love this thread, can I join? They had coffee in cakes in the afternoon as well didnt they? Wasn't it coffee with "delicious bread twists" or some such thing mid morning? How were they always so slim?? Seem to remember chubby or plump was not an admired chaletian quality

I loved the quaint sounding German names for meals. Didn't they have kaffee und kuchen or something mid morning?

lemonpuff

I am pretty sure you do mean Masha! I remember reading the Youngest Lady in Waiting when I was about 10 and finally finding Masha at the library. Oh the joy of getting home, lying on the bed and reading the whole book in a day!! Searched for it for dd1 some time ago and it costs hundreds now.

Loving this thread as also read entire Malory Towers, St Clares, Chalet School, Sue Barton ect.

Was also a big fan of Jill books (Jill gets a pony etc.) DD1 has read these recently and they stand up very well. Jill is quite a determined feisty sort!

I have the full set of Chalet School books. I only owned about a dozen when I was a child but have built up the set over the years. I actually reread the lot last year from start to finish and it was a bit of an eyeopener. Quite funny to see what was acceptable at the time - women were definitely second-class citizens as were foreigners. I am still very fond of them, though.

Did anyone read the sequel called 'The Chalet Girls Grow Up'? Not written by EBD and not at all in the keeping with the original series. The main characters all had affairs, went mad, committed suicide or suffered other dire fates.

Pogleswood, thimk you may be right. I will have too look again have tried various sites with no results, I still love sitting down with a thick book thinking this is me for the day, please supply tea and wine at apporiate times

lemonpuff,do you mean Masha,and The Youngest Lady in Waiting? They were set in Russia, but I don't remember a ballet theme.In the first one I think she was in an orphanage,and the second she was at court,and there was sub plot about the decembrist uprising.I loved these too - they are available on the second hand market,but sadly way above my price range!
And if it wasn't these,I hope someone else can help!

Does anyone remember a book titled Marsha? believe there were two books, set in Russia. Ballet theme, would love to get hold of them again.

Have most of the Chalet books, later ones are more expensive - smaller print run. Even have a copy of the cookbook!!!

Did you know that Helen Dore Boylston was a friend of Rose Wilder Lane, who was the daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder who wrote all the Little House books? In 1926, Lane, Helen Dore Boylston and their French maid traveled from France to Albania in a car they had named "Zenobia".

dwardle - I remember Mazo de la Roche! I just looked on Amazon here and found Jalna - I haven't thought of that for years! All the unusual names etc.

This thread is fab!

Sue Barton district nurse - I had forgotton all about those
I loved the malory towers series
and the Naughty Elizabeth series

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