Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian

The Shetland South Mainland Readers’ Group met on another beautiful sunny evening in the café overlooking St Ninian’s Isle.  The sun was so bright that those of us who were sat facing the large windows had to wear sunglasses!

Everybody who had read the book loved it.  A couple of us admitted that we hadn’t been overly keen when we’d been given a children’s book but this book was tremendous.

The writing captured the essence of the time – it felt as though the author must have lived through it it was so real.  It was quite a shock to realise it had been written in 1981.

The book was very hard hitting. The abuse was not described as it happened but was revealed gradually. You have to work out for yourself what had happened to Willie, which made it much harder to ignore than if the author had simply described the abuse. For example, a heavy, leather belt was packed in Willie’s things for Mister Tom to use on him. This led you to understand that a lot of Willie’s injuries had been caused by the belt being used on him and then that this had been a regular part of Willie’s life.  By the time Willie went back to London he was happy and healthy and this made the contrast of what he was going back to and the events that followed even more horrific.  One person contrasted the description of Willie locked under the stairs with Harry Potter’s experience which is quite playful in comparison.

The author was very sensitive in her approach to her characters. Willie’s mother could have been demonised but she was not. It was made clear that she had a serious mental illness so that you almost felt sorry for her.

It is an issue led book but not in your face. Themes are all brought in easily and naturally, not forced into the narrative. Some of the issues raised include death, loss, inequality, being different as well as the main issue of abuse.

One person thought that Willie was given too much of an adult way of thinking which was slightly unrealistic.  Someone else remarked that she could remember having quite adult thoughts but found it difficult to articulate them and it is largely Willie’s thoughts that we read.  As an adult it is possible to think that some of the issues are resolved too easily but it is important to remember that it is a children’s book. Overall it is a very satisfying story and definitely recommended.