The Education of Bet

The Education of Bet
By Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Houghton Mifflin, 2010. 186 pgs. Young Adult

Bet is an orphan living with a wealthy patron whose nephew Will has been kicked out of boarding school yet again. Will wants to join the military; Bet wants to go to school. She convinces him that both are possible: she will go to his new school, disguised as a boy, while he can go join the military. However, it's more difficult being a boy than Bet imagined, particularly when she finds herself attracted to her roommate.

This is a fluffy piece of historical fiction, and it wraps up a little more neatly than I think might be realistic. Still, the romantic angle, combined with a forward-thinking protagonist, will draw in many teen girls.

AE