The Chatham School Affair Summary
Thomas H. Cook

Everything you need to understand or teach The Chatham School Affair by Thomas H. Cook.

  • The Chatham School Affair Summary & Study Guide

The Chatham School Affair Summary

The Chatham School Affair is a suspense novel detailing a crime of passion that takes place amid the rigid environment of an elite New England boys' school. Told from the perspective of Henry, who at the time of the crime was a young student at Chatham School, Cook uses death and intrigue to create a tale that combines the pain and yearning of coming of age with the pain and yearning of forbidden love. The dismal, disciplined setting of Chatham School and the proper Cape Cod community set the stage for conflict as Cook contrasts the drab with the vibrant, the indifferent with the passionate. Henry has a romantic imagination, and he longs for unknown worlds, complete with unrestrained passions and unknown dangers. Then Miss Charming, a lovely young teacher, enters Henry's life and gives him glimpses of the world he desires. Miss Charming begins an illicit affair...

(read more from the Short Guide)