Charlotte Fairlie

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Summary: Lonely School Mistress in Love With Student's Father...
Review: D. E. Stevenson's novels are guaranteed to give a warm glow all over. They give a wonderful picture of small town English life. This book takes place in the 50's. Charlotte is a head mistress for a girl's school. She's bright and has done well for herself, but she has no real family to speak of. Her mother died when she was quite young and, for a while, she and her father were close. Then, her father married again. She and her new step-mother did not get along, so the solution was to send Charlotte to boarding school. A maternal uncle who had never married heard what had happened and took her in until his death and she became his heir. Her finanical future was secure, but she was destitute emotionally. As headmistress, it would not be wise to show favoritism among the teachers, so she becomes a solitary person. Due to a divorce of a student's parents, Charlotte becomes involved in the life of a fourteen-year-old, who she really comes to like. Her name is Tessa. Tessa asks her to come to visit her home in Scotland over the summer holidays. As Charlotte has no where else to go, she decides to accept the invitation. Tessa's father, Rory, and Charlotte hit it off immediately, but will history repeat itself, this time making Tessa the victim? Charlotte remembers how things changed between her step-mother and herself, and she doesn't want that to happen to Tessa. Read how three good-hearted people become a successful family. This is a sweet, romantic story between the lovers and a touching story of two women who become real friends. Enjoy!