The Girl with a Baby

Alana Trumpy is a graduate student in English at the University of
Toronto.

An author’s note explains that The Girl with a Baby was inspired by
the real-life story of Olsen’s daughter. The struggles and successes
of the novel’s protagonist, Jane, challenge society’s cookie-cutter
solutions for First Nations youths, pregnant teenagers, and troubled
families. Fourteen-year-old Jane is a former star student and family
overachiever. Dodging perhaps some weightier issues, the story begins
with the birth of her baby girl. The ensuing chapters depict Jane’s
reintegration into a school system and family that she has disappointed.


With its theme of dealing with the consequences of one’s decisions
and being as strong as one can be in any circumstance, The Girl with a
Baby was clearly written to convey a message. Fortunately, this story of
the struggles of a teenaged mother does not serve merely to illuminate a
social problem. The writing is more engaging than preachy, and the
characters come across as authentic and psychologically complex.
Recommended.