Erin’s English Blog

Saving Francesca, written by Melina Marchetta, is an uplifting and emotional story about a young girls struggle to be accepted in a totally new society.

Francesca is starting year 11 at St Sebastian’s. It is mainly an all boys school but it has just started accepting girls for the first time ever. Her old school, St Stella’s, only went up to year 10 and most of her friends were enrolled in Pius Senios College. But her mother wouldn’t allow it because in her opinion, girls leave there with limited options. There are thirty girls at St Sebastian’s and life for Francesca is a whirlwind of complications, both at at school and in the home.

Her mother is suffering badly from depression, and Francesca has to look after her father and brother, while also juggling her own teenage problems. She is lost.

“I miss the Stella girls telling me what I am. That I’m sweet and placid and accommodating and loyal and non-threatening and good to have around. And Mia. I want to say, Frankiw, your silly, you’re lazy, you’re talented, you’re passionate, you’re contrary. I want to be an adjective again. But I’m anoun. A nothing. A nobody. A no one.