Yorkshire, 1956. When Helen Mercer takes on the role of head teacher at Brightbrook Junior School, she is met with peeling paint, broken promises from the local authority, and a building that resembles a Victorian workhouse. But behind the dreary exterior are children who desperately need a champion - and Helen is determined to transform the school and the lives of her pupils.
Among them are Terry, a boy scarred by a brutal home life who finds peace in his love for pigeons; Rupert, a gifted but arrogant ten-year-old masking a desperate need for affection; and Lucy, a bright girl struggling with a baffling case of elective mutism.
As Helen and her staff battle daily challenges at work, her personal life takes a hopeful turn through her unexpected romance with the head teacher of a neighbouring school. However, Helen's hard-won peace is soon tested by the reappearance of a ghost from her past and a devastating bombshell from the Director of Education that Brightbrook is slated for permanent closure...
Praise for Gervase Phinn:
'A worthy successor to James Herriott, and every bit as endearing' Alan Titchmarsh
'Hilarious and hair-raising' Sunday Times
'Colourful, funny and honest' Sunday Express