In our lives at school, each of us, if we had a little vanity, would establish a façade, a kind of double life, affect a way of speaking, walking, looking. When I saw her writing I couldn’t believe it. We almost all had the same kind of handwriting, uncertain, childish, with round, wide ‘o’s. Hers was completely affected.

This is short novel that follows the life of a girl in boarding school in Switzerland during the post war years. She is a girl that has been in boarding school all her life, that’s the education she knows, the family she recognizes and the way of life – based on strict order – that shapes her everyday. Her words are raw and filled with truths, but said in such an innocent way that life there does not sound as terrible as it was. Single-file lines to get to each place, perfectly-made beds, smooth brushed hair and identical handwriting are everyday descriptions to a sinister place of sweet discipline.

The story is told from the future; it is the memory of her time as a student. She narrates the behaviors of young girls,  how they mimic her best friends’ actions, constantly seeking each other’s attention, and even questioning why they don’t talk as much as they used to. One day, Frédérique arrives. She has never been to boarding school and is the closest thing to the real world the narrator knows, naturally, she seeks her friendship. Soon, a subtle rivalry emerges between the girls when a new girl with a rich daddy arrives – Micheline. And life goes on, every detail told through her eyes, until the narrator meets both women further on and they reminisce the indescribable bond of growing up together secluded from the real world.

Despite being short, the novel reflects on life in general, on the natural questions of life young girls and boys have while growing up away from the world, and on the importance of belonging and feeling loved while growing up. It is easy to read; with profound ideas described with simple language. It was originally written in Italian, and even though I tried to find it in Spanish, it was not possible. I am certain many details and specially the mood – sombre, dull and sad – of the book got lost in translation.

About Fleur Jaeggy

Fleur Jaeggy was born in Zurich in 1940 but currently lives in Italy. She is fluent in French, German and Italian. Apart from writing, she is also a recognized translator. “Sweet Days of Discipline” is her fourth novel, this semi-autobiographical story put her on the spotlight and awarded her the highest literature prizes in Italy.

Other books written by Swiss women

Which books do you recommend? Please let us know in the comment section!

Swiss initiatives and projects that support and empower girls and women

Rights Tech Women

This organization’s goal is to advance the rights of girls and women in the STEM fields. Recognizing the gap of women representation in science, technology, engineering and maths, they help solve the problem by educating girls and helping young professionals pursue careers in STEM. The action lines they have are: advocacy efforts for women’s rights, awareness-rising campaigns, innovation in human rights education, capacity-building workshops and networking efforts for women in STEM. In 2019, they trained 400 Swiss girls in Robotics.