Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian was first published in 1980 and a new 40th anniversary edition has been published. I hadn’t read it before although I had seen the film. It’s a great read.
Willie Beech is a 9 year old who has been evacuated from Deptford in London to the rural community of Little Weirwold. He has been allocated to Tom Oakley, an elderly widower who has been a bit of a recluse since the death of his wife and child 40 years previously. It doesn’t take Tom long realise that Willie has suffered terrible abuse at the hands of his mother. All his life Willie has been told that he is wicked and has never heard a kind word from his mother. Tom Oakley copes with the bed-wetting and tends to the multiple bruises and scabs on Tom’s emaciated body.
Slowly Will or William as he is called now gains confidence and even learns to read and write helped by Tom. But it isn’t only Will who blossoms, Tom becomes more involved with the other villagers who are surprised at the change in him. He had cut himself off from people after the death of his young wife and was a bit of a curmudgeon until he had another human being to nurture and protect.
Of course Will’s mother writes to say he must go back home to London as she needs him. Tom and Will are both devastated, but after horror comes happiness, all’s well that ends well! I was sent a digital copy of this book by Penguin/Puffin via NetGalley. My thanks to both.
This is a great read. This 40th anniversary edition also contains the short story which the author wrote which inspired her to write the book. I also enjoyed the 1998 film which featured John Thaw as Mr Tom, it looks like you can watch the whole film on YouTube.
I can’t remember whether I’ve actually read this book or just seen the film! Either way, I thought it was a great story and I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I read this so long ago that I barely remember it – and I wonder if it predates my interest in evacuation stories or was the original inspiration?
I didn’t know there was a movie. I wonder if I can find it!
I do like MM’s other books too and have been feeling a reread coming on.
Constance,
I’ve never read anything else by MM.
I hope you can see the film on You Tube, it’s available to view free in the UK but I don’t know about elsewhere.
I’ve known a few people who were evacuated as children and ended up having a far closer and more loving relationship with the surrogate family, even decades down the line!
This is a wonderful book.
I heartily recommend Back Home by the author (local to me apparently) another take on the evacuation and again the tv film was excellent.
Jo,
Thanks for that info, I’ll definitely track it down, I hadn’t heard of that one or the film.
Another one that sounds very good but I had not heard of before. Like Constance, I am very interested in evacuation stories, although it is a relatively new interest for me.
tracyb,
There were some evacuees who were basically used as farm labour and not well treated, but this one is the opposite with his home life being a nightmare. Carrie’s War by Nina Bawden is a good one too.
I read this recently too and really enjoyed it.
Sandra,
I’m definitely going to track down more of her books.