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The Abbey Girls #3
The Girls of the Abbey School
DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The Girls of the Abbey School" by Elsie Jeanette Dunkerley. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.
259 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1921
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79 people want to read
About the author
Elsie J. Oxenham
117 books24 followersA celebrated English girls’ school story writer, Elsie J. Oxenham's was born Elsie Jeanette Dunkerley in 1880 in Southport, Lancashire, She was the daughter of writer John_Oxenham, born William John Dunkerley, who had chosen the pseudonym ‘John Oxenham’. And Elsie decided to adopt the same surname for her writing career.
Her father was a clear influence upon her own writing. Her brother, Roderic Dunkerley, was also an author (published under his own name), as was her sister Erica, who also used the 'Oxenham' name.
She grew up in Ealing, West London, where her family had moved when she was a baby, living there until 1922, when the family moved again, to Worthing. After the deaths of her parents, Oxenham lived with her sister Maida. She died in 1960.
Oxenham, whose interests included the Camp Fire movement, and English Folk Dance traditions, is primarily remembered as the creator of the 38-book 'Abbey Girls' series. In her lifetime she had 87 titles published, and another two have since been published by her niece, who discovered the manuscripts in the early 1990s.
She is considered a major figure among girls' school story writers of the first half of the 20th century -- one of the 'Big Three,' together with Elinor Brent-Dyer and Dorita Fairlie Bruce.
Her father was a clear influence upon her own writing. Her brother, Roderic Dunkerley, was also an author (published under his own name), as was her sister Erica, who also used the 'Oxenham' name.
She grew up in Ealing, West London, where her family had moved when she was a baby, living there until 1922, when the family moved again, to Worthing. After the deaths of her parents, Oxenham lived with her sister Maida. She died in 1960.
Oxenham, whose interests included the Camp Fire movement, and English Folk Dance traditions, is primarily remembered as the creator of the 38-book 'Abbey Girls' series. In her lifetime she had 87 titles published, and another two have since been published by her niece, who discovered the manuscripts in the early 1990s.
She is considered a major figure among girls' school story writers of the first half of the 20th century -- one of the 'Big Three,' together with Elinor Brent-Dyer and Dorita Fairlie Bruce.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 19, 2013
In this third book in the series, Dick, arguably the most annoying character in British school story literature, discovers the old church beneath the Abbey. Despite his attempts to keep his explorations secret, his rummaging enables Jen, Joan, and Joy to discover a mysterious cache of long-hidden jewels.
March 22, 2025
When Miss Macey’s school needs to move, Joy throws open her newly-inherited house to her fellow pupils. New girl Jen is especially thrilled - but no-one knows that two mischievous visitors are about to cause trouble…
After two brilliant books in the Abbey series, the third is a bit of a let down. We meet Jen, who is the first of a long line to experience favouritism from the inner Abbey circle before she ultimately joins it herself, and see caring, serious Joan and fun-loving hot-tempered Joy through her eyes. But the focus on another first - the long line of discoveries of the Abbey’s historical secrets (a terribly inaccurate take on late monasticism even by the standards of the day) - means that this book lacks the depth of its predecessors and the best of its successors. True, here we see Joan and Joy enacting the idea of the Abbey as sanctuary, but we also get Ann Watson being patronised and the first idea that some visitors will never get to become real Abbey people. Thankfully the next book will be back up to the standard of the first two.
After two brilliant books in the Abbey series, the third is a bit of a let down. We meet Jen, who is the first of a long line to experience favouritism from the inner Abbey circle before she ultimately joins it herself, and see caring, serious Joan and fun-loving hot-tempered Joy through her eyes. But the focus on another first - the long line of discoveries of the Abbey’s historical secrets (a terribly inaccurate take on late monasticism even by the standards of the day) - means that this book lacks the depth of its predecessors and the best of its successors. True, here we see Joan and Joy enacting the idea of the Abbey as sanctuary, but we also get Ann Watson being patronised and the first idea that some visitors will never get to become real Abbey people. Thankfully the next book will be back up to the standard of the first two.
August 17, 2023
Into each series a turkey must fall, and this one is a turkey for me.
Most of the books I've read in this series are gentle, character-based stories in which plot is pretty light and the moral aspects well handled.
This one feels more like an Enid Blyton adventure in which the quiet, gentle abbey is suddenly felt to be insufficient in its own right and acquires hidden tunnels, lost treasures, etc.
Dick, as another reviewer has said, is an annoying character with nothing to like at all. His sister is nearly as bad.
The only positive aspect of the book is the introduction of Jen and Jack (I first met them in a later book, and liked them then).
The morality is also laid on rather heavily in this book. Dick having to be persuaded of the benefits of being a 'decent' person.
Most of the books I've read in this series are gentle, character-based stories in which plot is pretty light and the moral aspects well handled.
This one feels more like an Enid Blyton adventure in which the quiet, gentle abbey is suddenly felt to be insufficient in its own right and acquires hidden tunnels, lost treasures, etc.
Dick, as another reviewer has said, is an annoying character with nothing to like at all. His sister is nearly as bad.
The only positive aspect of the book is the introduction of Jen and Jack (I first met them in a later book, and liked them then).
The morality is also laid on rather heavily in this book. Dick having to be persuaded of the benefits of being a 'decent' person.
August 2, 2024
More folk dancing! Rhapsodic descriptions of historical sites! More dancing! Dramatic mysteries! Very little school work takes place even though this is actually set during a school term and classes take place. This is what I don't particularly enjoy about these books - what I like about the Chalet School books is the rhythm of school life which these Abbey books sort of lack. They have the rhythm of fucking folk dances instead.
April 9, 2021
Finally, I got a chance to read this one, after skipping over it. Now I know the details of Jen's arrival, and early adventures at the Abbey, and how she became such good friends with Queen Joan. Very enjoyable. Recommended.
January 16, 2024
Curious how EJO's classism varies so much throughout the books.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews