Found family in war times
Title: Goodnight mister Tom
Author: Michelle Magorian
Genre: Historical fiction, young adult, children.
Publication year: 1981
Main character: Willie is a scrawny and timid 8 year old boy who’s been brought up in terrible poverty by a physically and emotionally abusive religious mentally unstable mother. He is scared of almost everything and not use to the basic kindness he is shown by the people around him. Away from his mother he gradually changes into a very sweet boy who loves to help others and shows a talent when it comes to drawing and painting. He learns to stand up for himself and trust people.
Story: During world war 2 Willie is, like many other children, evacuated to the English countryside. He is placed in the home of a reclusive, gruff and old widower in his sixties called Tom. They both start off unsure of the other one, but Tom quickly notices that Willie isn’t a normal happy kid and immediately steps up to try and give him an at least somewhat normal childhood. Being different people who have both been through a lot, it takes some time, but they eventually open up to the other about their hardships and grow closer. Things change yet again when Willies mother wants him back again.
Reading experience: I’ve read this book 3 times; once as an audiobook during a long car trip when I was a kid, once in school as a teen, and once in my free time as an adult. Every single time I have cried throughout the entire thing. The things Tom and Willie have been through, the way they help each other heal and grow as people, and the father son relationship they form is so emotionally devastating. All of this during such a terrible time is even more emotionally wrecking. Classic found family/grumpy old man adopts a child story, but with extra trauma.
When I read it in school I remember going on and on with my classmates just how sad it was. It left quite an impression on me the first time. So many memories coming back the second time. Mostly the traumatic ones. Many classmates asked me about the fates of certain characters. It’s a book about abuse and war, so no character is truly safe. Willie sure has been through a lot... And goes through more in the book itself. All his sad moments are somewhat balanced out by the lengths Tom is willing to go for him, which saves the book from being way to depressing. But it's still sorrowful.
For some reason my mental image of “Mister Tom” was always Hagrid from Harry Potter. A gentle giant. Not sure why since they are so different.
