The St Alwynn Girls at Sea

Teenage schoolgirls evacuated to a drifting ship contend with a riot of hormones, jealousy and crushes

A war is raging on land and Madame Gallienne, principal of St Alwynn School for Girls has come up with the ingenious plan of protecting her girls by keeping them on a boat sailing in the middle of the ocean. She’s also convinced the principal of a boys’ school to do the same, in a boat nearby.

The girls are Yvonne, the older, beautiful prefect, Lorraine, the intellectual weirdo, Dani, the melodramatic narcissist, Flora, the wallflower. And Audrey, the film star who has been whisked off the boat to Hollywood. All that remains of her is a picture that the other girls have put up in their cabin and consult as an oracle.

As the months drag on, the girls, naturally, begin to correspond with the boys in letters that lead to intrigue, drama and heartbreak. But the experiences also bring the girls closer to each other and themselves. What is the fickle world of love compared to the depths of their longings for life beyond the ship? Will they ever get off the ship, and what will the world look like when they do?