The Getting of Wisdom

The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson is a coming-of-age novel set in a Melbourne girls' boarding school in the late 19th century. It follows Laura Tweedle Rambotham, a precocious and imaginative girl who struggles with conformity and societal expectations. Through Laura’s trials and growth, Richardson offers a critique of Victorian morality and the constraints placed on young women, portraying adolescence with honesty and psychological depth.