Death of a Schoolgirl: (Jane Eyre Chronicles, 1)
Joanna Campbell Slan, 2012
Penguin Group USA
352 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780425247747
Summary
In her classic tale, Charlotte Bronte introduced readers to the strong-willed and intelligent Jane Eyre. Picking up where Brontë left off, Jane’s life has settled into a comfortable pattern: She and her beloved Edward Rochester are married and have an infant son. But Jane soon finds herself in the midst of new challenges and threats to those she loves.
Jane can’t help but fret when a letter arrives from Adele Varens—Rochester’s ward, currently at boarding school—warning that the girl’s life is in jeopardy. Although it means leaving her young son and invalid husband, and despite never having been to a city of any size, Jane feels strongly compelled to go to London to ensure Adele’s safety.
But almost from the beginning, Jane’s travels don’t go as planned—she is knocked about and robbed, and no one believes that the plain, unassuming Jane could indeed be the wife of a gentleman; even the school superintendent takes her for an errant new teacher. But most shocking to Jane is the discovery that Adele’s schoolmate has recently passed away under very suspicious circumstances, yet no one appears overly concerned. Taking advantage of the situation, Jane decides to pose as the missing instructor—and soon uncovers several unsavory secrets, which may very well make her the killer’s next target. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth— June 22, 1953
• Raised—Vincennes, Indiana, USA
• Education—B.A., Ball State University
• Currently—lives in Jupiter Island, Florida
Joanna Campbell Slan started storytelling—and winning awards for her writing—at an early age. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Joanna grew up in Vincennes, Indiana, and graduated cum laude from Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana) where she majored in journalism. Today she's the author of eleven non-fiction books, a mystery series featuring Kiki Lowenstein, a spunky single mom who loves to scrapbook, and a new series featuring Charlotte Bronte's classic heroine Jane Eyre as an amateur sleuth.
Joanna's first novel—Paper, Scissors, Death—was a 2009 Agatha Award finalist. The Kiki Lowenstein series has been praised by the Library Journal as "topically relevant and chock-full of side stories." Publisher's Weekly calls them, "a cut above the usual craft-themed cozy." RT Book Review has said that Kiki Lowenstein is that she is "our best friend, our next-door neighbor and ourselves with just a touch of the outrageous." Once you've met Joanna, you can guess where the outrageous comes from.
Ready, Scrap, Shoot, the fifth book in the Kiki Lowenstein series, was released in 2012, along with short stories featuring Kiki. A sixth book in that popular series has been scheduled. In addition, Joanna is writing a new historical mystery series featuring Jane Eyre as an amateur sleuth. Death of a Schoolgirl, released also in 2012, marks the first entry in The Jane Eyre Chronicles; it was followed by the second, The Death of a Dowager in 2013.
In her ongoing quest to never see snow again, Joanna lives with her two dogs and her husband on a nearly deserted island—Jupiter Island, Florida. (From the author's website.)
Book Reviews
Fans of historical cozies will best appreciate Slan’s first in a new series featuring Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Soon after the birth of Jane and Edward Rochester’s first son, Jane receives a troubling plea for help from her former pupil, Adele Varens, now at London’s Alderton House School for Girls. Jane travels from Yorkshire to London, where she poses as a German teacher to gain entry to Alderton House, which she discovers is a hotbed of bullying, theft, laudanum drugging, and long-held grudges. The death of one of Adele’s schoolmates and a possible connection to George IV add to the intrigue. Slan (Ready, Scrap, Shoot and four other Kiki Lowenstein mysteries) captures neither the voice of Jane Eyre nor the timeless appeal of its heroine, but she credibly recreates Regency London and the era of the Bow Street Runners.
Publishers Weekly
In 1820, Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre Rochester have settled into the Yorkshire countryside and welcomed a son. Their quiet retreat is shattered when Adele, Mr. Rochester's ward who is now enrolled in a London boarding school, sends a desperate plea for help.... Verdict: It's difficult to know why the author of the Kiki Lowenstein "Scrap-N-Craft" cozy series chose Jane Eyre as the basis for this amateur sleuth mystery.... Readers without strong feelings about Charlotte Bronte's classic may enjoy this spin-off but should be prepared for a slow-paced investigation and out-of-the-blue solution. —Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH
Library Journal
(15 to Adult.) This piece is a work of fiction, based upon the work of Charlotte Bronte. The novel begins when Jane and her husband, Rochester, both happily in love, take care of their infant son. Rochester has a daughter named Adele who is living in a girls’ boarding school. A strange letter arrives from Adele, containing cryptic messages of a foreboding nature.... Jane decides she must embark on an important quest to the boarding school.... Will she be able to save Adele from the strange circumstances at her school? This is a wonderful novel for young adults who are interested in the classics of Great Britain in the 1800s. For readers who love Jane Eyre, she lives on through Joanna Campbell Slan.
VOYA
A cry of distress from a schoolgirl takes Jane Eyre Rochester far from her sheltered life.... Although Jane may seem meek, the formidable intelligence behind her demure exterior stands her in good stead as she attempts to uncover a murderer. In a radical departure from her scrapbooking series (Ready, Scrap, Shoot, 2012, etc.), Slan refashions a beloved heroine as a surprisingly canny detective. Her stylistic imitation of Charlotte Bronte is seasoned with a dash of social commentary and plenty of suspects to mull over.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. Charlotte Brontë called her work “a plain tale,” but 165 years later, her novel Jane Eyre still enchants readers. What do you think is the secret to this book’s popularity? Do you think it is still relevant today? Does Death of a Schoolgirl make you want to re-read the classic?
2. The author begins Death of a Schoolgirl close to where Jane Eyre left off, with Jane and her beloved Edward Rochester happily married. But while Jane is still the same person—curious, cerebral, observant, and unobtrusive—in some important ways she has changed. The struggling orphan of the classic is now a wealthy wife of a country squire and the mother of a little boy. It what other ways has Jane changed? Do you approve of these changes? Why or why not?
3. At various times in the book, Jane has different motivations for staying at Alderton House School for Girls. At first, she is there to see to Adèle. Then she feels she must protect the other schoolgirls. Later, she worries about Miss Miller being accused wrongly. What other motivations does she have? What is it about Jane’s past that makes her feel so strongly that she must do something? Do you think she should have just taken Adèle and left the school?
4. Jane is less than truthful in many ways. One is the manner in which she dresses. Another is allowing herself to be mistaken for an errant German teacher. These are only two examples. Can you think of other ways in which she is duplicitous? How about the other characters? Is dishonesty ever justifiable? Why or why not?
5. Lucy Brayton is a new addition to the original cast of Jane Eyre. How does she serve as a foil to Jane? What strengths does Lucy bring to their friendship? What weaknesses in Jane’s personality does Lucy spotlight? What do you learn about Jane because their interactions?
6. The author has a bit of fun with the reader by locating the home of Captain and Lucy Brayton at #24 Grosvenor Square. What is the symbolism of that address?
7. Lucy Brayton understands how to use her social standing and wealth to achieve her aims. Can you give examples of this? Do you think she is right or wrong to take advance of her position?
8. Bruce Douglas is also a new character to the original Jane Eyre cast. What does he add to the story? How does he help Jane in her quest? How does he contrast with Edward Rochester?
9. Characters in the book show their prejudices toward others in a variety of ways, such as bias regarding national origin, social pedigree, education, age and gender. Did you notice them throughout the text? Do these still exist today?
10. Throughout Death of a Schoolgirl, there are many subtle themes. One is how we judge people by outward appearances; a second is responsibility to others; and a third theme is how our assumptions about others can be wrong. There is also the question of what accommodations marital/romantic partners make for each other. What other examples can you find of these themes in the text?
11. On the trip into Millcote, Jane sees her role as Edward’s wife differently. At the end of the book, Edward views his position as country squire in a new light. What events cause the Rochesters to re-examine their responsibilities?
12. In the original Jane Eyre, the imagery of birds is very important. Can you point to places where birds or bird-like behavior is likewise woven into Death of a Schoolgirl?
13. Jane seems ideally suited to understand and employ the science of ratiocination. What makes her such a good amateur sleuth?
14. Many of the characters in the book are seeking redemption or trying to rebuild their lives in one way or another. Which of them have your sympathy? Which do not? Why?
(Questions from author's website.)