Second Coming by George Bachman is a novella set in 1857 Victorian London. Seven-year-old Melissa Hawthorne is taken from her home in the English countryside and sent to a boarding school. Her father is a captain in the military and is headed to serve in India. From the beginning, Melissa is treated badly by the headmistress, Miss Grandine, the staff, and a few of her classmates. This is her first experience being shunned and mistreated by others for no rational reason. She is intelligent and quickly makes friends through tutoring her peers in French and arithmetic. 

Melissa’s life takes a devastating turn when her father loses everything and is tragically killed in the line of duty. Left with no choice, she becomes a charity pupil and is treated as a servant. Her luxurious suite is replaced by a cramped room in the servants’ quarters, and she faces constant mistreatment and abuse from the staff and her peers. Feeling utterly alone and betrayed, Melissa’s young trust in others fades away. But there’s something more. A mysterious and unexplainable presence or phenomenon seems to occur periodically in the seminary, and only Melissa seems to be aware of it. 

Full review at#bookreviews #bookrecommendations #BookTwitter