A World Like This - Hardcover

This first novel offers an exceptionally well-written story of a young woman in despair. The time is 1975; the place, Great Britain. Brandy is a teenager from the streets of Brighton whose bad behavior has landed her in Borstal, a notorious lockup for juvenile offenders. There she captivates a lesbian guard, refashions herself as a tough cookie and not only survives but thrives in the somber prison atmosphere. Back in the real world, however, Brandy is buffeted by one disappointment and failure after another. Her only support comes from her loyal sister and young nephew Bobby, whose love for her is unequivocal, even after she risks his safety. Just when Brandy seems to be putting her life back together, the past catches up with her, and she appears doomed by the Borstal system. Benedict has a sure talent for dialogue and creates settings that ring true. But the novel's unsympathetic characters and unrelieved wretchedness dampen its appeal. In the tradition of Hubert Selby's Last Exit to Brooklyn , Benedict damns the society that has spawned such bleakness, and offers the reader no solace.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Borstals were a system of prisons in Britain for boys and girls between the ages of 15 and 21. They were run like reform schools in the United States until Thatcher did away with them in the late 1970s. This gritty, hard-hitting story details a young woman's experience as she attempts to survive both in and out of these prisons. Brandy's character is particularly well drawn, and the story is a searing indictment of all prison systems. Especially shocking is the acceptance of homosexual relationships between the girls in Bullwood Hall. For anyone who's ever wanted to understand why teenagers get into trouble and how our institutions compound the harm, this is a fictional eye opener.
- Marilyn Jordan, North Miami P . L.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.