The Getting of Wisdom (1910) is a novel by Henry Handel Richardson.
Based on her experiences at Melbourne's Presbyterian Ladies' College,
The Getting of Wisdom is a coming-of-age novel aimed at a young
audience. Engaged with such themes as grief, bullying, and
peer-pressure, Richardson's novel is a powerful story of a young girl
finding her way in the world. An instant bestseller, the novel has never
gone out of print. "Laura went into her own room and locked the door, a
thing Mother did not allow. Then she threw herself on the bed and cried.
Mother had not understood in the least..." Punished for cutting her own
hair without permission, Laura Tweedle Rambotham defies her mother once
more. Alone in her room, she begins to think about her mother's words,
letting them sink in until the truth can no longer be denied. In the
morning, she leaves for The Ladies' College, a boarding school far from
family and friends--and in Melbourne, no less, a city she has never been
to. Scared, nervous, and tired, she drifts off to sleep in her childhood
room for the last time. Heartfelt and deeply personal, The Getting of
Wisdom is a powerful coming-of-age story from one of Australia's
best-loved writers. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally
typeset manuscript, this edition of Henry Handel Richardson The Getting
of Wisdom is a classic of Australian literature reimagined for modern
readers.
