All Girls

“If you went to an all-girls boarding school (or wanted to), this is THE BOOK. Emily Layden so perfectly captures the cloistered community of a girls' school; the calendar of traditions, the delicate balance between girlhood and adulthood. This book more than any other brings me back so specifically to that time in my life. I re-read every year.”

“This is a newcomer to my particular must-read list and quickly a favorite. This book is set between 2015 and 2016 and each chapter is told from a different viewpoint. I won't go into the plotline as it will spoil the book, but the characterization of the girls was so achingly real and spot-on. In between each chapter are supporting documents—for instance, emails from the Head of School to the school community, or an article in a local newspaper. Something I felt that has been lacking in many boarding school books that I found here was that each girl had such a clear, unique voice. It brought me right back to school, especially with all the traditions unique to Atwater. The last line, this is the longing you feel for a place that's become a part of you. This is the yearning you carry when you never really leave is something I certainly feel about my own school.”