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The Schoolmaster's Daughter
It had been three years since Evan left, and Truda thought she hadforgotten him, but she could never forget that it was her sister, Charlotte, who took him from her. Then, one day, Charlotte came home and Truda wondered if she was strong enough to cope with the sister who took what she wanted no matter who got hurt. Had Trudareally got over Evan or were there embers still smouldering under the cold ashes of a lost love?
480 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1948
About the author
Dorothy Eden
95 books168 followersAka Mary Paradise.
Dorothy Eden was born in 1912 in New Zealand and died in 1982. She moved to England in 1954 after taking a trip around the world and falling in love with the country. She was best known for her many mystery and romance books as well as short stories that were published in periodicals. As a novelist, Dorothy Eden was renowned for her ability to create fear and suspense. This earned her many devoted readers throughout her lifetime.
Dorothy Eden was born in 1912 in New Zealand and died in 1982. She moved to England in 1954 after taking a trip around the world and falling in love with the country. She was best known for her many mystery and romance books as well as short stories that were published in periodicals. As a novelist, Dorothy Eden was renowned for her ability to create fear and suspense. This earned her many devoted readers throughout her lifetime.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 14, 2015
I couldn't decide which I wanted to do the most while reading this book, set Charlotte on fire, rip Fanny in half, or beat some sense into Truda.
Truda was truly a nice person, but I could not stand the way she was. Why did she allow herself to be treated with such disrespect by her older sister Charlotte? Why did she allow Charlotte to manipulate her so? Even when she clearly saw what Charlotte was about, she still ended up caving in some way. As the sisters grew older Truda did stand up for herself more and more, but it wasn't enough for me. It wasn't enough because she still let Charlotte get away with so much and she could never quite stop seeing Charlotte as above herself because of her sister's beauty.
Charlotte...I'm having heart palpitations just thinking about her. I hated her to her very core. What an awful and vile character. Charlotte had been spoiled beyond belief by her mother. For Fanny, the only one who existed in her household was Charlotte. Fanny couldn't have cared any less about Truda or her husband. The woman lived and breathed Charlotte and was outright obsessed with her. Anything Charlotte wanted Charlotte must have according to her mother. Everyone must adore and bow down to the beautiful and vivacious Charlotte, and just about everyone did.
It's no wonder Charlotte turned out to be a complete wretch. I won't make excuses for her, but with a mother like Fanny and a father who saw her for who she was but could never do much to stamp out the ugliness inside her, and all the other people in town so transfixed by her otherworldly beauty, and a sister who was a pathetic wimp when it came to her, one could easily expect that Charlotte would not be the best person in the world. The father would constantly warn Truda not to give in to her sister so much and to stop letting her dominate her, and as much as I appreciated his advice, he himself was not immune to Charlotte.
Charlotte's main goal in life was to see that Truda never had anything better or more than she did. If Charlotte was not happy then Truda was not allowed to be happy. Even as young children Charlotte could not tolerate Truda getting more attention than herself, not even for a second. She hated to be left out of things even for one moment. If she was out of school sick and Truda was up and about enjoying herself, Charlotte would burn up with envy and usually attempt to do something to bring it all crashing down.
Charlotte was pretty slick, I'll give her that. She had a very passive-aggressive way of going about things, and she had a special way of hurting Truda while still managing to look like a sweet little angel instead of the nasty troll she really was.
When Evan came along Truda was a senior in high school, and Charlotte was 20. When she saw that Truda was happy and falling in love, of course she had to put a stop to that. She didn't even know what the man looked like and yet as soon as she saw Truda liked him she wanted to take him. She was constantly asking Truda to bring him around for tea under the guise that she wanted to help her sister get to know Evan better, when all the while she was plotting to ensnare him with her fragile beauty.
Charlotte had the biggest ego I have run across in a while. She was so sure she could get Evan, there was no doubt in her mind. At certain points in the story Charlotte would remind Truda in her passive-aggressive way that she could and would have Evan if she wanted, so Truda had better watch her back, she would say these things with a smile and chuckle.
By the time Truda was 26, Charlotte was worse than ever, and it was pretty hard to be worse than she already had been, but she managed quite well. The big difference was that Truda was no longer willing to idly stand by or let herself be drawn into Charlotte's wicked vortex. Charlotte by this point was eagerly bragging about her ability to "own" people and make them hers, including Truda, but Truda was now able to call her out on things like that.
At the end of the day, I thought this was the best Dorothy Eden book I've read so far. It was beautifully written and heartfelt and the characters were well developed, even if I didn't like some of the development.
I would have liked to have found out why Charlotte was so insistent upon Truda never being happy, even though Truda was nothing but good to her while allowing herself to be run over. I think perhaps if Charlotte had actually had any other sisters or girlfriends she probably would have done the same to them; she was evil. What made her that way? Why was she so without feelings for anyone but herself? She didn't care about her parents, not even the mother who worshipped her every move. I don't think you get the way Charlotte was simply because you were spoiled and beautiful. There was something ugly inside her. She once summed it up as Fanny having told her all her life to take what she wanted, but it had to be more than that.
I would have liked it if Truda hadn't ended up blaming herself for all the misery that went on with Evan. She blamed Charlotte as well, but oddly enough she did not blame Evan himself. Charlotte and Evan were the only ones to blame, and if Truda had only been able to comprehend that, the book would have ended on a better note for me.
Truda was truly a nice person, but I could not stand the way she was. Why did she allow herself to be treated with such disrespect by her older sister Charlotte? Why did she allow Charlotte to manipulate her so? Even when she clearly saw what Charlotte was about, she still ended up caving in some way. As the sisters grew older Truda did stand up for herself more and more, but it wasn't enough for me. It wasn't enough because she still let Charlotte get away with so much and she could never quite stop seeing Charlotte as above herself because of her sister's beauty.
Charlotte...I'm having heart palpitations just thinking about her. I hated her to her very core. What an awful and vile character. Charlotte had been spoiled beyond belief by her mother. For Fanny, the only one who existed in her household was Charlotte. Fanny couldn't have cared any less about Truda or her husband. The woman lived and breathed Charlotte and was outright obsessed with her. Anything Charlotte wanted Charlotte must have according to her mother. Everyone must adore and bow down to the beautiful and vivacious Charlotte, and just about everyone did.
It's no wonder Charlotte turned out to be a complete wretch. I won't make excuses for her, but with a mother like Fanny and a father who saw her for who she was but could never do much to stamp out the ugliness inside her, and all the other people in town so transfixed by her otherworldly beauty, and a sister who was a pathetic wimp when it came to her, one could easily expect that Charlotte would not be the best person in the world. The father would constantly warn Truda not to give in to her sister so much and to stop letting her dominate her, and as much as I appreciated his advice, he himself was not immune to Charlotte.
Charlotte's main goal in life was to see that Truda never had anything better or more than she did. If Charlotte was not happy then Truda was not allowed to be happy. Even as young children Charlotte could not tolerate Truda getting more attention than herself, not even for a second. She hated to be left out of things even for one moment. If she was out of school sick and Truda was up and about enjoying herself, Charlotte would burn up with envy and usually attempt to do something to bring it all crashing down.
Charlotte was pretty slick, I'll give her that. She had a very passive-aggressive way of going about things, and she had a special way of hurting Truda while still managing to look like a sweet little angel instead of the nasty troll she really was.
When Evan came along Truda was a senior in high school, and Charlotte was 20. When she saw that Truda was happy and falling in love, of course she had to put a stop to that. She didn't even know what the man looked like and yet as soon as she saw Truda liked him she wanted to take him. She was constantly asking Truda to bring him around for tea under the guise that she wanted to help her sister get to know Evan better, when all the while she was plotting to ensnare him with her fragile beauty.
Charlotte had the biggest ego I have run across in a while. She was so sure she could get Evan, there was no doubt in her mind. At certain points in the story Charlotte would remind Truda in her passive-aggressive way that she could and would have Evan if she wanted, so Truda had better watch her back, she would say these things with a smile and chuckle.
By the time Truda was 26, Charlotte was worse than ever, and it was pretty hard to be worse than she already had been, but she managed quite well. The big difference was that Truda was no longer willing to idly stand by or let herself be drawn into Charlotte's wicked vortex. Charlotte by this point was eagerly bragging about her ability to "own" people and make them hers, including Truda, but Truda was now able to call her out on things like that.
At the end of the day, I thought this was the best Dorothy Eden book I've read so far. It was beautifully written and heartfelt and the characters were well developed, even if I didn't like some of the development.
I would have liked to have found out why Charlotte was so insistent upon Truda never being happy, even though Truda was nothing but good to her while allowing herself to be run over. I think perhaps if Charlotte had actually had any other sisters or girlfriends she probably would have done the same to them; she was evil. What made her that way? Why was she so without feelings for anyone but herself? She didn't care about her parents, not even the mother who worshipped her every move. I don't think you get the way Charlotte was simply because you were spoiled and beautiful. There was something ugly inside her. She once summed it up as Fanny having told her all her life to take what she wanted, but it had to be more than that.
I would have liked it if Truda hadn't ended up blaming herself for all the misery that went on with Evan. She blamed Charlotte as well, but oddly enough she did not blame Evan himself. Charlotte and Evan were the only ones to blame, and if Truda had only been able to comprehend that, the book would have ended on a better note for me.
January 29, 2025
4.5 stars! Are you the kind of reader who is interested in toxic sibling relationships, and in particular, families where a parent clearly loves one sibling more than the other? And are you also longing for a dramatic, character driven gothic novel with an unhinged twist towards the end? The Daughters of Ardmore Hall is the book for you!
Originally published in 1946, this story follows main character Truda. Truda is the “good” sister. She’s kind and unselfish, always putting others before herself, especially when it comes to her sister Charlotte. Charlotte is the absolute worst. She is the sister who gets everything she wants, and if Truda has something she wants, Charlotte figures out how to take it from her. She’s one of the most hateable characters I’ve ever come across in a book. If you read this book, you, too, will be seething with rage on Truda’s behalf as Charlotte schemes her way through the plot.
As far as flaws are concerned, The Daughters of Ardmore Hall drags a little bit towards the end. I had already guessed what had happened long before the characters pieced it together, so it felt like I was waiting for them to catch up to me. But while I was able to guess what had happened in general, I still didn’t know the details! And I was desperate to find out, so that made it a worthwhile, riveting read for me.
Originally published in 1946, this story follows main character Truda. Truda is the “good” sister. She’s kind and unselfish, always putting others before herself, especially when it comes to her sister Charlotte. Charlotte is the absolute worst. She is the sister who gets everything she wants, and if Truda has something she wants, Charlotte figures out how to take it from her. She’s one of the most hateable characters I’ve ever come across in a book. If you read this book, you, too, will be seething with rage on Truda’s behalf as Charlotte schemes her way through the plot.
As far as flaws are concerned, The Daughters of Ardmore Hall drags a little bit towards the end. I had already guessed what had happened long before the characters pieced it together, so it felt like I was waiting for them to catch up to me. But while I was able to guess what had happened in general, I still didn’t know the details! And I was desperate to find out, so that made it a worthwhile, riveting read for me.
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August 31, 2010
Gothic.
February 15, 2026
This is my least favorite of Dorothy Eden's gothics. To be fair, it's one of her earliest books, so I give her grace. She's one of my favorite authors, so it does despair me to leave only 2 stars. However, I gave Night of the Letter 3 if I recall correctly, and I liked this one much much less than that one.
The problems I have with this book:
- The mystery and gothic elements didn't manifest, in my opinion, until about 2/3rds or 3/4s through the book. To me, that's too far in. Up until that point, there's a lot of family drama, and our main character (as well as other characters) give into the worst character too often, to the point of a reader's frustration.
- Just about every character is annoying in some way, except maybe Miss Angel or Aunt Letty (Hopefully I'm recalling their names' spelling correctly).
- The story was too predictable for me, from the very start.
Things I enjoyed about the book:
- Once we get to the last 3rd or 4th of the book, we do get a few scraps of gothic elements, thank goodness!
- Miss Angel, Aunt Letty, and Luke are characters we can enjoy the presence of, and you can tell they each have their own lives and occupations, despite also caring for our main character, Truda, very much.
I give the book 2.5 stars.
The problems I have with this book:
- The mystery and gothic elements didn't manifest, in my opinion, until about 2/3rds or 3/4s through the book. To me, that's too far in. Up until that point, there's a lot of family drama, and our main character (as well as other characters) give into the worst character too often, to the point of a reader's frustration.
- Just about every character is annoying in some way, except maybe Miss Angel or Aunt Letty (Hopefully I'm recalling their names' spelling correctly).
- The story was too predictable for me, from the very start.
Things I enjoyed about the book:
- Once we get to the last 3rd or 4th of the book, we do get a few scraps of gothic elements, thank goodness!
- Miss Angel, Aunt Letty, and Luke are characters we can enjoy the presence of, and you can tell they each have their own lives and occupations, despite also caring for our main character, Truda, very much.
I give the book 2.5 stars.
July 29, 2022
Probably my favorite Dorothy Eden book so far. Charlotte is such a wicked narcissist it’s hard to feel bad for her at all in the book. Truda, the long suffering sister could be derided as weak, but anyone caught under the manipulative sway of a narcissist will recognize and sympathize with her weakness. I would’ve given it five stars, but I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending. Good read though. Recommended. On a side note the initial publication of this book was in the 1940’s. I had no idea the author had a career spanning that long.
August 4, 2022
Originally published in 1946 as THE SCHOOLMASTER'S DAUGHTER, this book was Eden's fourth published novel.
Solid Gothic suspense with romance and family saga elements. I figured out the ending, but it was still a good read. At one point, I was so upset with the characters I felt it in my chest. So, not gut-wrenching, but emotional. My eyes welled up once, but no crying--otherwise it would be a 5 star read.
Keyword here: toxic sister
Solid Gothic suspense with romance and family saga elements. I figured out the ending, but it was still a good read. At one point, I was so upset with the characters I felt it in my chest. So, not gut-wrenching, but emotional. My eyes welled up once, but no crying--otherwise it would be a 5 star read.
Keyword here: toxic sister
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews