The getting of wisdom - Henry Handel Richardson

Described by H. G. Wells as the best school story he knew, The Getting of Wisdom is the classic Australian novel of school days, a compelling and frank account of a young girl's coming of age. Laura Tweedle Rambotham, the main character, is the eldest child of a country family. At the age of 12, she is sent off to boarding school in Melbourne and her experiences shock and humiliate the unworldly Laura. The girls at the school are generally from wealthy families and from time to time Laura lets snippets of information about her family slip out - and she suffers for it.