Novels

Goodnight Mister Tom

Goodnight Mister Tom is… heartbreaking. Inspiring. Eye-opening.

It’s heartbreaking because it depicts two ways people can damage and destroy one another: child abuse and war. William Beech, a little boy evacuated from a London slum to the English country village of Weirwold during World War II, comes out of a home where he “didn’t get much lovin’,” as his guardian Tom Oakley puts it. In fact he has been terribly abused in ways that become apparent as the story unfolds. His mother compounds her crimes by inflicting them in the name of the a distorted religious fanaticism.

William’s stay with Tom Oakley is redemptive for both of them. Tom, widowed forty years earlier, is transformed in the project of caring for Willie. “In his grief he had cut homself off from people,” the narrator explains, “and when he had recovered he had lost the habit of socializing.” Gruff, intuitive, and practically compassionate, he provides a stable foundation for William to develop. I found him an inspiring character.

I liked the way that kindness and generosity were depicted in the down-to-earth people of Weirwold. It was a great reminder that sometimes the most profound healing and growth can come from simple things. In an age of specialists, I found this theme refreshing.

So, what’s left? Heartbreaking, check. Inspiring, check. I also found the book eye-opening as a glimpse into a chapter of history I feel like I’m just discovering. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society focused on the British people during this era as well, though the focus was on a different locale. I’m enjoying having my awareness heightened, even though the details of bombing blitzes and evacuees are sobering fare.

This was in the YA section of the library. I wouldn’t recommend it for younger children because the glimpses of abuse and loss might be a bit much to take, even though they are counterbalanced by an ultimately joyful perspective on life. But for teen through adult years this is a captivating, highly recommended read.

 

8 Comments

  • Amy @ Hope Is the Word

    Question–is the abuse graphic at all? I avoid stories with graphic violence (or other types of mistreatment) against children.

    Other than that, it sounds like a great story! Thanks, Janet!

  • Janet

    Thanks! :-)

    Hmm… thinking about the graphic question. I would say no, it’s more suggestive than graphic. It’s really one scene, and it does haunt me — it wounded my mother’s heart. But it doesn’t give a lot of details or dwell on pain. It’s just enough to let you know what you need to know to understand the little boy.

  • bekahcubed

    I’m gobbling up books set around the Second World War–and this one sounds like a good (but hard) one to read. I’ll have to add it to my TBR!

  • Mouseprints

    This book sounds really good. I love reading books set during WWII, and I love stories about redemptive relationships. Thanks for the heads-up.

  • hopeinbrazil

    I love WWII history and especially books about the homefront so I was drawn to this book. I liked it a lot, but chose not to read it aloud to my boys because of the details about the boy’s mother.