Publisher: Macmillan Educational Limited

AUTHOR: Rosina Umelo
REVIEWER: GEORGE OLWALO

This story explores the challenges facing the less fortunate members of the society. Rachel, the lead, lives with a well-to-do uncle in the city. Uncle Bwika adopted her after the girl lost both her parents in a road accident. However, her uncle despite knowing the benefits of quality education feels that Rachel should not attend the same good schools as those attended by his own children.Rachel goes to a small, unknown day school. This Uncle Bwika did purposely so that the girl could help with the many house chores. This ultimately contributes to her dismal performance at the final level of secondary education.

Undaunted by her low grade, Rachel searches hard for a job. Luckily, she manages to secure work as a secretary. She works hard and becomes a skilled typist. She soon has plenty of work coming in from customers outside the school.

To help further her education,she decides to work hard, enduring extra work hours to save up money. She keeps her plans a top secret even as the Bwikas become suspicious and worry that she has joined bad company. 

One day, Mr Bwika’s daughter, a boarder, sneaks out of school to attend a party with her boyfriend and dresses in one of Rachel’s dresses secretly taken. Her boyfriend uses his father’s car to impress her but unfortunately, on that day his mother is in town and sees the vehicle mistaking the occupant to be Rachel with her husband.

The woman leaves the market huffing and puffing and heads to the Bwikas’ home spoling for a fight. Will Rachel tell the Bwikas what makes her arrive home late? Will the

truth ever be known about the occupants of the vehicle? Get a copy to find out.