
In a sun‑lit May ceremony at the University of London, a small handful of women break tradition by receiving their degrees, and among them stands the brilliant Cecil Anstruther. Fresh from earning top honors in French and Moral Science, she feels the weight of her cap, diploma, and the expectations of a society just beginning to recognize female scholars. Yet, despite her academic triumphs, Cecil’s future seems bound to the familiar walls of her home, where younger siblings await her guidance and the prospect of a modest teaching post feels limiting.
When her mentor, Miss Arbuthnot, suggests a very different path—a position as governess to the children of a distinguished Eastern dignitary—Cecil is drawn into a world far beyond the London lecture hall. The offer promises adventure, a chance to apply her education abroad, and the challenge of navigating a new culture while shaping the minds of elite youngsters. As she weighs duty to family against the lure of an extraordinary experience, the story begins its journey across continents and social expectations.
Language
en
Duration
~10 hours (582K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
an anonymous Project Gutenberg volunteer
Release date
2021-08-23
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1868–1933
An energetic storyteller of imperial adventure, this English novelist published as Sydney C. Grier and built a long career on fast-moving tales set in places like India, Afghanistan, and the Middle East. Her books mix romance, politics, and high-stakes travel in a way that made her a steady popular writer from the 1890s into the 1920s.
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