School for Love

School for Love by Olivia Manning, published by Penguin Books in 1982, is a work of fiction set in Jerusalem during a transformative period in 1945. The narrative follows Felix Latimer, a recently orphaned teenager who arrives from Baghdad, navigating a city filled with refugees and rising tensions between the Arab and Jewish populations. As he waits for passage to England, Felix finds himself living in a boarding house run by the formidable Miss Bohun, a relative he has never met, whose strict adherence to the principles of a fundamentalist group starkly contrasts with the chaos surrounding them.

Readers will discover Felix’s journey through loneliness and his interactions with the eccentric residents of the boarding house, particularly the intriguing Mrs. Ellis, a young widow who brings change to their mundane lives. The story explores themes of isolation and human connection against the backdrop of a city in flux, providing a vivid portrayal of post-war Jerusalem. This edition contains 191 pages and is presented in English, offering a glimpse into a pivotal moment in history through the lens of personal experience.