The Broken Girls

The Broken Girls

Adult mystery
Recall how recently Simone St. James introduced us to a motel
that made the setting of Psycho look like a day care center in
contrast? I decided to track down her earlier work. Am I ever glad I
did! Her The Broken Girls draws readers into every boarding school
horror story come to life.
Idlewild Hall was built in Vermont in 1919. By the 50s it was a
dumping ground for girls whose families either didn't want them or
know what to do with them. A girl disappeared. Nobody on the staff
seemed to care what happened to her.
In 1979 the school was shut down and began to decay--physically,
that is. Its dark secrets had a life of their own.
In 2014 Fiona, a free lance journalist, is obsessed with
Idlewild. In the 90s her sister was killed, presumably by her then
boyfriend. Her body was dumped on the school's then going to seed
playing field. When Fiona learns that the property has been purchased
by someone who plans to renovate and reopen it she decides to do a
magazine story on its history. As she interviews the son of the new
owner work comes to a screeching halt. A long dead human body has
been found in an unused well.
And then there's the ghost, Mary Hand, who is still making
appearances in the 21st century--even though she passed before the
school opened its doors. Who is she? What does she want?
If you want a spine chilling story in which the malevolent
setting is as much of a character as the humans who inhabit it, you
can't do better than The Broken Girls.
I will continue to track down St. James' novels. I've requested
two from Bangor Public Library.
On a purrrsonal note, well, here we are at the weekend. I'll probably
go to camp with Eugene. I hope you have something good planned.
I'm getting ready for my fall semester class which will be statistics
online. I have to admit being nervous. I'm not exactly confident on
either topic of means of learning.
The bad news: I have to reinstall zoom. I've been communicating with
IT and getting nowhere fast. But my ex manager says she can install
if I can get the laptop to her. I will if I have to walk both ways.
The good news. My kids are giving me my really pricey textbook for my
birthday gift. That saves me not only money but walking to campus and
back which is five or six miles each way. Every time I use it I will
be reminded that they believe in me and consider my education
important. (Jules)
I am glad I don't have to do anything with zoom or study statistics.
Whatever that is. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to my kids and the people who will help
me resolve this zoom challenge.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway


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