saavutused. kõige taustaks kooli gaidirühmade tegevus, mis oli tegelt see, mille pärast ma üldse viitsisin lugema hakata seda raamatut (ma ei ole tegelt Chalet Schooli sarja suurim fänn ja olen ainult paari näppujuhtunud osa lugenud kümnetest võimalikest). ja see oli tore, aga jäi vahepeal pikkadeks peatükkideks nende täiskasvanute heietuste varju jälle.
ja kogu tegevus toimub 1945. aasta kevadel ja sinna on siis üritatud sellist realistlikku sõjaaja lõpu vaibi lisada, kuigi EBD muidu vist oma raamatutes väga ei vaevunud arvesse võtma, mis aastal täpselt. mis toiduaineid saada ei olnud ja pimendamine kohustuslik oli.
aga mulle meeldis saada natuke rohkem aimu neist vanaaegsetest briti gaidikommetest, juba selle nimel oli lugemist väärt.
December 13, 2020
One of the very best fill ins I've read. Bruce really capturedthe style of EBD and filled a crucial hole in the series. It even brought me to tears at one point, as Peace in Europe was declared to the girls. I've wanted to read it for ages, so glad the GGB decided to re-publish it as the 1st edition so hard to come by! I really enjoyed seeing more of Margia and hearing what became of other characters.
February 27, 2021
I loved this! One of the best Chalet School fill-ins I've read. I'm not ashamed to admit I shed a few tears when they found out the war was finally over.
October 22, 2023
Disappointing
Started off well but I became bored about half way through the book - too much time at the end spent catching up with what some of the old girls had been doing in the war
Started off well but I became bored about half way through the book - too much time at the end spent catching up with what some of the old girls had been doing in the war
July 22, 2024
Very good missing years fill in. Good to know what happened to so many old girls and fill the gaps.
February 28, 2026
This story is one of the many “fill-in” novels to EBD’s Chalet School series. EBD did not write any stories specifically referencing the war while the school was at Plas Howell in the later war years. This gap means there are several school terms not covered by an EBD story. This story covers the Summer Term of 1945, when the war ends, and it comes between EBD’s “The Chalet School and Rosalie” and “Three Go to the Chalet School”.
Overall, this book was quite brilliant—one of the best of the “fill-in” novels, and even better than some of EBD’s originals. The story begins with the start of the summer term of school, and the girls adjust to some changes fairly well. There are a few mischievous occurrences from the Middles, and a bit of Fourth and Fifth form squabbling. The girls are busy with their gardens and earning badges for Guides. The most important event, the end of the war, comes into play very quickly. The passages regarding the end of the war are beautifully written, and brought me to tears. With war’s end, many Old Girls and mistresses come popping up into the orbit of the Chalet School, including Margia Stevens, the expelled Betty Wynne-Davies (!), along with letters from those who survived the war around the world. Gwensi Howell gets some wonderful news, Jacynth Hardy gets some helpful advice, and the girls work hard to make things for the yearly Sale, which has been moved to the summer term. The story wraps up with a victory campfire with the Guides.
It’s a beautiful story, with many references to previous characters. It’s a story full of hope. Any Chalet School fan will feel privileged to read it. There is an extra short story at the end in the form of a letter from Sophie Hamel, one of the Austrian girls left behind when the school fled from the Nazis. The story is meticulously researched, with information about the war woven into the story effortlessly in a way that adds to the series, not distracting from the plot at all. The Foreword is excellent, and the Afterword makes this book an excellent buy just for the amazing information found in it. I learned a lot about life under rationing, including the fact that rationing of certain items continued in Britain almost ten years after the war ended!
This is the best fill-in novel I’ve read to date (and I’ve read almost all of them). In a class by itself.
Overall, this book was quite brilliant—one of the best of the “fill-in” novels, and even better than some of EBD’s originals. The story begins with the start of the summer term of school, and the girls adjust to some changes fairly well. There are a few mischievous occurrences from the Middles, and a bit of Fourth and Fifth form squabbling. The girls are busy with their gardens and earning badges for Guides. The most important event, the end of the war, comes into play very quickly. The passages regarding the end of the war are beautifully written, and brought me to tears. With war’s end, many Old Girls and mistresses come popping up into the orbit of the Chalet School, including Margia Stevens, the expelled Betty Wynne-Davies (!), along with letters from those who survived the war around the world. Gwensi Howell gets some wonderful news, Jacynth Hardy gets some helpful advice, and the girls work hard to make things for the yearly Sale, which has been moved to the summer term. The story wraps up with a victory campfire with the Guides.
It’s a beautiful story, with many references to previous characters. It’s a story full of hope. Any Chalet School fan will feel privileged to read it. There is an extra short story at the end in the form of a letter from Sophie Hamel, one of the Austrian girls left behind when the school fled from the Nazis. The story is meticulously researched, with information about the war woven into the story effortlessly in a way that adds to the series, not distracting from the plot at all. The Foreword is excellent, and the Afterword makes this book an excellent buy just for the amazing information found in it. I learned a lot about life under rationing, including the fact that rationing of certain items continued in Britain almost ten years after the war ended!
This is the best fill-in novel I’ve read to date (and I’ve read almost all of them). In a class by itself.
July 29, 2016
A pretty good fill-in, written very much in EBD's style.
November 23, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this. A good rounded out conclusion to the War Years stories. Shortly followed by the Island stories.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews