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mat_tobin's review
4.0
Maria's time at a Victorian all-girl's boarding school is fraught with painful memories and incidents. When her elderly aunt dies, she is sent there will little support from her extended family and finds herself bullied and ridiculed by students and staff alike. As a last grasp of hope she runs away to Oxford in the hope of some support from her uncle, the warden of Canterbury College (another fictitious creation).
There, she finds that both her uncle and his colleague are sympathetic and forward thinking in their approach to mixed-sex education. They think Maria would benefit from being taught at Canterbury alongside three siblings brothers whose rather is a resident Professor. With the current tutor on leave, Maria and the boys are taught by the utterly maverick, Mr. Copplestone, who is both chaotic yet utterly devout in supporting Maria's desire to research.
Although there may be many obstacles in her path, Maria's goal to become a professor of Greek and unravel a local mystery in a stately home is supported by a host of boys and academic men and with her own growing self-determination, Maria's story draws to a satisfying conclusion.
This is the first Avery I have read and as a story of highlighting progressive movements in ensuring education and access to education for women it's right up there.
There, she finds that both her uncle and his colleague are sympathetic and forward thinking in their approach to mixed-sex education. They think Maria would benefit from being taught at Canterbury alongside three siblings brothers whose rather is a resident Professor. With the current tutor on leave, Maria and the boys are taught by the utterly maverick, Mr. Copplestone, who is both chaotic yet utterly devout in supporting Maria's desire to research.
Although there may be many obstacles in her path, Maria's goal to become a professor of Greek and unravel a local mystery in a stately home is supported by a host of boys and academic men and with her own growing self-determination, Maria's story draws to a satisfying conclusion.
This is the first Avery I have read and as a story of highlighting progressive movements in ensuring education and access to education for women it's right up there.
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