Among these are the colored 'sootie' called Soap, and the alarming crossdressing Vieve, niece of one of the professors, and unfortunately disposed to the habit of wearing men's clothing. Being of a naturally inquisitive nature, Sophronia soon finds herself exploring the more unsavory parts of the school such as the boiler room, and thus making a few less than choice acquaintances. There are mechanicals, robots that trundle along tracks and serve as maids and butlers, a vampire professor who is well-versed in the appropriate manner of dressing, and three female professors, whose jobs involve teaching the delicate art of ladylike behavior as well as instructing the girls on the benefits of eyelash batting, well-timed fainting and other apparent frivolities. While Monique attempts to take all the credit for Sophronia's audacious escape, Dimity and Sophronia are adjusting to attending a floating finishing academy. That girl is identified as Monique, an older student whose beauty is surpassed only by her own opinion of herself.

Set in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate, this YA series debut is filled with all the saucy adventure and droll humor Gail's legions of fans have come to adore.Once delivered to the actual school by way of a helpful werewolf, Sophronia and Dimity are informed of the true identity of the headmistress who is not, in fact, the girl with whom they had ridden in the carriage. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but the also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage-in the politest possible ways, of course.

At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish.everything. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.īut Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners-and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Welcome to Finishing School.įourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time.

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly.

Etiquette espionage