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The Abbey Girls #37
The Song of the Abbey
After Nesta goes to a ballet performance without permission, she loses her eligibility to become May Queen. Nanta Rose, a former Queen,[see _Margery Meets the Roses_] steps in as a substitute. She also has the opportunity to play a violin solo of a new composition based on the Abbey. The Abbey in the Oxenham stories is based on Cleeve Abbey near Washford, Somerset.
- GenresChildrens
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1954
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45 people want to read
About the author
Elsie J. Oxenham
117 books23 followersA celebrated English girls’ school story writer, Elsie J. Oxenham's was born Elsie Jeanette Dunkerley in 1880 in Southport, Lancashire, She was the daughter of writer John_Oxenham, born William John Dunkerley, who had chosen the pseudonym ‘John Oxenham’. And Elsie decided to adopt the same surname for her writing career.
Her father was a clear influence upon her own writing. Her brother, Roderic Dunkerley, was also an author (published under his own name), as was her sister Erica, who also used the 'Oxenham' name.
She grew up in Ealing, West London, where her family had moved when she was a baby, living there until 1922, when the family moved again, to Worthing. After the deaths of her parents, Oxenham lived with her sister Maida. She died in 1960.
Oxenham, whose interests included the Camp Fire movement, and English Folk Dance traditions, is primarily remembered as the creator of the 38-book 'Abbey Girls' series. In her lifetime she had 87 titles published, and another two have since been published by her niece, who discovered the manuscripts in the early 1990s.
She is considered a major figure among girls' school story writers of the first half of the 20th century -- one of the 'Big Three,' together with Elinor Brent-Dyer and Dorita Fairlie Bruce.
Her father was a clear influence upon her own writing. Her brother, Roderic Dunkerley, was also an author (published under his own name), as was her sister Erica, who also used the 'Oxenham' name.
She grew up in Ealing, West London, where her family had moved when she was a baby, living there until 1922, when the family moved again, to Worthing. After the deaths of her parents, Oxenham lived with her sister Maida. She died in 1960.
Oxenham, whose interests included the Camp Fire movement, and English Folk Dance traditions, is primarily remembered as the creator of the 38-book 'Abbey Girls' series. In her lifetime she had 87 titles published, and another two have since been published by her niece, who discovered the manuscripts in the early 1990s.
She is considered a major figure among girls' school story writers of the first half of the 20th century -- one of the 'Big Three,' together with Elinor Brent-Dyer and Dorita Fairlie Bruce.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 22, 2015
A bit of a mediocre book with a bit of wandering plot. I find it hard to keep track of who is who, and the author's fixation on having as many of her characters becomes lady's a bit annoying.
February 9, 2018
Oh my goodness. So many names! Why do they all have so many names? I quite liked the story behind this - the old trope of a girl being tempted to do something against "the code" (so to speak) and having to face the music - but by golly is it hard to get your head around who everyone is!
February 1, 2011
After Nesta goes to a ballet performance without permission, she loses her eligibility to become May Queen. Nanta Rose, a former Queen,[see _Margery Meets the Roses_] steps in as a substitute. She also has the opportunity to play a violin solo of a new composition based on the Abbey. The Abbey in the Oxenham stories is based on Cleeve Abbey near Washford, Somerset.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews