Frankie's Hat

Three short stories, each with the characteristic sharp style of Jan Mark, each providing entertaining reading. The title story deals with Frankie, 17-year-old mother unexpectedly free of her baby for her seventeenth birthday and thoroughly indulging herself in harmless silliness. The message is clear - perhaps rather heavy-handedly so; perhaps it was not intended as a warning, rather as a gentle reminder of the pitfalls of marrying young. 'Like It Is Round Here' tells the all-too-familiar story of Yo-Yo's new boyfriend who prefers to spend more time with her younger brother than with her. 'It Wasn't Me' is the weakest of the three stories - Ronda, doing her mother's cleaning job while she is ill, decides to give train passengers passing the flat something more than their usual view to look at. Third and fourth-year girls may well enjoy these stories - put them on the library shelves.