BOOK REVIEW
Goodnight Mister Tom - Michelle Magorian
Well, this is the book that started it all. When I decided, in December 2022, that my New Year's Resolution was to read more, Goodnight Mister Tom immediately sprang to mind. As a youngster, I read this story many times, it tore me apart, built me back up, and showed me a world that only reading can deliver. I wanted to experiment, to see if this book was truly as magical as pre-teen KC thought.
So, shortly after January 1st 2023, I toddled off to the library, got my very own library card, signed it, and headed to the Children's Classics section. It only feels right to complete a book review for this absolute classic. I've also recently started a YouTube channel (KC's Book Corner) and my first ever video was a review of this book, read to the end and have a watch!
BLURB
Tom tucked a blanket round him, drew up a chair by the fire and watched Willie fall asleep. The tales he had heard about evacuees didn't seem to fit Willie. 'Ungrateful' and 'wild' were the adjectives he'd heard used, or just plain 'homesick'. He was quite unprepared for this timid, sickly little specimen.
Britain, 1940. With World War Two raging all around, young children are being sent from their homes in the city to the countryside for safety. When eight-year-old Willie Beech first arrives on Tom Oakley's doorstep, neither are quite sure what to make of each another.
Brought up in terrible poverty, Willie is terribly shy, and totally unprepared for village life - but the gruff-but-gentle 'Mister Tom' quickly takes him under his wing. Neither he nor Willie could ever have predicted the journey they will go on together - nor the unbreakable bond that will be formed.
Winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, and rightly hailed as a true classic of children's literature, Goodnight Mister Tom is a beautifully told, deeply moving story about the power of friendship, kindness, hope - and love.
'Everyone's idea of a smash-hit novel: full blown characters to love and hate, moments of grief and joy, and a marvellous story that knows just how to grab the emotions' - Guardian
MY REVIEW
Oh boy. As I said, Goodnight Mister Tom was the book that started it all for me, back when I was in school, and again in 2023 when I picked up a book...this book...for the first time in years. It gripped me the same way it did when I read it for the first time. Captivating, moving, and changing me as a reader (and in some ways as a person, cheesy but true).
In some ways, this book impacted me differently now that I am an adult and a parent. Now that I know more about the darkness within life, the hold that mental health can have on a person, and the impact that small acts of kindness can have on someone's day, life, and outlook. This book taught me empathy in a way I can't describe, and reading the familiar words again as an adult was indescribable (though I am trying my best to portray it!).
Since starting this journey, not only have I found an outlet for taking care of my wellbeing, I've started pushing myself to do better, to be better. I'm now at college, studying social science. I've started a blog, I'm starting a YouTube channel, and I've found a way of really challenging myself to be creative, to put myself out there. Amazing that one small decision can create a ripple effect that lasts forever!
This is a children's novel, that addresses mature themes of grief, war, mental health, poverty, abuse, and loss. The words come to life on the page, painting a vivid picture of trauma and sadness, while also expressing hope, joy, and the true love of a found family.
Willie is a frightfully shy, small boy, sent to the countryside as an evacuee with nothing but the clothes on his back and a bible. Tom is a robust, dour, grieving man who lives his life in a solitary way, minding his own business, just him and his dog. Together they learn to live a life of value, find happiness, and overcome their pasts, learning to look forward to the future.
The chapter where Willie learns to ride his bike is one of the most poignant, beautiful, and stunning pieces of writing I have ever read. I don't even know if it really is well written, it could be plagued with errors, but I wouldn't notice, I'm just there with him, willing him on, tears in my eyes. I actually feel emotional writing about it, even though it's been 18 months since I borrowed and read this book.
The characters are so pure, so real, and padded out that they could be real people. Their backstories, motives, and beliefs feel so natural that it's hard to comprehend that this is a piece of fiction.
Michelle Magorian takes you on a rollercoaster journey, through the highs and lows of Willie and Tom's journey. They make friends, true friends, with the others in their village, and watching them both blossom is captivating, to say the least. It's a hard read at times, in terms of the subject matter, but on the whole, it's a perfect example of what a book should be. Difficult subjects shouldn't be avoided, even in children's books. Done right, these subjects can be broached and discussed, and the stories can capture, heal, and inspire generations.
I am so grateful to this book for reminding me what a joy it is, to read, to be immersed, and to have a pathway of self-care that was long forgotten.
Goodnight Mister Tom is, and always will be, my favourite book of all time. If you've read it, what did you think?
Here's my YouTube debut, covering this review and a bit of my reading adventure so far, I'd love it if you had a little watch, gave me a like, comment or subscribe to the channel, it means alot!
If, by some stroke of luck, you made it to the end of this post and thought, "Wow, what a great review, I'd love to read more!" you can FOLLOW MY BLOG by clicking the link and subscribing :) I also post bookish content on Instagram
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