After a prom night date rape leads to pregnancy, seventeen-year-old Jane is forced to marry her attacker and grow up too soon. In her new life, she must learn how to straddle the gap between the life she once imagined for herself and her new reality. After the marriage predictably fails, she is determined to become something more than just another teen-mom statistic. She longs to complete her education, achieve financial stability and create a secure life for herself and her two small children. However, she soon learns that in the late nineteen-sixties, the worldand her own lifeare in turmoil and there is no security for anyone. Swept up in the whirlwind of rapid social change, Jane embraces the womens liberation movement, anti-war activism and life on a commune where she hopes to live in a world of peace and love. With resilience and determination as she strives to make sense of the world around her, she overcomes daunting obstacles and finally begins to see her dreams come true. In The Last Laugh, author Jane Driskell Fairchild explores the lifelong aftermath of teen pregnancy while delivering an inspiring message that teen moms can find success and happiness in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds.
