Description
Book SynopsisThe fate of the beloved school is hanging in the balance. . .
"From the very first paragraphs, Saving Miss Oliver's is an engaging read and is very highly recommended to all general fiction readers."
--Midwest Book Review
"There are moments here that indicate that Davenport, who, as his bio notes, 'had a long career in education,' was probably an excellent teacher, like a scene in which Francis explicates a Robert Frost poem with his class, and there are some wonderful students, like the head of the school newspaper who is conducting research about the sex lives of students. . . A book for anyone who's wondered about the inner workings and worries of a school administration."
--Kirkus Reviews
The prestigious boarding school Miss Oliver's School for Girls is on the cusp of going under. The trustees just fired the headmistress of the last thirty-five years, and the alumnae and students are angry and determined to hate her successor, the new--and male--head Fred Kindler. If only he can gain the support of the legendary senior teacher Francis Plummer, then Fred might have a fighting chance to save the school; but no one except Francis's wife and the school librarian, Peggy, is willing to give Fred a chance.
With Fred's career on the line and the Plummers' marriage at stake, will Miss Oliver's survive to be the school it once was?
Trade Review"Some are called to serve in schools. Some are called to write. Davenport is called to both."
--Annie Dillard
"I was enthralled by the stories within the story, and moved to tears by the strength and bravery of the characters who so quickly became my friends. This is a story of struggle and disappointment, but most of all, it is a story about wisdom and hope."
--Jessie-lea Abbott, former Head of School, Katherine Delmar Burke School
"A fascinating novel, a school story vibrant with personalities, crises, hopes, idealism, laughter, tears, struggle and soaring spirit. The reader will care intensely about the persons and events in this book, the drama and comedy vividly alive in it."
--David Mallery
"Saving Miss Oliver's is one of those rare novels that not only entertains and engages its readers, but also serves as an excellent case study in leadership, management and organizational behavior. How unique it is to find such lessons in a novel, let alone a novel so well-crafted that the reader walks away feeling inspired to be a better manager, teacher, student and leader."
--Barbara B. Hines, Quill and Scroll, Howard University
