The School Gates
Fiona Snyckers
“We know what’s best for our children.”
Burnt out after years as a professional dancer, Ella Burchell moves to a small town on the KwaZulu Natal north coast hoping to rebuild her life. Things look up when she gets a job teaching dance to children at a for-profit private school.
But Ella hasn’t reckoned with the cabal of private-school mums who run the Pines Academy as their own personal fiefdom. Circling into cliques at the school gates every morning, the mums are a force to be reckoned with.
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The School Gates
“We know what’s best for our children.”
Burnt out after years as a professional dancer, Ella Burchell moves to a small town on the KwaZulu Natal north coast hoping to rebuild her life. Things look up when she gets a job teaching dance to children at a for-profit private school.
But Ella hasn’t reckoned with the cabal of private-school mums who run the Pines Academy as their own personal fiefdom. Circling into cliques at the school gates every morning, the mums are a force to be reckoned with.
Soon Ella is too busy fielding their demands to concentrate on her own troubles. Distraction arrives in the form of an attractive cricket coach, but Ella hardly has time to pay attention.
Fun, fast-paced and hilarious, this novel by an award-winning author skewers the world of private-school privilege.
Fiona Snyckers has written novels across multiple genres. In 2020,her novel Lacuna won the South African Literary Award for best novel and the NIHSS Award for best fiction by a single author. The School Gates is the third book in a loose trilogy of novels that includes Now Following You and SPIRE. She lives in Johannesburg with her family.
“Told with Fiona Snyckers’ usual razor sharp wit, this book is both poignant and hilarious. I couldn’t put it down.” – Pamela Power
“Fiona Snyckers is one of the most talented writers South Africa has. I gobbled up The School Gates in a day because I couldn’t put it down. If you’re looking for your next book club read – you just found it.” – Gail Schimmel
“Snyckers has written another page-turning novel which has depth of subject matter and accuracy of its portrayal of the fierce battles for position on the part of the mothers (and fathers) of pupils at private schools.” – Janet van Eeden, LitNet
