The Good Teacher

By: Petronella McGovern

Narrated by: Anna Skellern

A good teacher can change lives....

Every evening, Allison watches her husband’s new house, desperate to find some answers. Every morning, she puts on a brave face to teach kindergarten. She’s a good teacher, everyone says so - this stalking is just a tiny crack in her usual self-control. A late enrolment into her class brings little Gracie. Allison takes the sick girl under her wing, smothering Gracie with the love she can’t give her own son. When Gracie has a chance to go to America for treatment, Allison whips up the community into a frenzied fundraising drive. But as others start to question her judgement and the police arrive at her door, Allison wonders if she can trust herself. Has she crossed a line? How far will the good teacher go to change a life? And whose life will that be?

An intriguing tale of our times about kindness and betrayal and the danger of good deeds.

©2020 Petronella McGovern (P)2020 W F Howes

Lots Of Potential

Shattered by the breakup of her twenty-four-year marriage, kindergarten teacher Allison Walsh struggled to get through each day with her kids. The arrival at the start of term of a new student, five-year-old Gracie, would put more pressure on the class as Gracie had a rare form of cancer and was currently going through chemotherapy. From the principal down, everyone at the school was made aware of Gracie’s illness and the care they needed to take. When Allison met Luke, Gracie’s dad, it was obvious the love and devotion he had for her, and how the loss of his wife and Gracie’s mother a few months previously had rocked their world.

The stalking of Allison’s husband – trying to spot the “other woman” – was also taking its toll. Their son Felix had moved out to stay with his father, so Allison was alone at night and jittery with the noises which she’d never paid any attention to before. By inviting Luke and Gracie to stay in her house while he saved the money for a cancer trial in Chicago, she was helping them out. She adored Gracie and admired Luke. Running the fundraising for the expensive trip to America, Allison did her best to get everyone onboard. Allison just wanted to help give Gracie every chance to survive…

I found this book had too much minor detail in places that distracted from the story. I don't need to know what 5 years old have in their lunch boxes and there is a lot of that sort of stuff in the story. Also there are at least 6 different POV's in the story and a lot of internal dialogue which, for me becomes very tiresome.

Anna Skellern was OK with the delivery of the story but a bit bland especially considering the book is meant to be a thriller.