The Finishing School Paperback - 1999

First line

Last night I dreamed of Ursula DeVane.

From the rear cover

Justin Stokes would never forget the summer she turned fourteen, nor the woman who transformed her bleak adolescent life into a wondrous place of brilliant color. In the little pondside hut she called her "finishing school, " eccentric, free-spirited Ursula DeVane opened up a world full of magical possibilities for Justin, teaching her valuable lessons of love and loyalty, encouraging her to change, to learn, to grow. But the lessons of the finishing school have their dark side as well, as Justin learns how deep friendship can be shattered by shocking, unforgivable betrayal.

From the jacket flap

Justin Stokes would never forget the summer she turned fourteen, nor the woman who transformed her bleak adolescent life into a wondrous place of brilliant color. In the little pondside hut also known as the "finishing school," eccentric, free-spirited Ursula DeVane opened up a world full of magical possibilities for Justin, teaching her valuable lessons of love and loyalty, and encouraging her to change, to learn, to grow. But the lessons of the finishing school have their dark side as well, as Justin learns how deep friendship can be shattered by shocking, unforgivable betrayal.

Media reviews

"Stunning . . . Irresistible."
—Time

"GODWIN PROVES HERSELF ONE OF AMERICA'S FOREMOST WRITERS IN THE FINISHING SCHOOL. . . . A profound novel with characters close to the heart."
—The Philadelphia Inquirer

"COMPELLING, WELL CRAFTED . . . A psychological detective story with dramatic revelations of character and event."
—Chicago Tribune

"FINELY NUANCED, COMPASSIONATE . . . The Finishing School is a wise contribution to the literature of growing up."
—The New York Times Book Review

"ALLURING . . . GENTLE, IRONIC, INTENSE, AND EMOTIONAL FICTION."
—People