Virginia Plain: a coming of age story

'Virginia Plain' is a funny, warm coming of age novel set in a 1970s girls' grammar school. When Ginny's mother dies she is taken in by family friends, the Burgesses, who have a daughter Ginny's age called Jane and an older boy, James. Ginny is taken from her comprehensive and moved into the third year at Ethelred's Girls' School, a school which is very different, with clever girls and eccentric teachers.This book charts her sometimes painful, often funny growing pains. There''s the excitement of the dance competition, a terrifying Domestic Science teacher and mysterious goings on that the headteacher can't seem to get to the bottom of. Then of course there's the boys at the neighbouring school who the girls suddenly begin to notice. Ginny somehow navigates all these obstacles, continues to ride her beloved horse and also finally begins to work out part of the secrets surrounding her mother. But just when Ginny finally feels that she fits in, tragedy strikes and she is separated from this welcoming, supportive family. Then fast forward several years and Ginny meets up with the Burgesses again and feelings, long suppressed, surface. Virginia Walsh finally grows up and she isn't plain!