Love Lessons

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Love Lessons is a book by Jaqueline Wilson.

[edit] Story

The story is narrated by 14 year old Prudence, who has been home educated with her 11 year old sister Grace by their father from a young age. Her family own a bookshop, which has few customers and is in debt. Her father is extremely strict, and controls the sisters and their timid mother. He refuses to allow the family to own a television, or allow the girls to read magazines. When the education authorities visit the family, Prudence is forced to attend a tutor for maths lessons. However, she detests the lessons and doesn't return, spending the money instead on items her father would forbid - paints, teenage magazines, chocolate and revealing underwear. A few weeks later, Prudence's father discovers that Prudence has been missing her lessons, and becomes furious with her, demanding to know what she did with the money that should have been paid to the tutor. Prudence stands up against her father - something she has rarely done before - and throws the underwear at him before claiming that she hates him. After slapping Prudence, her father suffers a stroke and is taken into hospital. Being unable to teach the girls herself, Prudence's mother sends Prudence and Grace to a local comprehensive school while their father recovers in hospital.

While Grace settles in well and gains two best friends Iggy and Figgy by the end of the first day, Prudence is put in the bottom class and is taunted by the girls in her class. She tries to console herself by talking to her imaginary friends Jane and Tobias, but finds dificulty in this. She eventually makes a friend in Toby, a boy who appears loud in class, but quiet and courteous when he visits her at home for tutoring.

Prudence also makes a friend in her art teacher, Rax. Prudence has a talent for art, and the two often chat about this interest. When Prudence opens up to Rax about her stressful home life, Rax offers her a babysitting job looking after his children. Prudence enjoys this, but finds herself longing more for the ten minutes that she and Rax spend alone when he drives her home. She develops a crush on him, and boasts about this to Grace. Grace tries to talk sense into her sister, but fails. Soon Prudence becomes obsessed with Rax, and begs for him to feel the same way about her. Eventually the pair embrace, although Rax knows that he is in the wrong. Their embrace, however, is witnessed by Prudence's classmate Sarah, a girl with learning difficulties. She accidentally tells one of their teachers, who alerts the headmistress.

Meanwhile, Prudence's father recovers slowly in hospital, and eventually comes home. His hatred of being dependent on others soon becomes apparent, which contributes to his anger when he finds out that his daughters are attending school. Uncharacteristically, his wife insists that the girls continue school rather than give in to her husband's demands. Grace wants to continue school because she enjoys being with Iggy and Figgy, and Prudence wants to continue because of Rax.

When the headmistress finds out about Prudence and Rax's embrace, she confronts the pair. Rax puts all of the blame on Prudence, who agrees that it was her fault to protect Rax. The headmistress decides to move Prudence to a different school, which pleases Prudence's family as it has a better reputation.

The story ends when Toby borrows some books from the bookshop while visitng Prudence, and discoversthat they are worth thousands of pounds. The family sell the books, and the bookshop comes out of debt. Toby gives Prudence's mother ideas on how to expand the bookshop, which she agrees to take on board. Prudence's father seems happier that Prudence is at a school with a better reputation and is less furious about his daughters attending school. Grace is happy with her friends. Only Prudence is unhappy. She knows that she should be, having her friend Toby and having a better home life, but she feels empty without Rax.