Autumn Term by Antonia Forest is the first in her Kingscote school (Marlow Family) series. It was first published in 1948.
It begins with twin girls Nicola and Lawrie Marlow travelling by train to Kingscote School to join their four older sisters there. Before they even reach the school Nicola has a moment of madness which could have ended in tragedy. Big sister Karen Marlow is unimpressed as she’s the Head Girl and a misbehaving young sister is reflecting badly on her.
Nicola and Lawrie are shocked when they discover that they aren’t as clever as they thought they were. All of their siblings are smart, it’s a bit of an embarrassment for the youngest girls to be put into the Third Remove. Nobody expects much from that class but the girls are determined to make the class’s mark in the school, somehow.
This is a really good read. Antonia Forest was so in tune with girls of high school age, and the scrapes that they can get themselves into. In parts it reminded me a bit of Noel Streatfeild, with a play being rehearsed and acted towards the end.
So glad you enjoyed this! I did not find it until I was an adult so it wasn’t my favorite school story until then but I became a complete Forest convert.
One thing my mother and I found odd about this book was the concept of a sisters room. Most schools don’t want you to hang out with your siblings so it seems so odd here that they do. Of course, Forest is fascinated by the sisters’ relationships so she wants to have them interact.
Lois Sanger is quite the villain, isn’t she?!
Constance,
I agree about the oddness of the sisters being allowed to be together in one room, in reality I doubt if that would happen. Lois Sanger – well, as as I’m reading this series out of order I was glad to know that in the previous book that I read she was being seen for what she is, an out and out baddie, by some at least!