When Charlotte Fairlie was a girl her relationship with her widowed father was close. Then he met someone, and she seemed to be nice, but as soon as they were married, she became jealous of Charlotte. In the end, he sent Charlotte to his brother, and she never saw him again. (Oddly, she reflects later that it was the only thing he could do, but I think not.)
Now Charlotte has achieved her goal since she was in school. She has been appointed head of St. Elizabeth’s, her old school. She is young for such a position but has been wearing a stodgy hat to board meetings to disguise that fact. The only thorn in her side is Miss Pinkerton, who thinks she should have had the position and is a real troublemaker.
A new girl starts at the school, Tessa MacRyne. She is an unusual child, self-possessed but homesick for her island home in Western Scotland. Charlotte catches her running away one day and learns that a letter from her mother has informed her that her parents are divorcing and her mother has returned to her parents in the U. S. Tessa feels she must return home to comfort her father. Charlotte’s handling of the situation earns her Tessa’s affection and an invitation to the island of Targ during summer break.
A friendship begins between Charlotte and Lawrence Swayne, the headmaster of the boys’ school. Unexpectedly, her proposes marriage to her, thinking they would make a great partnership.
I found this novel to be deeply touching and involving. I generally think of Stevenson’s books as very light romance, but I felt this book was a little deeper.
What? Me Read? 
Still haven’t read anything by DE Stevenson, which I feel is an omission. Her books usually do sound a bit too romance-y for my taste, but the extra depth you found in this one makes it quite appealing…
Give it a try! She and Molly Clavering, who were friends and neighbors, write very similar books, but there seems to me to be more to Claverings.
Maybe I’ll go for a Molly Clavering first then. I’ve tentatively put Touch Not the Nettle on my wishlist. Have you read it?
Yes, I liked it, but it is slighter than Charlotte Fairlie, as far as I can remember. I liked Yoked with a Lamb or Because of Sam.
Thanks, I’ll maybe swap over to one of them.
So far I’ve only read Spring Magic by Stevenson, but I want to read some more soon! This one sounds excellent!
I haven’t read that one yet, but I think I liked this one better than any of the others I’ve read.
I’ll have to make a note of that for my next Stevenson!