Getting of Wisdom

Twelve-year-old Laura and her three younger siblings live in rural Victoria, Australia. Their father has died, and their mother supports the family through sewing and embroidery. With financial support from her godmother, Laura is sent to the prestigious Ladies' College, a girls' boarding school in Melbourne. There, she is exposed to the prejudice of her wealthier and more worldly peers, and learns to be ashamed of her homespun background.Published in 1910, The Getting of Wisdom is considered one of the first great Australian novels. Henry Handel Richardson was the pen name of Ethel Florence Lindesay Richardson, who used a male pseudonym to avoid gender bias in publishing.Perfect for readers who appreciate coming-of-age stories and early feminist literature, this sharply observed novel explores class, identity, and the compromises we make to belong-themes that feel as fresh today as when it was first published.