Barbara Frischmuth portrays the confusion teenagers face when caught in a strict pedagogical system which does not encourage independence of spirit or thought. Life for the young charges in the convent is "schooling" with a vengeance: a rigid and authoritarian system inculcates the girls with answers to all the problems of life. Yet, the young protagonist prevails, and in the final chapter she communicates in a voice completely her own, marking the dramatic shift away from her oppressive tutelage to the first stirrings of genuinely critical self-awareness.Barbara Frischmuth, born in 1941, is recognized as one of the leading Austrian writers today. Although her works have appeared in thirteen languages, this translation of The Convent School marks her long awaited debut in English.