A sweet and fun story similar in style/tone to Ibbotson's other books of the genre (company of swans/countess below stairs/magic flutes), it has the right balance of light wit and darkness (mostly concerning world war 2) to be both memorable and enjoyable. 
 Ellen is a young woman who enjoys domestic tasks such as cleaning and cooking and sets off to a boarding school of wild children to put things in order. It doesn't have the glowing backstory of countess below stairs, or the glittering art of company of swans, being much more simplistic in tone, but if you love Ibbotson's smooth, literary style, you shouldn't miss this one.