First published 1983
Joseph Brill runs his own school and designs every aspect of its curriculum. He takes pride in his educational vision and believes he understands which students have potential. When he meets Hester Lilt, Brill thinks he has discovered someone who shares his intellectual passion and educational philosophy. He sees in her a matching spirit, someone who appreciates his work and methods. But Brill makes a critical error with Hester's daughter, one of his own students. He fails to recognize the girl's abilities and dismisses her potential. This blindness to the daughter's worth destroys any connection he might have built with Hester. She turns away from Brill entirely, rejecting his advances and his supposed understanding. The headmaster who believed he could identify kindred minds discovers he cannot truly see the people closest to his world.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
161 pages · Hardcover · Alfred A. Knopf