The Charm School

The Charm School
Susan Wiggs

The captain had abandoned society. She was too unrefined for it.An awkward misfit in an accomplished Boston family, Isadora Peabody yearns to escape her social isolation and sneaks aboard the Silver Swan, bound for Rio, leaving it all behind. Ryan Calhoun, too, had a good family name. But he'd purposely walked away from everything it afforded him. Driven by his quest to right an old wrong, the fiery, temperamental sea captain barely registers the meek young woman who comes aboard his ship. To the Swan's motley crew, the tides of attraction clearly flow between the two. Teaching her the charms of a lady, they hope to build the confidence she needs to attract not only their lonely captain's attention, but his heart, as well.For everyone knows the greatest charms are not those of the formal lady, but rather the possibilities of a new world built on love.

Praise for the novels of Susan Wiggs

“The Charm School draws readers in with delightful characters, engaging dialogue, humor, emotion and sizzling sensuality.”

—Costa Mesa Sunday Times

“Will appeal to fans across the board.”

—Library Journal on The Charm School

“In poetic prose, Wiggs evocatively captures the Old South and creates an intense, believable relationship between the lovers.”

—Publishers Weekly on The Horsemaster’s Daughter

“Wiggs is one of our best observers of stories of the heart. Maybe that is because she knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book.”

—Salem Statesman-Journal

“[A] delightful romp…With its lively prose, well-developed conflict and passionate characters, this enjoyable, poignant tale is certain to enchant.”

—Publishers Weekly on Halfway to Heaven

“A bold, humorous and poignant romance that fulfills every woman’s dreams.”

—Christina Dodd on Enchanted Afternoon

“A rare treat.”

—Amazon.com on The Firebrand, an Amazon.com

Best of 2001 title

“With this final installment of Wiggs’s Chicago Fire trilogy, she has created a quiet page-turner that will hold readers spellbound as the relationships, characters and story unfold. Fans of historical romances will naturally flock to this skillfully executed trilogy, and general women’s fiction readers should find this story enchanting as well.”

—Publishers Weekly on The Firebrand

“Wiggs’s uncomplicated stories are rich with life lessons, nod-along moments and characters with whom readers can easily relate. Delightful and wise, Wiggs’s latest shines.”

—Publishers Weekly on Dockside

“Empathetic protagonists, interesting secondary characters, well-written flashbacks, and delicious recipes add depth to this touching, complex romance.”

—Library Journal on The Winter Lodge

“With the ease of a master, Wiggs introduces complicated, flesh-and-blood characters into her idyllic but identifiable small-town setting, sets in motion a refreshingly honest romance, resolves old issues and even finds room for a little mystery.”

—Publishers Weekly on The Winter Lodge (starred review)

“Wiggs explores many aspects of grief, from guilt to anger to regret, imbuing her book with the classic would’ve/could’ve/should’ve emotions, and presenting realistic and sympathetic characters…another excellent title [in] her already outstanding body of work.”

—Booklist on Table for Five (starred review)

“A human and multilayered story exploring duty to both country and family.”

—New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts on The Ocean Between Us

the CHARM SCHOOL

Susan Wiggs

the Charm School

To the most charming group of people I know:

LIBRARIANS.

You probably don’t remember my name,

but you saw me every week. I was the quiet child

with the long pigtails and the insatiable appetite for

Beverly Cleary, Carol Ryrie Brink and

Louise Fitzhugh. I was the one you had to tap on the

shoulder at closing time, because I was still sitting

on a stool in the stacks, poring over Ramona’s latest

adventures or sniffling as I read Anne Frank’s diary.

I was the little girl with the huge wire basket on

the front of her bike—for lugging home a stack of

books that weighed more than I did. I never thought

to thank you back then, but I didn’t understand how

very much all those hours, and all those books, and

all your patience meant to me or to the writer I

would become. But I understand now. So this book