The story is of an abused and traumatised young boy evacuated to a small village at the start of the Second World War, where he is taken in by a grumpy, reclusive old man and of how they both heal as they grow to love each other. It could have been sickeningly sentimental, but is very well done so that it is actually touching and humane. Tom Oakley didn’t actually seem that forbidding to me at the start, but William’s bemusement in the face of friendship and kindness was very convincing, as were his slow acceptance of the goodness of the people around him and his discoveries about himself.
The book isn’t all sweetness and redemption; there is sorrow and loss, plus one very dark episode, but overall but is a warm and fulfilling tale. I did think that it ran out of steam rather in the closing chapters; a seaside holiday was almost Enid Blyton-esque in its idyll and Will’s final coming to terms with what has happened to him didn’t ring nearly as true as the earlier parts. Nonetheless, this is an involving and touching book which I can recommend.
(My thanks to Puffin Books for an ARC via NetGalley.)
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