'Rose is finally allowed to go to school - the magnificent St Swithin's! But Rose has never been to school before - will she be able to keep up? Will she fit in? And will she be allowed to join the cricket team?! In the meantime, change is afoot in Melbourne: Federation is imminent, and the suffragette movement is gathering force. When Mother gets ill and Aunt Alice takes a position in a poor state-run school, Rose realises that she has taken a lot for granted - but the changes taking place around her will change Rose's life forever...' (Trove record)