The Encampment: A Novel (Miss Oliver’s School for Girls Book 3)
Trouble approaches on a warm September day when Sylvia Perrine Bickham, the head of school’s daughter, gives money to a homeless man on the street. Through some prying, she and her friends learn he is a veteran of the Iraq War and probably suffering from post-traumatic stress, so they sneak food and clothing to his lean-to at odd hours of the day and agree to tell no one—not the teachers, and especially not Sylvia’s mother, Rachel. But talk of things gone missing from the school is getting louder, and Rachel knows something is up. More importantly, winter is coming and Sylvia worries the man will freeze if he stays outside. Have they done all they can for him? Have they done enough? What is enough.
Honored by Kirkus Reviews as one of The Best Indie Books of 2020.
“Davenport is an accomplished stylist with a keen ear for nuanced dialogue; he also has a knack for making serious political points with a light touch that makes them broadly accessible. . . A thoughtful and compelling account of the responsibilities that come with privilege.”
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Peter V. Buttenheim — retired teacher/administrator
5.0 out of 5 stars THE ENCAMPMENT tackles the “why” of education in a brilliant way.Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2020
Steve Davenport is a consummate educator. As a former teacher, advisor, coach, administrator, parent, and national spokesperson for liberal learning, Davenport knows the WHAT and the HOW of the school world from the inside.
However, in THE ENCAMPMENT, the third book in the SAVING MISS OLIVER’S trilogy, Davenport turns to the WHY of education. Two Grade 12 women are finding their voices for college and future life. When they meet a war-wounded homeless man, will they be empowered to think about social issues, or will they also take action? This question informs THE ENCAMPMENT in powerful and surprising ways.
If one likes school novels such as GOOD-BYE MR. CHIPS, THE RECTOR OF JUSTIN, or A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY, then THE ENCAMPMENT is a “must read.”
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