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A Year in the Life of Rachel

By

Helen Ryan

 

 

ISBN: 978-1-905451-44-9

 

Price:  €12.00

About the Author:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book:    A year in the life of Rachel

 

This is the story of a fifteen year old schoolgirl named Rachel Raeling, who keeps a monthly account of her life and activities for the year, Jan 1999-Jan 2000. 

Rachel is a deep thinking girl who is constantly worrying about her rather unconventional parents and her careless younger brother, both of whom are a severe trial to her. 

Her aunt Lydia and Lydia’s unsuitable boyfriend Henry are also a cause of concern.

School too features predominately in Rachel’s life and is another great source of worry where the tactics employed by the teachers and those in authority are often questionable and conflict is difficult to avoid. 

From her own observations Rachel realises she is not maturing at the same rate as others of her age and though this also causes her some anxiety she is in no hurry to grow up herself finding the adult world frightening and intimidating. 

Rachel befriends a retired schoolteacher named Mrs O’Flynn who encourages Rachel in her love of English literature and gives her a new confidence in herself.  With her help Rachel learns to cope with the many problems she encounters in her life and to see things in perspective. 

Despite being a caring and sensitive girl, Rachel is also a very human one with faults and failings like everyone else. 

As she tries, mostly in vain, to bridge the generation gap she does so in her own unique way.  Perhaps in every fifteen year old there is something of Rachel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helen is married to P.J. and lives in Kildare town.  She has two daughters and one son. 

Helen started writing when her children were grown up.

“A year in the life of Rachel” is her first novel.

The author, Helen Ryan