Peta's Pence

Peta is a rebel riding a motorcycle, refusing to go on dates. dreaming in trees. Her defiances ensure that she and her mother, Frances, do not get on. Frances still grieves for her dead son, Peter, and is almost unable to overcome the antipathy and distance from reality generated by Peta's birth. Gradually the story of Frances' mental illness emerges - while Peta works as a volunteer in the same mental hospital where her mother received treatment. The plot is sometimes confusing and the dated timeslips occasionally confuse rather than illuminate. However, throughout there's a sense of exploration of characters and of insights into parent/child relationships. Offer to female readers of 14 and above.