Lucia Fiora Grayrigg, raised in Italy amongst her mother's kin, had never traveled to England, nor met the family of her English father, who died when she was eight. Now thirteen, she is to be sent to Arndale Hall, where her paternal cousins - Harriet, Tabby and Plum - go to school. Thinking she knows all there is to know about British boarding schools, from the school stories she enjoys reading - "Sara and the Secret Six," "The Bravest Girl in the Fourth," etc. - Lucia is surprised to discover that Arndale is a modern, progressive place, one where the girls themselves have a hand in making and enforcing the rules, and where out-of-bound adventures such as midnight feasts and sneaking off to explore are frowned upon by her peers. Her stubborn insistence on going where she chooses, and her reckless behavior whilst on a school trip, lead the other girls to initially deny Lucia a place in the Pot-Holing Club, formed to go spelunking in the local caves. When Lucia sneaks out to see the nearby Arn Cave one rainy night, and almost becomes trapped by rising water, her cousin Tabby must come to the rescue, and be rescued in return. Further adventures involving Lucia's unhappy friend Susan, who runs away toward the end of the book, lend drama to the final chapters of the tale. The book ends happily, as Lucia, now more comfortable at school, enjoys a Christmas holiday at her father's ancestral home in Yorkshire, Moor Winds House...

Like so many of Mabel Esther Allan's school stories - think School Under Snowdon, or New Schools for Old - the school environment in Lucia Comes to School is a progressive one, where students are involved in self-government, and the setting of academic standards. Also like many other Allan stories in this vein, music and dance play their role, as Lucia and her schoolmates learn various traditional Yorkshire folk dances, like the Kendal Ghyll, The Holly Berry, and The Huntman's Chorus. The theme of the new girl at school is explored in a humorous way, as Lucia's preconceptions about British boarding school, formed very much in the Angela Brazil mode, are continuously challenged, both by her experiences, and by the interlocution of her peers. I chuckled on more than one occasion, as Lucia's cousins react to her erstwhile reading material. No doubt this was Allan herself, responding through her characters to the more stereotypical examples of the genre, and her (potential) critics within it. The idea of conformity, and the importance of obeying the community's rules, are always handled in an interesting way in Allan's work, and this is no exception. The main character, although initially rebellious, is usually reconciled, not through compulsion, or the authority of adults, but through becoming a full member of the community, and understanding that she too is part of the decision-making process. The settings here are beautifully described, as one would expect with Allan, for whom place is very important. All in all, this was an enjoyable example of the school story genre, quite entertaining and enjoyable. Recommended to fellow fans of the genre, particularly those ones looking for examples slightly off the beaten track, when it comes to school ethos. ( )