Chapter 9 Summary

Christine receives her results from the eleven-plus exam, which determines if students follow a technical or academic education. Christine is invited to the Technical. Mrs. Gipping calls in to the Bookshop to let Florence know that Christine would no longer be working for her.

Over a glass of sickly sweet, red Cherry Brandy Mrs. Gipping tells Florence that they had not expected Christine to be invited to the Grammar school, even though all of their other children had gone that way, and that it was the equivalent to a 'death sentence' dictating the station of the child's future life.

Mrs. Gipping also advises that Christine is likely to try for a Saturday job at the new bookshop at Saxford Tye. Florence drives to Saxford Tye to have a look at the new shop. Florence does not know that the new shop is an...