First novel by bestselling author of the Dales series, Gervase Phinn. A warm, funny, moving and romantic tale of life in a village primary school when a new headmistress arrives...
She was wearing red shoes! With silver heels!
Elisabeth Devine causes quite a stir on her arrival in the village. No one can understand why the head of a big inner city school would want to come to sleepy little Barton-in-the-Dale, to a primary with more problems than school dinners. And that's not even counting the challenges the mysterious Elisabeth herself will face: a bitter former head teacher, a grumpy caretaker and a duplicitous chair of governors, to name but a few.
Then there's the gossip. After all, a woman who would wear red shoes to an interview is obviously capable of anything . . .
Warm, funny and poignant, Gervase Phinn's first novel for adults creates a fictional world that's as real as can be. It will delight all his fans, and win him many more.
Written with all the humour and warmth one has come to expect from this master storyteller. - Countryman
This heartwarming tale makes ideal holiday reading - News of the World
As Yorkshire's favourite school inspector turns to fiction you can enjoy memorable characters and turns of phrase. - Choice
Dr Gervase Phinn is a teacher, freelance lecturer, author, poet, educational consultant and visiting professor of education. For fourteen years he taught in a range of schools, then acted as General Adviser for Language Development in Rotherham before moving on to North Yorkshire, where he spent ten years as a school inspector - time that has provided much source material for his books. He has four grown up children and four grandchildren and lives near Doncaster. Visit Gervase's website, www.gervase-phinn.com.