FRIDAY, THANK GOD

A good first novel and nice reading, in a woman's story of personal and pedagogical problems in a typical city high school. The central character is Allison Bourdet, teacher of English and French, gracious, generous and attractive, and mediator of difficulties, adult and adolescent. She is loved by Jeff Ward, the principal, who is married and has two children, but is willing to give up his marriage for her. But in her background is patient Ash, who in the end wins out, after ten years' waiting. The story traces a week's span in the school term, during which occur a shooting and a Red scandal, the question of the ouster of an incompetent teacher, the emancipation of a much dominated brother from his half crazed sister, and finally the adjustment of Allison's own problems. Well done -- and should be a good library item.