Saving Miss Oliver’s

Saving Miss Oliver’s: A Novel of Leadership, Loyalty, and Change
Stephen Davenport
H. H. Bonnell
ISBN: 0-9769255-2-4
Fiction, Contemporary
Reviewed by Mona Lisa Safai

At Miss Oliver’s School for Girls everything stayed the same. That is until the Board fired Marjorie Boyd their beloved headmistress. Unfortunately, she was ill-equipped as a financial manager to run Miss Oliver’s. So, the Board decided to bring in someone else. The next headmaster, Mr. Kindler, tackles the inadequately managed budget and faces the turbulent environment of Miss Oliver’s. Stephen Davenport writes Saving Miss Oliver’s: A Novel of Leadership, Loyalty, and Change in the spirit of intended for anyone who has experienced adolescence, high school, and education.
When Mr. Kindler arrives at Miss Oliver’s, only three options remain for the school. Recruit more girls, Enroll boys, or close Miss Oliver’s for good. Davenport writes from the perspectives of students, teachers, trustees, administrative staff, and parents. Throughout the book, twists and turns, some victories and disappointments occur.
The sense that an educational institution is immune from all outside problems is immediately lifted. As in any environment, Davenport also illustrates the inter-politicking between faculty and administration. Carefully crafted characters, each with their own set of dilemmas move the reader. A private school or not, high school is a difficult time for teenagers.
But, most probably most important about Miss Oliver’s is the reader identifies with the characters quite quickly the urgency of the situation. Davenport’s talent is in his ability to create an emotional bond between the reader and the characters. This book is a genuine read.