The CBB :: View topic - A Chalet Girl from Kenya

#1: A Chalet Girl from Kenya Author: Rachael,

Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2004 6:30 pm

There is no summary for this book Openers for discussion: Favourite / worst scenes? Do you really buy that Jo Scott is Maisie Gomme's daughter?! Is the coincidence that Prunella saves Margot in the previous book and now Jo saves Emerence, too much to believe? What price Leila? Yet another person joins "The Gang" - any views?

#2: Author: Liss, Location: Harrow, London

Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2004 8:10 pm

Hmm, I haven't read this one in a while, but I must say the number of honorary nieces and goddaughters that Jo has crawling out of the woodwork is ridiculous! I'm sure she can't have been that compelling as a child as to convince that many people (who can't have known her that well) she was the only person to whom their child could be trusted.

#3: Author: Chickpea,

Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2004 8:19 pm

Maisie naming her child after Joey is a bit like naming children after random great uncles in the hope that they will get all their money. But I like Jo Scott, because she didn't change too much to fit in with the CS, I think both her and later on Jane Carew retain much of their own personalities without being Joeyified.

#4: Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!!

Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2004 9:54 pm

I like Jo Scott, she comes across as really likeable and quite normal!!! I don't mind the coindicence that much, but trying to remeber who Maisie Goome was at first was interesting. Its a shame that her friendship with Josette never develops. Why does Jo stay behind, she didn't seem that hopeless at lessons, and I wish she didn't dissapear as she did. She never got to the 6th!!! Leila didn't annoy me as much as her mother, who seemed to have to ellict sympathy from everyone. And poor Sue never got much of a school life!!

#5: Author: Donna, Location: Liverpool

Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2004 10:53 pm

very basic, as I've already typed it inn detail once and then the internet crashed on me Sad

Like Jo, don't like her being named for Joey - why on earth???!!! Think two similar near-death experiences/rescues in consecutive terms is pushing credulity just a little bit too far! Jo is accepted too easily into the Gang - it is supposed to be so exclusive, although I suppose as she later disappears from it, we can't complain too much! Leila is ok, though agree with Ally that her mother is a pain. not a favourite book by any means - struggling to re-read it at the moment (but I keep getting distracted by lovely hbs popping through my door! Very Happy

)

#6: Author: Katarzyna, Location: Preston, Lancashire

Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2004 11:28 am

Favourite / worst scenes? - hum, difficult particularly as this is not one of my favourite books. I don't like the way that Joey deals with telling Jo the news about her parents, waiting a week for further news, with visitors on the platz all the time she could have found out from anyone in that time. Do you really buy that Jo Scott is Maisie Gomme's daughter?! the first time i read it i kind of thought Maisie who and had to go back to find out. I don't think that the way Jo is portrayed - being the one to worry about the family finances etc - is believable. There is no way her parents, well father, could have run a coffee plantation without at least some business knowlege and sense. Is the coincidence that Prunella saves Margot in the previous book and now Jo saves Emerence, too much to believe? obviously she got lots of praise for the dramatic rescue in the previous book she put one in this too. Has anyone else ever thought that the rescue is completely unbelievable in terms of how it happened - in a scientific moment i did contemplate trying to work out whether or not someone could cover the distance Jo did to grab Emerance before she fell, given the tragectory and speed of descent. What price Leila? I don't have a problem with Leila herself but I do have a problem with her mother's treatment of Sue Meadows. Not sure if I was Jack or Joey i would have let Con go up no matter how much leila wanted her - would a very sick child ask for a friend rather than a parent anyway? Yet another person joins "The Gang" - any views? The gang is just about broken up by that stage. Basically got the feeling if OOAO thought you were ok you were in regardless of age/form/etc. Is it my imagination or does Sue get Ebd' and get younger - she starts out the same age as Prunella and ends up younger than Josette?

#7: Author: Nicki, Location: New Zealand

Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2004 1:55 pm

I like this one and I like Jo. For once she's a normal schoolgirl and doesn't have difficultly fitting in. (No running away!) I couldn't for the life of me remember Maisie Gomme though. Who? Couldn't her mum be someone a bit more memorable? I can't remember any stand out scenes either way. but I do know this is one I'll keep coming back to! Smile

#8: Author: claire, Location: South Wales

Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2004 2:12 pm

Katarzyna wrote:

- in a scientific moment i did contemplate trying to work out whether or not someone could cover the distance Jo did to grab Emerance before she fell, given the tragectory and speed of descent.

I spent the time wondering how she had managed to lasso her without it getting caught round her neck and strangling her. I do like the book but there are pieces I dislike, as Katarzyna said why did Joey wait a week (though on EBD's side at least she had learnt by Jane that the girl would have found out) What was it about Joey that inspired everyone to make her an honourary aunt/ god mother and name their daughters after her - was there any Jo's who weren't named after her (would have happily accepted her being called Jo otherwise) Still not sure where Maisie was mentioned in other books though

#9: Author: Kirsty, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 2:19 am

claire wrote:

Still not sure where Maisie was mentioned in other books though

She was one of the Saints, first mentioned (briefly!!) in Rivals. Also spelt Gomn, Gomm, or Gomme. I don't recall off the top of my head whether she had much to do with Joey, I do know that if she did, it wasn't enough to warrant naming her child after her! Like others, I wondered how Emerence was lassoed so it didn't go around her neck. I liked Jo, she was a nice, "normal" schoolgirl, it was a pity that she disappeared.

#10: Author: Ruth, Location: Lincolnshire, England

Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 8:41 am

I like this one. Jo is the kind of schoolgirl I like and she doesn't change. I can't understand why she is named after Joey - isn't Maisie Gomme the empty-headed one who is not keen on Joey. Leila's mother annoys me but you can't help but feel sorry for Leila herself and for Sue who seems to be at the school, not for her education but to amuse Leila.

#11: chalet school girl from kenya Author: mohini, Location: india

Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 5:06 pm

I liked this book. Though I could not remember Jo's mother . Only few lines were spared for her. And Jo joined the gang becaouse she was friendly with Jossette.Same was with Barbara.She became friendly with Vi Lucy and was included in the Gang. I do not understand the friendship between Con and Leila nor Leila's mother's role. Maybe because I have read the paper back. Are there any details in hardback? I like this book mainly because Jossette is given more space here.

#12: Author: LL, Location: Tottenham to Camberwell - The London Rollercoaster!

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 12:35 pm

I read Rivals a while back, which does mention Maisie Gomme in passing - thought I had the quote but I can't find it. Jo Scott is a nice girl but how come all the new girls always get into the gang straight off? nobody goes in unless it's in the book of their name.

#13: Author: claire, Location: South Wales

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 5:57 pm

Found the appearance in Rivals (thanks to transcript and the find option)

Quote:

. Among the crowd she had collected were Doris Potts, Maureen Donovan, two sisters—Winnie and Irene Silksworth a pretty feather-headed child of fifteen called Maisie Gomm

and that's all the mention in the entire book

#14: Author: Julie, Location: Edinburgh

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 9:27 pm

I find this book slightly difficult to appreciate as I read it for the first time quite recently. If I'd read it as a 12 year old I would have enjoyed it but now I find that I pick faults far more readily instead of just accepting and enjoying I liked Jo and found it odd that she disappeared in the later books. I found the Gang to be somewhat overexaggerated in this book but Jo was exactly the type of schoolgirl to fit into the Gang so I've no problems with that. Being called after Joey is just one example of these annoying things that happen in the series in order to introduce new characters IMO. But it wouldn't have annoyed me when I was younger to be fair

#15: Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!!

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 9:30 pm

I find it strange that Jo was kept back in years, and was *chosen* to be in Len and Con's classes. The only role she seems to play is to stop Len form being form prefect, until Len was nearly ready to be HG, and then Jo vanishes.

#16: Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 11:47 pm

Quote:

I do not understand the friendship between Con and Leila

I always thought this was because in the Sale in Does it Again, Con wins the dolls house and as she has already won one 2 years previously and they also have La Maison Des Pupees (sp???) she gives it to Mrs Elstob for Leila. IN EBD's eyes I'm sure this unselfish gesture is enough to inspire unswerving devotion & admiration for life. Or maybe Leila found her mother to be a real pest who always wanted to 'smother her little darling with love' and found Con to be a refreshing change Twisted Evil

Cynical - moi?

#17: Author: Sarah_L, Location: Leeds

Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2004 12:25 pm

Thinking about the age thing, I feel so sorry for Jo. She started as part of the gang, but when Mary-Lou was in Lower Sixth and a prefect, Jo was only Inter Fifth. That's a big gap.

The CBB -> Book Discussions

output generated using printer-friendly topic mod, All times are GMT + 1 Hour

Page 1 of 1