No Ivory Tower

Set in the backdrop of a prestigious all-girls boarding school, this provocative novel explores the personal lives of those within the school’s small community and the empowerment, strength, and resolve it must find in the face of a surprise adversary.

After a tumultuous transitional year at the prestigious boarding school, Rachel Bickham now leads as the new head of Miss Oliver’s School for Girls, ready to rush in an era of renewal and success. With beloved teacher Francis Plummer by her side, surely she can conquer anything thrown at her, perhaps even finally start a family of her own. But lately Rachel hears nothing about Francis’s classes, once legend among the students. . . In fact, the praises have been suspiciously absent. In the meantime, financial crisis still looms over the school, and now there are rumors spreading of a big scandal concerning one of the students, Claire Nelson, who is like a daughter to Rachel. To save Claire from expulsion and preserve the school’s reputation, Rachel must come up with a daring plan that may risk everything—her career, marriage, even the special bond with Claire—but it may just save them all.

This is the follow-up to Davenport’s first novel, Saving Miss Oliver’s.

Author Biography

Stephen Davenport is the author of Saving Miss Oliver’s, the first novel of the Miss Oliver’s School for Girls series. He is a retired teacher and leader of day and boarding schools, earning The Capital Area Distinguished Teacher Award from Trinity College early in his career. His writing has been published in the New York Times Magazine, the New York Times Sunday travel section, and the Saturday Review. He is now a full-time writer and volunteer, and still serves on school boards. Davenport lives in Oakland, California.