The Leader of the Lost Cause by Josephine M Bettany

Very grateful thanks to Jef Bourgeau who posts his wonderful art on Instagram 

Title: The Leader of the Lost Cause 

Author: Josephine M Bettany 

Publisher: not known 

Source book: The Mystery at the Chalet School by Elinor M Brent Dyer (Chalet School #19+)

Mystery is an odd one in the Chalet School series, first printed in The Chalet Book for Girls. Along with Tom Tackles and Rosalie it was published slightly out of order, possibly because someone pointed out to EBD that Tom, and her friends, not to mention Daisy, Beth and Gwensi (the triumvirate), were great characters and readers would welcome more stories about them. 

The Chalet School and Rosalie and Mystery used to be very hard to find. In those long ago and far off times before the internet, I thought Rosalie must be about our favourite school secretary, Rosalie Dene, just as I was convinced Three Go to the Chalet School must be about the triplets going to the Chalet School school for the first time (it’s not). Honestly, I think it’s a pity Rosalie isn’t about the school secretary, because Rosalie Way isn’t a very interesting girl. We do discover that she is writing a book and that she sends her chapters home for her father’s secretary to type, but obviously there is no information at all about the plot, the characters, or the title. Sigh. 

I do hope if I ever write a book with a character who writes a book (unlikely, I know), I do hope, that I will make some attempt at a title for this fictional book. And possibly the merest sniff of a plot?

Well, whatever Mystery is about, it seems Dorcas Brown has an older sister who is film star Eunice Brownlow, and Dorcas doesn’t want anyone to know. And what’s more, the sister wants to adapt Josephine M Bettany’s book The Leader of the Lost Cause into a film. Do we ever hear anything more about this interesting departure? No, I don’t think so.

But what on earth is The Leader of the Lost Cause about? 

I chose these paintings of boats entirely at random because I like them. 

Very grateful thanks to Jef Bourgeau who posts his art on Instagram