"Friends and brothers face home grown dangers in WWII London."
May 2025 Book of the Month
While this extraordinary historical novel is a new departure for this best-selling author, it retains her trademark skill in delivering empathetic, nuanced characters and capturing authentic dialogue and childhood relationships.
Perfectly published to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2, this gripping story is about the lives of a group of young boys living in London at the start of the war. 12 year old Ronnie, his younger brother Micky and his best friend Lugs are the self-styled Shrapnel Boys, full of banter and bravado, especially with their rival gang, the Wreckers. Initially, the prospect of war is incredibly thrilling with spotting planes overhead and collecting the fascinating ‘hard rain’, the pieces of shrapnel littering the ground, and having a bomb site for a den.
The reality of the danger all around them doesn’t really sink in at first and for Ronnie when it does, it is not just the danger overhead, but the danger threatening his family, in the shape of Johnny Simmons, that matters. Johhny came to install their Andersen shelter and wheedled his way into the affections of Ronnie’s single parent Mum and of Micky, who is lured into running suspicious errands. Ronnie and Lugs are convinced that Johnny is a Bad ‘un but are shocked to discover his potentially traitorous links with the Mosley Blackshirts, particularly because Lugs is Jewish. Can they expose Johhny and the plot before it is too late?
What makes this novel so outstanding is not just the depth of research behind it and the authentic view it gives of the Home Front and the terror of the Blitz. Nor is it just the challenging themes which it articulates so well: domestic violence, bullying, crime, fascism, pacifism, coercion and toxic relationships. It is also the way it portrays such a beautifully positive view of boys friendship and the unbreakable bonds of brotherly love.
With extremism rearing its ugly head again, it tells a story very relevant to today and shows us the importance of moral integrity and doing the right thing. Perhaps even more remarkably there is still the pure gold streak of Jenny Pearson humour running through it all. Truly outstanding,
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