The Getting of Wisdom

by Henry Handel Richardson

"The Getting of Wisdom" by Henry Handel Richardson is a novel first published in 1910. Twelve-year-old Laura Rambotham leaves her country home for an elite Melbourne boarding school, where her imaginative nature and humble circumstances clash with the wealthy students' harsh social codes. Through humiliation and isolation, Laura navigates the rigid world of 1890s girls' education, questioning authority, morality, and her own values. Based on Richardson's own boarding school experiences, this Australian classic explores one girl's struggle for authenticity and freedom in an unforgiving environment.