What do you think?
Rate this book
The Chalet School #16
The Highland Twins at the Chalet School
Flora and Fiona McDonald, who have never before left their island home, attempt to make new friends at the school.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1942
2 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
171 books113 followersElinor M. Brent-Dyer was born as Gladys Eleanor May Dyer on 6th April 1894, in South Shields in the industrial northeast of England, and grew up in a terraced house which had no garden or inside toilet. She was the only daughter of Eleanor Watson Rutherford and Charles Morris Brent Dyer. Her father, who had been married before, left home when she was three years old. In 1912, her brother Henzell died at age 17 of cerebro-spinal fever. After her father died, her mother remarried in 1913.
Elinor was educated at a small local private school in South Shields and returned there to teach when she was eighteen after spending two years at the City of Leeds Training College. Her teaching career spanned 36 years, during which she taught in a wide variety of state and private schools in the northeast, in Middlesex, Bedfordshire, Hampshire, and finally in Hereford.
In the early 1920s she adopted the name Elinor Mary Brent-Dyer. A holiday she spent in the Austrian Tyrol at Pertisau-am-Achensee gave her the inspiration for the first location in the Chalet School series. However, her first book, 'Gerry Goes to School', was published in 1922 and was written for the child actress Hazel Bainbridge. Her first 'Chalet' story, 'The School at the Chalet', was originally published in 1925.
In 1930, the same year that 'Jean of Storms' was serialised, she converted to Roman Catholicism.
In 1933 the Brent-Dyer household (she lived with her mother and stepfather until her mother's death in 1957) moved to Hereford. She travelled daily to Peterchurch as a governess.
When her stepfather died she started her own school in Hereford, The Margaret Roper School. It was non-denominational but with a strong religious tradition. Many Chalet School customs were followed, the girls even wore a similar uniform made in the Chalet School's colours of brown and flame. Elinor was rather untidy, erratic and flamboyant and not really suited to being a headmistress. After her school closed in 1948 she devoted most of her time to writing.
Elinor's mother died in 1957 and in 1964 she moved to Redhill, where she lived in a joint establishment with fellow school story author Phyllis Matthewman and her husband, until her death on 20th September 1969.
During her lifetime Elinor M. Brent-Dyer published 101 books but she is remembered mainly for her Chalet School series. The series numbers 58 books and is the longest-surviving series of girls' school-stories ever known, having been continuously in print for more than 70 years. One hundred thousand paperback copies are still being sold each year.
Among her published books are other school stories; family, historical, adventure and animal stories; a cookery book, and four educational geography-readers. She also wrote plays and numerous unpublished poems and was a keen musician.
In 1994, the year of the centenary of her Elinor Brent-Dyer's birth, Friends of the Chalet School put up plaques in Pertisau, South Shields and Hereford, and a headstone was erected on her grave in Redstone Cemetery, since there was not one previously. They also put flowers on her grave on the anniversaries of her birth and death and on other special occasions.
Elinor was educated at a small local private school in South Shields and returned there to teach when she was eighteen after spending two years at the City of Leeds Training College. Her teaching career spanned 36 years, during which she taught in a wide variety of state and private schools in the northeast, in Middlesex, Bedfordshire, Hampshire, and finally in Hereford.
In the early 1920s she adopted the name Elinor Mary Brent-Dyer. A holiday she spent in the Austrian Tyrol at Pertisau-am-Achensee gave her the inspiration for the first location in the Chalet School series. However, her first book, 'Gerry Goes to School', was published in 1922 and was written for the child actress Hazel Bainbridge. Her first 'Chalet' story, 'The School at the Chalet', was originally published in 1925.
In 1930, the same year that 'Jean of Storms' was serialised, she converted to Roman Catholicism.
In 1933 the Brent-Dyer household (she lived with her mother and stepfather until her mother's death in 1957) moved to Hereford. She travelled daily to Peterchurch as a governess.
When her stepfather died she started her own school in Hereford, The Margaret Roper School. It was non-denominational but with a strong religious tradition. Many Chalet School customs were followed, the girls even wore a similar uniform made in the Chalet School's colours of brown and flame. Elinor was rather untidy, erratic and flamboyant and not really suited to being a headmistress. After her school closed in 1948 she devoted most of her time to writing.
Elinor's mother died in 1957 and in 1964 she moved to Redhill, where she lived in a joint establishment with fellow school story author Phyllis Matthewman and her husband, until her death on 20th September 1969.
During her lifetime Elinor M. Brent-Dyer published 101 books but she is remembered mainly for her Chalet School series. The series numbers 58 books and is the longest-surviving series of girls' school-stories ever known, having been continuously in print for more than 70 years. One hundred thousand paperback copies are still being sold each year.
Among her published books are other school stories; family, historical, adventure and animal stories; a cookery book, and four educational geography-readers. She also wrote plays and numerous unpublished poems and was a keen musician.
In 1994, the year of the centenary of her Elinor Brent-Dyer's birth, Friends of the Chalet School put up plaques in Pertisau, South Shields and Hereford, and a headstone was erected on her grave in Redstone Cemetery, since there was not one previously. They also put flowers on her grave on the anniversaries of her birth and death and on other special occasions.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 8, 2022
I’m thoroughly enjoying the developments and slightly surreal environment of the series that were written during the Second World War.
Although this isn’t an outstanding novel (and certainly suffers from the continuing abridgements to each title, deemed necessary by the publishers), ‘Highland Twins’ is a welcome and somewhat nostalgic addition to the Chalet School saga. Small details delight and there aren’t too many characters to contend with either.
Overall, one of the continuing highlights of the series.
Although this isn’t an outstanding novel (and certainly suffers from the continuing abridgements to each title, deemed necessary by the publishers), ‘Highland Twins’ is a welcome and somewhat nostalgic addition to the Chalet School saga. Small details delight and there aren’t too many characters to contend with either.
Overall, one of the continuing highlights of the series.
March 17, 2012
I used to always think that The Highland Twins at the Chalet School was one of the poorer books. Coming so soon after the dizzy heights of the Chalet School In Exile, I always found Highland Twins at the Chalet School a little - well - cheesey.
But now, after a re-reading of the hardback edition, I feel I need to make an apology to it. Highland Twins at the Chalet School is actually, very quietly, one of the strongest titles in the series.
Following the nearly now-traditional format of new girl, new term, the eponymous Highland Twins Flora and Fauna (sorry, Fiona) McDonald are experiencing their first term at the Chalet School. The twins, having grown up on a remote Scottish island, have very little experience of the world outside their home. Thrown into a furious maelstrom of wartime hardship, schoolgirl feuds, and tragedy, the twins have to come to terms with a whole new world (and a new fantastic point of view).
The hardback edition is worth seeking out if you can as there's a whole new subplot featuring Elisaveta which has been rampantly cut out of every paperback edition I've ever come across. It's strange, really, as if there's any peculiar joy about the Chalet School series it is to be found in the encyclopedic recounting of old girls' exploits. Although, if you do manage to grab the hardback, you'll have to cope with some spectacularly hideous phonetic spelling every time one of the Highlanders speak. It's quite something - there's a whole word of "nefer" and "iss" and "haf"
What makes Highland Twins at The Chalet School work, and indeed all of Brent-Dyers wartime Chalet School books, is her focus on personal responsibility. Nazism, and the evils therein, are resolutely and (quite amazingly considering the national psyche at the time) portrayed as individual choice. There is a moment where two old girls arrive at the Chalet School having escaped from Germany and the recounting of their experiences is an emotional surgical strike. Nazism is described as a disease, a sickness which has infected Germany, and there is always a careful distinction between Nazism and the everyday German.
The other part of Highland Twins at the Chalet School which has a deceptively sharp impact is Fiona's ability with "the sight". This is the part that always hit me as superbly cheesey despite the dramatic emotional contexts she utilises her abilities in. But upon this re-reading, I was struck by the almost symbolic usage of her skill. There's a moment where Fiona does something massively important for an individual (I'm trying desperately not to spoil anything here) and it's hard not to read a certain wistful angle to this entire episode.
If you're into the Chalet School, you'll read this regardless. But if you're not, I'd genuinely recommend this period of books (starting off with The Chalet School in Exile) as a worthwhile stepping on point. These are books which are almost hiding as children's books whilst presenting some massively serious and provocative ideologies that still bear weight today.
But now, after a re-reading of the hardback edition, I feel I need to make an apology to it. Highland Twins at the Chalet School is actually, very quietly, one of the strongest titles in the series.
Following the nearly now-traditional format of new girl, new term, the eponymous Highland Twins Flora and Fauna (sorry, Fiona) McDonald are experiencing their first term at the Chalet School. The twins, having grown up on a remote Scottish island, have very little experience of the world outside their home. Thrown into a furious maelstrom of wartime hardship, schoolgirl feuds, and tragedy, the twins have to come to terms with a whole new world (and a new fantastic point of view).
The hardback edition is worth seeking out if you can as there's a whole new subplot featuring Elisaveta which has been rampantly cut out of every paperback edition I've ever come across. It's strange, really, as if there's any peculiar joy about the Chalet School series it is to be found in the encyclopedic recounting of old girls' exploits. Although, if you do manage to grab the hardback, you'll have to cope with some spectacularly hideous phonetic spelling every time one of the Highlanders speak. It's quite something - there's a whole word of "nefer" and "iss" and "haf"
What makes Highland Twins at The Chalet School work, and indeed all of Brent-Dyers wartime Chalet School books, is her focus on personal responsibility. Nazism, and the evils therein, are resolutely and (quite amazingly considering the national psyche at the time) portrayed as individual choice. There is a moment where two old girls arrive at the Chalet School having escaped from Germany and the recounting of their experiences is an emotional surgical strike. Nazism is described as a disease, a sickness which has infected Germany, and there is always a careful distinction between Nazism and the everyday German.
The other part of Highland Twins at the Chalet School which has a deceptively sharp impact is Fiona's ability with "the sight". This is the part that always hit me as superbly cheesey despite the dramatic emotional contexts she utilises her abilities in. But upon this re-reading, I was struck by the almost symbolic usage of her skill. There's a moment where Fiona does something massively important for an individual (I'm trying desperately not to spoil anything here) and it's hard not to read a certain wistful angle to this entire episode.
If you're into the Chalet School, you'll read this regardless. But if you're not, I'd genuinely recommend this period of books (starting off with The Chalet School in Exile) as a worthwhile stepping on point. These are books which are almost hiding as children's books whilst presenting some massively serious and provocative ideologies that still bear weight today.
March 26, 2017
OH, THIS IS FANTASTIC. It's much more in line with The Chalet School in Exile - here, once again, is a superb war book.
(FINALLY WE FIND OUT HOW DR. JEM IS KNIGHTED. In typical confused Brent-Dyer fashion, it's explained in a rambling aside and has something to do with Birthday Honours.)
Year of publication: 1942. It's jawdropping. At this point, Britain knows the war isn't going to be over any time soon, and they've already suffered a lot, and that's reflected here, even as this is a story told about a pair of eleven-year-old twins. This is direct, but never over-the-top, which means it's subtle for a Chalet School story, and that subtlety serves it well: it means even the preposterous ending is tempered and almost feels real.
To be more direct myself: this is a book about the costs of war. Of people losing their homes, and their family members, and their countries. Of people soldiering on with daily life even as daily life itself becomes more difficult, what with unreliable trains and "Jerry" visiting at night and a shortage of gasoline.
Oh, this is a simple school story with trademark Brent-Dyer quirks, and yet it's also a warm and understanding piece of writing in a way that feels both very much of a specific time - and timeless.
(FINALLY WE FIND OUT HOW DR. JEM IS KNIGHTED. In typical confused Brent-Dyer fashion, it's explained in a rambling aside and has something to do with Birthday Honours.)
Year of publication: 1942. It's jawdropping. At this point, Britain knows the war isn't going to be over any time soon, and they've already suffered a lot, and that's reflected here, even as this is a story told about a pair of eleven-year-old twins. This is direct, but never over-the-top, which means it's subtle for a Chalet School story, and that subtlety serves it well: it means even the preposterous ending is tempered and almost feels real.
To be more direct myself: this is a book about the costs of war. Of people losing their homes, and their family members, and their countries. Of people soldiering on with daily life even as daily life itself becomes more difficult, what with unreliable trains and "Jerry" visiting at night and a shortage of gasoline.
Oh, this is a simple school story with trademark Brent-Dyer quirks, and yet it's also a warm and understanding piece of writing in a way that feels both very much of a specific time - and timeless.
May 30, 2015
Plenty of unlikely things take place at the Chalet School - the preponderance of charming doctors ready and willing to marry fresh graduates, for instance, or the number of cliff-top/mountainside rescues effected through sheer strength of will and strained nerves. But none is quite so unlikely as the supernatural element that infuses the last act of The Highland Twins At The Chalet School. Personally, I didn't enjoy it that much, although I do think that Elinor M. Brent-Dyer, being very much at the peak of her authorial powers at this point, handles it well enough for what it is.
The shadow of World War II still looms large over the School as the eponymous twins - Flora and Fiona McDonald - arrive for the new term. Sequestered for their entire lives on the remote Scottish island of Erisay, the McDonald twins must get used to the hustle, bustle and general cheerful rowdiness of Jo Maynard's clan, before integrating themselves into the School proper. The twins cross paths with firebrand Betty Wynne-Davis, who decides to use an old McDonald family secret against them, even as one of the series' heroines must struggle to deal with the heartbreaking costs of war.
As a chronicle of wartime privations and circumstances, the first two-thirds of Highland Twins works very well indeed. Brent-Dyer folds a great deal of detail and insight into her tale, from the British Admiralty taking possession of Erisay, through to blackout windows and the war work being undertaken by women of all ages and backgrounds. The ordinary bravery of people living through the most extraordinary and horrifying of times is sensitively conveyed, particularly when the spirit and message of the Chalet School Peace League manifest themselves in the form of two German girls refusing to conform to the Nazism infecting their country.
The final third of the book reads somewhat oddly - almost as if Brent-Dyer had crafted it as a novella to stand on its own. The revelation that Fiona McDonald has a very special gift (I'm trying to avoid spoilers here) feels faintly out of place. As I've said, plenty of outlandish and ridiculous things happen in the Chalet School universe, but the detour into the realm of the supernatural just seems more surreal than anything else. The plot twist is handled delicately once it's introduced, however: Brent-Dyer finds tiny moments of truth and depth in Fiona's attempt to help her erstwhile guardian through a time of immense grief - an attempt that, touchingly, temporarily alienates her from her own twin.
There's an espionage angle that's quite decently threaded throughout the novel too, as a mysterious man breaks into the School lockers. Highland Twins was a relatively recent acquisition for me i.e., I didn't read it when I was the target audience for the series, so it's gratifying to see that the journey of inveterate troublemaker Betty Wynne-Davis is treated with such quiet, sensitive intelligence here. She's one of the School's biggest problem students, without a doubt, but Brent-Dyer provides just enough glimpses into her troubled home life to make Betty a living, breathing and very credibly wrongheaded young lady.
All in all, Highland Twins makes for a good read. Beloved characters from the Tyrol appear, telling their own stories of strength and hardship, as the ones whom we love find themselves growing and gaining in age, experience and wisdom as the war wages on around them.
The shadow of World War II still looms large over the School as the eponymous twins - Flora and Fiona McDonald - arrive for the new term. Sequestered for their entire lives on the remote Scottish island of Erisay, the McDonald twins must get used to the hustle, bustle and general cheerful rowdiness of Jo Maynard's clan, before integrating themselves into the School proper. The twins cross paths with firebrand Betty Wynne-Davis, who decides to use an old McDonald family secret against them, even as one of the series' heroines must struggle to deal with the heartbreaking costs of war.
As a chronicle of wartime privations and circumstances, the first two-thirds of Highland Twins works very well indeed. Brent-Dyer folds a great deal of detail and insight into her tale, from the British Admiralty taking possession of Erisay, through to blackout windows and the war work being undertaken by women of all ages and backgrounds. The ordinary bravery of people living through the most extraordinary and horrifying of times is sensitively conveyed, particularly when the spirit and message of the Chalet School Peace League manifest themselves in the form of two German girls refusing to conform to the Nazism infecting their country.
The final third of the book reads somewhat oddly - almost as if Brent-Dyer had crafted it as a novella to stand on its own. The revelation that Fiona McDonald has a very special gift (I'm trying to avoid spoilers here) feels faintly out of place. As I've said, plenty of outlandish and ridiculous things happen in the Chalet School universe, but the detour into the realm of the supernatural just seems more surreal than anything else. The plot twist is handled delicately once it's introduced, however: Brent-Dyer finds tiny moments of truth and depth in Fiona's attempt to help her erstwhile guardian through a time of immense grief - an attempt that, touchingly, temporarily alienates her from her own twin.
There's an espionage angle that's quite decently threaded throughout the novel too, as a mysterious man breaks into the School lockers. Highland Twins was a relatively recent acquisition for me i.e., I didn't read it when I was the target audience for the series, so it's gratifying to see that the journey of inveterate troublemaker Betty Wynne-Davis is treated with such quiet, sensitive intelligence here. She's one of the School's biggest problem students, without a doubt, but Brent-Dyer provides just enough glimpses into her troubled home life to make Betty a living, breathing and very credibly wrongheaded young lady.
All in all, Highland Twins makes for a good read. Beloved characters from the Tyrol appear, telling their own stories of strength and hardship, as the ones whom we love find themselves growing and gaining in age, experience and wisdom as the war wages on around them.
August 18, 2015
In which EBD experiments with 'second sight' a la L M Montgomery. Lots else happens, especially in the hardback (this is one of those CSBs where if you only have the paperback, there's a significant chunk missing - not actual plot, obvs, this being EBD, but that special Chaletishness which appeals to fans). But the main point of the Highland Twins themselves seems to be Flora's uncanny ability to 'see'. EBD isn't really comfortable with this (Miss Wilson goes off to pray while it's going on, making her position very clear) but I think the dramatic possibilities swayed her.
We've missed a couple of Chalet years in the gap from Goes to It, so there's some excuse for confusion about who has each vegetable plot, for example, but there are EBDisms a-plenty in this book, from how late the train from Stockport actually was (and why they travelled on the route they did anyway, although I accept that's one for train nerds like myself), to Biddy suddenly getting a new surname.
Mainly this book is an interesting one for die-hard fans because it's about Betty Wynne-Davies's final fall from grace. I'm sure if we'd known about Betty's miserable home background earlier, we'd all have been more sympathetic, but we didn't, so it's hard not to cheer. That German spy was rubbish, though. And why didn't Floppy Williams and Hilda Hope stand up to say they'd heard of the Chart of Erisay? Really, were they that forgetful?
My main gripe, though (and you may have gathered this isn't my favourite CSB) is how Shiena, Flora and Fiona talk. My best friend comes from about two islands up from Erisay and she doesn't talk like that at all (or go travelling in full Highland dress, for that matter).
All that said, I do like the MacDonalds, and they join a good set of junior middles that we get to know very well over the years. It's also great to have some old friends reappearing. And where EBD earns her full marks is in Emmie and Joanna Linders' story. We first met the Linders in Tyrol, when Jo herself was head girl, and in Highland Twins Emmie tells us about life in Nazi Germany for those who opposed Hitler. EBD conveys the horror more by what isn't said than by what is, and it's hard to tell how this would have registered at the time - my eyes may well be clouded by history. But even so, it's well done, and I don't think many school-story writers would include it.
And then just when it was going so well, the School revives its famous Nativity play, described in relentless detail because it's Joey's first one (although I've no idea when she found time to write it - maybe she dashed it off in the aftermath of Flora's vision). Goodwill and joy, goodwill and joy ...
We've missed a couple of Chalet years in the gap from Goes to It, so there's some excuse for confusion about who has each vegetable plot, for example, but there are EBDisms a-plenty in this book, from how late the train from Stockport actually was (and why they travelled on the route they did anyway, although I accept that's one for train nerds like myself), to Biddy suddenly getting a new surname.
Mainly this book is an interesting one for die-hard fans because it's about Betty Wynne-Davies's final fall from grace. I'm sure if we'd known about Betty's miserable home background earlier, we'd all have been more sympathetic, but we didn't, so it's hard not to cheer. That German spy was rubbish, though. And why didn't Floppy Williams and Hilda Hope stand up to say they'd heard of the Chart of Erisay? Really, were they that forgetful?
My main gripe, though (and you may have gathered this isn't my favourite CSB) is how Shiena, Flora and Fiona talk. My best friend comes from about two islands up from Erisay and she doesn't talk like that at all (or go travelling in full Highland dress, for that matter).
All that said, I do like the MacDonalds, and they join a good set of junior middles that we get to know very well over the years. It's also great to have some old friends reappearing. And where EBD earns her full marks is in Emmie and Joanna Linders' story. We first met the Linders in Tyrol, when Jo herself was head girl, and in Highland Twins Emmie tells us about life in Nazi Germany for those who opposed Hitler. EBD conveys the horror more by what isn't said than by what is, and it's hard to tell how this would have registered at the time - my eyes may well be clouded by history. But even so, it's well done, and I don't think many school-story writers would include it.
And then just when it was going so well, the School revives its famous Nativity play, described in relentless detail because it's Joey's first one (although I've no idea when she found time to write it - maybe she dashed it off in the aftermath of Flora's vision). Goodwill and joy, goodwill and joy ...
March 19, 2022
A very moving book in the Chalet School series. Flora and Fiona, twins from the Highlands, stay with Jo and family when their home is commissioned by the admiralty.
Great excitement, some slight mysticism, and a deeply emotional book. One of the best, which I have re-read many times and love every time.
Very highly recommended - though it's worth reading a few of the earlier ones first if you can.
Latest full review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
Great excitement, some slight mysticism, and a deeply emotional book. One of the best, which I have re-read many times and love every time.
Very highly recommended - though it's worth reading a few of the earlier ones first if you can.
Latest full review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
June 3, 2012
Highland twins Flora and Fiona arrive lost and alone at the Chalet school and put under the wing of much loved Jo Maynard before being installed at the Chalet School. It is wartime Britain and their brothers and sister have had to join up and their island home has been taken over for the duration. Never having been at school before, there are many things to learn, not the least making friends - and enemies! Before long Flora and Fiona are embroiled in an attempt by a German spy to steal away their map of their island which could give vital clues to secrets and compromise the safety of the nation!
Also thrown into the mix, two old girls, German's, have escaped Nazi Germany and made it to the Chalet school for safety. Their tale compounds the old Chalet School Peace Treaty and brings home the fact that being German does't equal being a Nazi. A moral to the story as well as fun.
I'll never be too old to read Chalet School books - and hopefully, someday I will complete my collection. The Maynard's, Bettany's Russell's, Bill and Miss Annersley, Rosalie Dene, Simone and Frieda - all old friends that it's lovely to say hello to every now and then!
Also thrown into the mix, two old girls, German's, have escaped Nazi Germany and made it to the Chalet school for safety. Their tale compounds the old Chalet School Peace Treaty and brings home the fact that being German does't equal being a Nazi. A moral to the story as well as fun.
I'll never be too old to read Chalet School books - and hopefully, someday I will complete my collection. The Maynard's, Bettany's Russell's, Bill and Miss Annersley, Rosalie Dene, Simone and Frieda - all old friends that it's lovely to say hello to every now and then!
September 11, 2016
Definitely an improvement on the abridged version. The Joey and Jack romance has built much more subtly in the original texts and it's as affecting here as it was in 'Exile'; Robin grew up at some point into a believable character; and the Bettany sisters remain dear to each other in fact and not just the telling. The rather implausible element late in the book is drawn much more sensitively, with an act of wilful faith rather than the supernatural and the mixed feelings others have about it returns to the depth of the Tyrol stories.
(Oh, and I mustn't forget Jem! Dear old grumpy, practical Jem. His and Joey's relationship is a highlight every time it crops up, and his affection for her, Madge, and Jack shines through despite his occasionally gruff treatment of all three.)
(also: Nazis. The Nazi-era stories are wholly rounded in unexpected ways for a novel of this kind and it's a marvel to be wondered at, starting with 'Exile'. 'Goes to It' and 'Highland Twins' continue in the same vein - at least, when unabridged.)
(Oh, and I mustn't forget Jem! Dear old grumpy, practical Jem. His and Joey's relationship is a highlight every time it crops up, and his affection for her, Madge, and Jack shines through despite his occasionally gruff treatment of all three.)
(also: Nazis. The Nazi-era stories are wholly rounded in unexpected ways for a novel of this kind and it's a marvel to be wondered at, starting with 'Exile'. 'Goes to It' and 'Highland Twins' continue in the same vein - at least, when unabridged.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2017
I read this book in the original 1942 edition, on the wartime paper of low quality. It presumably belonged to my mother. Even in the ‘50s books weren’t too plentiful so we read them over and over. I liked this one because it had Scottish children in it, with delightful Highland accents, so the alien environment of a boarding school was made less foreign.
Having the “second sight” is a useful ability in a troubled age!
Having the “second sight” is a useful ability in a troubled age!
May 7, 2024
I forgot how good this was , I cried twice thanks to Elinor M Brent-Dyer's sensitivity in her writing emotional scenes .
May 31, 2020
Flora and Fiona have never left their remote Scottish island before they come to the Chalet School, but a warm welcome from Joey Maynard goes a long way to helping them acclimatise. In the middle of the Second World War, bomb raids, sudden arrivals, and telegrams bringing terrible news all make this an extraordinary term, and then there’s the secret chart the twins have sworn to protect at all costs...
Brent Dyer can be a very episodic writer, but this is one of her strongest books for structure, with seemingly casual moments and incidents building into a very coherent storyline. At first the twins’ Highland background seems to be all tartan dress and dialect, but it turns out to have a darker and deeper quasi-pagan supernatural side which EBD both romanticises and critiques. I’m on Miss Wilson’s side about the second sight, and after Brent Dyer has given us powerful depictions of the real loss and suffering people experienced under the evils of Nazism, it seems bizarre to undercut that by an almost escapist storyline about one character’s return from death. But that aside, the warm depictions of Joey’s all-female household, where Robin features strongly and everyone is made to feel at home, and the sympathy extended even to a girl whose teenage emotional problems lead her to a terrible betrayal, make this book one of the highlights of the series.
Brent Dyer can be a very episodic writer, but this is one of her strongest books for structure, with seemingly casual moments and incidents building into a very coherent storyline. At first the twins’ Highland background seems to be all tartan dress and dialect, but it turns out to have a darker and deeper quasi-pagan supernatural side which EBD both romanticises and critiques. I’m on Miss Wilson’s side about the second sight, and after Brent Dyer has given us powerful depictions of the real loss and suffering people experienced under the evils of Nazism, it seems bizarre to undercut that by an almost escapist storyline about one character’s return from death. But that aside, the warm depictions of Joey’s all-female household, where Robin features strongly and everyone is made to feel at home, and the sympathy extended even to a girl whose teenage emotional problems lead her to a terrible betrayal, make this book one of the highlights of the series.
May 27, 2020
I thought this started off a bit slow, but that might have been more to do with me than the book...
The second half certainly romps along at a rollicking pace, and has everything you could possibly want of a Chalet School story - more specifically of a wartime CS story. I'm not going to talk about the plot, but my reactions ranged from pleasure to irritation and from laughter to tears. Old characters returned, new characters appeared, there was joy and grief and sentimentality. And of course EBD didn't flinch from discussing the privations and cruelties of war - or from very deliberately separating Nazism from Germany and Germans as a whole.
(There is a plot element/device which is what a friend of mine would call a little bit 'woo'. But it seems to fit within the world of the Chalet, and so I can't complain. Also, it was very well handled, with a variety of reactions from those involved and aware of it. And I quite liked it, actually.)
There's really no way to rank these books, because it's impossible to directly compare 'The New School' or 'Jo' with 'Exile' or 'Highland Twins', but if I was going to, right now this is a close second to 'Exile'.
The second half certainly romps along at a rollicking pace, and has everything you could possibly want of a Chalet School story - more specifically of a wartime CS story. I'm not going to talk about the plot, but my reactions ranged from pleasure to irritation and from laughter to tears. Old characters returned, new characters appeared, there was joy and grief and sentimentality. And of course EBD didn't flinch from discussing the privations and cruelties of war - or from very deliberately separating Nazism from Germany and Germans as a whole.
(There is a plot element/device which is what a friend of mine would call a little bit 'woo'. But it seems to fit within the world of the Chalet, and so I can't complain. Also, it was very well handled, with a variety of reactions from those involved and aware of it. And I quite liked it, actually.)
There's really no way to rank these books, because it's impossible to directly compare 'The New School' or 'Jo' with 'Exile' or 'Highland Twins', but if I was going to, right now this is a close second to 'Exile'.
October 3, 2025
This one shouldn't be good. It is full of Scottish people whose speech is transcribed phonetically and almost certainly inaccurately. And it involves actual second sight, for goodness' sake. But it has been almost my favourite of my Chalet School re-read so far. It is beautiful and brilliant and it made me cry.
April 19, 2020
I think this may have suffered in the notorious Armada abridgement as parts of the story seem rushed and others are filled in after the fact. It has the inevitable Nativity Play with drag (and er blackface) and a most unlikely bunch of people believing in second sight.
December 29, 2018
Love cs xxx
May 2, 2019
Quite different when you read the full version!
May 6, 2020
This is the one with the Linders' escape
April 4, 2021
If you’re new to the series this is probably not a good book to start with.
November 21, 2021
In the midst of World War II, a pair of twins from the the Western Isles join the Chalet school. They soon make friends and fit in but life is never that simple.
I was first recommended this book when I led a lecture/discussion on whether we should be worried about what young people are reading. Multiple older ladies told me that the Chalet School series was their favourite in their youth and that I should read it. I've been on the look out for copies since then, and was really excited when I came across this at local second-hand shop. It is the 47th book in the series but I thought it was worth trying anyway, and promised to pass it on to my friend for her daughter when I was finished.
However, I didn't enjoy the book on three fronts. Firstly, the plot was meandering. Instead of focusing on the twins and the school, we spent most of our time with Jo, an unlikeable young mother. I assume she was the heroine of the previous books and a fan favourite but I didn't like her and thought it was odd that she was our main focus while hardly being involved in the plot. Similarly, the mystery which the story was based around was bizarre and quickly resolved in the end. Secondly, I was expecting a cosy school story. Although aspects of it were cosy, they were interrupted by moments of violence and death, which were dismissed by the plummy narrator and characters. Thirdly, there was a shocking but unnecessary racial slur near the end of the book. My friend and I decided that we wouldn't pass the book onto her daughter!
Having said all of that, I am sure the book would have been better if I had read from the first in the series, and I am sure it would be a worthwhile read for nostalgic purposes.
I was first recommended this book when I led a lecture/discussion on whether we should be worried about what young people are reading. Multiple older ladies told me that the Chalet School series was their favourite in their youth and that I should read it. I've been on the look out for copies since then, and was really excited when I came across this at local second-hand shop. It is the 47th book in the series but I thought it was worth trying anyway, and promised to pass it on to my friend for her daughter when I was finished.
However, I didn't enjoy the book on three fronts. Firstly, the plot was meandering. Instead of focusing on the twins and the school, we spent most of our time with Jo, an unlikeable young mother. I assume she was the heroine of the previous books and a fan favourite but I didn't like her and thought it was odd that she was our main focus while hardly being involved in the plot. Similarly, the mystery which the story was based around was bizarre and quickly resolved in the end. Secondly, I was expecting a cosy school story. Although aspects of it were cosy, they were interrupted by moments of violence and death, which were dismissed by the plummy narrator and characters. Thirdly, there was a shocking but unnecessary racial slur near the end of the book. My friend and I decided that we wouldn't pass the book onto her daughter!
Having said all of that, I am sure the book would have been better if I had read from the first in the series, and I am sure it would be a worthwhile read for nostalgic purposes.
April 21, 2014
I found this book improved with a second reading, although I still want to read the hard-back edition. I thought the basic story of the difficult adjustment to school life that the twins, Flora and Fiona McDonald (of course!), experienced was sensitively handled, and even the way-too-perfect Joey was not terribly intrusive this time. The part I didn't like in either reading was the unconvincing spy story--it seemed wildly unlikely, although it gave an opportunity for us to see more of the incorrigible Betty Wynne-Davies, causing trouble once again, and this time it is just too much for the long-suffering headmistress to put up with. Brent-Dyer always does well with her villains and I was gratified to read a bit of Betty's back story. Read along with The Chalet School in Exile, the first World War II entry in the series.
January 20, 2025
Highland Twins at The Chalet School at is book 18 of a reread (I started at Exile don’t @ at me, then went back to School at the Chalet and continued forward from there), and book 18 in the series. First reread of the Chalet School books since I went to Pertisau. On a reread this is a strange book. It’s less of a Chalet School book and more of a Joey book. It’s lacking the pranks of earlier books, but then it’s also written during the war. Betty Wynn-Davies is a nightmare, and I don’t know how she doesn’t go to prison for her behaviour. the Twins are interesting but also kind of annoying and it always seems weird they got this book then fade off into the background. Still a good solid read though.
June 30, 2023
I enjoyed this even more on re-reading book for first time
EBD does give a just about plausible reason for the girls wearing full Highland dress for travelling in wartime
Very much a war-time book
EBD’s sudden lapse into the supernatural was a little odd , especially for a Catholic ( which she covered by having Miss Wilson strongly disapprove and going off to say a Rosary).
I wondered if Elinor had experience or heard about a believable similar episode and decided to include in the story
Good mixture of school and adventure episodes in this book
EBD does give a just about plausible reason for the girls wearing full Highland dress for travelling in wartime
Very much a war-time book
EBD’s sudden lapse into the supernatural was a little odd , especially for a Catholic ( which she covered by having Miss Wilson strongly disapprove and going off to say a Rosary).
I wondered if Elinor had experience or heard about a believable similar episode and decided to include in the story
Good mixture of school and adventure episodes in this book
February 17, 2010
Flora and Fiona McDonald make their first appearance in this book. They are twins, who have never left their shelter home on a small island before. Due to the war, they are forced to leave their home, and move to the Chalet School. Joey takes them in under her wing, and she's richly rewarded in the end when one of the twins is able to help her out during one of the toughest times in her life.
January 20, 2015
This was another exciting chalet school book. I thought it was going the usual way of new girls joining the school, a misunderstanding/upsetting someone then something happens and all make up. Not this one! It brought the war right back into the forefront and showed how very one was affected, or could've been. What a dramatic scene with Joey getting the telegram. Another enjoyable read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2019
The message about peace is nice, however I felt this one spent too much time mentioning too many characters and not enough time sticking with nor drawing out the events surrounding the main characters.
May 20, 2009
This was one of my favourite "eras" of the Chalet School, and I especially loved the new twins! Great book.
July 13, 2015
Previously read, but re-read for 2014 challenge Feb 22nd-24th.
September 6, 2016
4.5 stars. Quiet but one of the best of the series, as others have said. More detailed review later.
August 28, 2015
Far too many characters and a bit sentimental, but interesting incidental insights on life in the UK during the war. Implausible plot.
July 27, 2023
I think this is my favorite Chalet School book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews