A Mixture of Frailties

The “first-rate . . . abundantly funny” conclusion to the Salterton Trilogy, following Leaven of Malice and Tempest-Tost ( The New York Times ).   Louisa Bridgetower, the imposing Salterton matron, has died. The substantial income from her estate is to be used to send an unmarried young woman to Europe to pursue an education in the arts. Mrs. Bridgetower’s executors end up selecting Monica Gall, an almost entirely unschooled singer whose sole experience comes from performing with the Heart