The Chalet School is a series of 58 school story novels by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer, initially published between 1925 and 1970. The fictional school was initially located in the Austrian Tyrol, before it was moved to Guernsey in 1939 following the rise to power of the Nazi Party, and again to Herefordshire following the Nazi invasion of the Channel Islands. It later moved to a fictional island off the coast of Wales, and finally to Switzerland.
Plot The Chalet School is founded in 1925 by Madge Bettany when her brother has to return to his job in the Forestry Commission in India. She comes to the conclusion that starting a school would be a convenient way to generate some much-needed income, while also looking after her sickly younger sister Joey. Finding that suitable locations in England would be too expensive for her plans, she decides to look abroad, and finally settles on a large chalet in the Austrian Tyrol, conveniently providing a helpful climate for Joey's recuperation. Within a few years a sanatorium is built not far from the school, where tuberculosis patients convalesce. The founder, Dr Jem Russell, along with Dr Jack Maynard, provides assistance to members of the school and the two Doctors eventually marry Madge and Joey respectively. Robin Humphries is also a main character, until she leaves the Chalet school to go to Oxford and later becomes a nun. The books then follow a variety of characters, including Daisy Venables, Bride Bettany and Gay Lambert, until Mary-Lou Trelawney comes to the school, and becomes the main character for several books. After she leaves school, in the later books, Joey's triplets become main characters.
Throughout the series, various girls arrive at the school with personal problems, bad attitudes or behavioural issues. As a result of the ministrations of better-behaved classmates and the school mistresses, they tend to discover the error of their ways and become model pupils. This formula of a troublesome new girl who reforms and conforms is most common in the later books.
Reception As with contemporary series of school stories by other authors, the Chalet School books acquired a following of readers who tried to collect each new novel as it came out. Its more exotic setting set it slightly apart from other British series in the same genre. It is the longest of any such novel series.
In the second edition of Helen McClelland's Behind the Chalet School: A Biography of Elinor M. Brent-Dyer (1996), McClelland wrote of the Armada Books paperback editions, published from 1967, that "the books have an excellent selling record. As far as numbers go, the first year figures are the most remarkable: in the six months between May and October 1967, 198,539 copies of Chalet paperbacks were sold - 169,938 at home and 28,601 in the export market. But right up to the present day annual sales continue to top the 100,000 mark".
Sheila Ray, in the International Companion Encyclopedia of Children's Literature (2004), writes that "Brent-Dyer also wrote other school and family stories, but it is the Chalet School which captured popular imagination, and, at the beginning of the twentieth century, there are two magazines devoted to discussion of her work [and] conferences are held".
Book details
Hardback Chalet School books were originally published in hardback between 1925 and 1970 by W. & R. Chambers. TitleYear1The School at the Chalet19252Jo of the Chalet School19263The Princess of the Chalet School19274The Head Girl of the Chalet School19285The Rivals of the Chalet School19296Eustacia Goes to the Chalet School19307The Chalet School and Jo19318The Chalet Girls in Camp19329The Exploits of the Chalet Girls193310The Chalet School and the Lintons [a]193411The New House at the Chalet School193512Jo Returns to the Chalet School193613The New Chalet School [b]193814The Chalet School in Exile194015The Chalet School Goes to It [c]194116The Highland Twins at the Chalet School194217Lavender Laughs in the Chalet School [d]194318Gay From China at the Chalet School [e]194419Jo to the Rescue194520Three Go to the Chalet School194921The Chalet School and the Island195022Peggy of the Chalet School195023Carola Storms the Chalet School195124The Wrong Chalet School195225Shocks for the Chalet School195226The Chalet School in the Oberland195227Bride Leads the Chalet School195328Changes for the Chalet School195329Joey Goes to the Oberland195430The Chalet School and Barbara195431Tom Tackles the Chalet School [f]195532The Chalet School Does It Again195533A Chalet Girl from Kenya195534Mary-Lou of the Chalet School195635A Genius at the Chalet School [g]195636A Problem for the Chalet School195637The New Mistress at the Chalet School195738Excitements at the Chalet School195739The Coming of Age of the Chalet School195840The Chalet School and Richenda195841Trials for the Chalet School195842Theodora and the Chalet School195943Joey and Co in Tirol196044Ruey Richardson: Chaletian [h]196045A Leader in the Chalet School196146The Chalet School Wins the Trick196147A Future Chalet School Girl196248The Feud in the Chalet School196249The Chalet School Triplets196350The Chalet School Reunion196351Jane and the Chalet School196452Redheads at the Chalet School196453Adrienne and the Chalet School196554Summer Term at the Chalet School196555Challenge for the Chalet School196656Two Sams at the Chalet School196757Althea Joins the Chalet School196958Prefects of the Chalet School1970
Paperback The novels were reissued in paperback format between 1967 and 1995. Usually with updated language. Some were more or less uncut, but many others were abridged to various extents, including chapters deleted from some titles. A few were split into two paperback volumes, and several were retitled. HardbackPaperback10The Chalet School and the LintonsThe Chalet School and the LintonsA Rebel at the Chalet School13The New Chalet SchoolThe New Chalet SchoolA United Chalet School15The Chalet School Goes to ItThe Chalet School at War17Lavender Laughs in the Chalet SchoolLavender Leigh at the Chalet School18Gay From China at the Chalet SchoolGay Lambert at the Chalet School35A Genius at the Chalet SchoolA Genius at the Chalet SchoolChalet School Fête44Ruey Richardson: ChaletianRuey Richardson at the Chalet School
Additional books TitleYearThe Chalet Book for Girls (including The Mystery at the Chalet School)1947The Second Chalet Book for Girls (including Tom Tackles the Chalet School, part 1)1948The Third Chalet Book for Girls (including Tom Tackles the Chalet School, part 2)1949The Chalet School and Rosalie1951The Chalet Girls' Cookbook1953The Chalet Club News Letter Book2004Elinor M. Brent-Dyer's Short Stories2004
Books by other authors
Many authors have written books set in the Chalet School universe. Sheila Ray has written that "Some of them, it must be said, are rather better written than Brent-Dyer's own later books". Some of the books are set before the Chalet School is founded, some of them follow on from the last book of the series, and others attempt to fill in some of the "gaps" in the earlier years of the school. All books are published by Girls Gone By Publishers unless otherwise stated.
Prequels
These titles describe the events which led to the founding of the Chalet School.
Before the Chalet School: The Bettanys on the Home Front – Helen Barber (2015) - Begins during Summer Holidays 1914 and ends a year later in 1915 Before the Chalet School: The Bettanys of Taverton High – Helen Barber (2008, 2022) - Set in the term before The School at the Chalet and Simone at the Chalet School and Before the Chalet School: Last Term at Taverton High Before the Chalet School: Last Term at Taverton High – Helen Barber (2018) - Set in the same term as The School at the Chalet and Simone at the Chalet School
Fill in novels
This list contains all fill ins that have been published that fit within the time-scale of the Chalet School universe written by Elinor Brent-Dyer (i.e. not preceding or following it). The second title listed is the book that immediately precedes the respective fill in unless otherwise stated.
Visitors for the Chalet School - Helen McClelland (1995) Published by Bettany Press (1995); Published by Collins (2000) - The Princess of the Chalet School Joey and Patricia: A Reunion in Guernsey – Helen McClelland (2000, 2018) Published by The New Chalet Club – Set during the gap in The Chalet School in Exile Gillian of the Chalet School – Carol Allan (2001, 2006, 2018) – The New Chalet School (and A United Chalet School) The Chalet School and Robin – Caroline German (2003, 2012) – The Chalet School Goes to It A Chalet School Headmistress – Helen Barber (2004, 2017) – Set in the same term as The Mystery at the Chalet School Hilda Annersley: Headmistress – Lesley Green (2005) Published by Matador – Same time period as Gay from China at the Chalet School, Jo to the Rescue, The Mystery at the Chalet School, A Chalet School Headmistress, Tom Tackles the Chalet School, and the first half of The Chalet School and Rosalie Peace Comes to the Chalet School – Katherine Bruce (2005, 2020) – A Guernsey Girl at the Chalet School Juliet of the Chalet School – Caroline German (2006) – The Guides of the Chalet School Two Chalet School Girls in India – Priyadarshini Narendra (2006) Published by Bettany Press - The New Chalet School (and A United Chalet School) Cornelia of the Chalet School – Jackie Roberts (2009) Published by Yersinia Press – Same time period as Three go to the Chalet School and A Difficult Term for the Chalet School The Guides of the Chalet School – Jane Berry (2009) – Jo of the Chalet School Deira Joins the Chalet School – Caroline German (2010) – Juliet of the Chalet School A Difficult Term for the Chalet School – Lisa Townsend (2011, 2021) – Three Go to the Chalet School The Müller Twins at the Chalet School – Katherine Bruce (2012) – Jo Returns to the Chalet School Champion of the Chalet School – Adrianne Fitzpatrick (2014) – Peace Comes to the Chalet School Surprises for the Chalet School – Jackie Roberts (2014) Published by Yersinia Press – Same time period as The Chalet School and the Island and Peggy of the Chalet School Joey and Co in Canada – Jackie Roberts (2016) Published by Yersinia Press – Same time period as The Wrong Chalet School, Shocks for the Chalet School, Maeve of the Chalet School, and The Chalet School in the Oberland Juniors of the Chalet School – Katherine Bruce (2016) – Set in the same term as The Princess of the Chalet School Sisters at the Chalet School – Amy Fletcher (2017) – The Chalet School and Rosalie The Chalet School Annexe – Adrianne Fitzpatrick (2018) – Set in the same term as The Exploits of the Chalet Girls The Chalet School and Cornelia – Katherine Bruce (2019) – Set in the summer term of The Head Girl of the Chalet School A Refuge for the Chalet School – Amy Fletcher (2019) – Set during the gap in The Chalet School in Exile The Bettany Twins and the Chalet School - Helen Barber (2020) - Same time period as Tom Tackles the Chalet School and The Chalet School and Rosalie and Primula of the Chalet School The Chalet School in Guernsey – Katherine Bruce (2020) – The Chalet School in Exile The Chalet School Returns to the Alps - Lisa Townsend (2021) - Set in the same term as The Chalet School and Barbara and The Chalet School at Glendower House A Guernsey Girl at the Chalet School - Amy Fletcher (2021) - Sisters at the Chalet School Flight of a Chalet School Girl - Katherine Bruce (2022) - Begins during the gap between The New Chalet School (and A United Chalet School) and The Chalet School in Exile - Ends during The Highland Twins at the Chalet School Maeve of the Chalet School - Helen Barber (2022) - Set in the same term as Shocks for the Chalet School and The Chalet School in the Oberland Rosamund Heads the Chalet School - Lisa Townsend (2023) - Set in the same term as Redheads at the Chalet School