This Is Me Speaking

There are many books which take teenage girls trapped in the net of pregnancy as their central theme. This offering is worthy of far more than being added to that considerable list, however. The mainstay of its success is the central character, Elizabeth. Proud and self-assured, she refuses to accept either firstly that she might be pregnant or, later, that she should have an abortion. The thoughtless rape which led to her pregnancy is allied with the carelessly manipulative way she's treated by her first employers and is contrasted with the peace and harmony she finds in the house of her friend, Archie. His unexpected death is shocking, but rather too obviously an authorial device by which Elizabeth is persuaded to return home. A must for library or book box - analytical, moving and empathetic.