Seventeen-year-old Pvt. Thomas (Tommo) Peaceful stands watch through a sleepless night, recalling how he and his beloved older brother Charlie came to be soldiers in a war they do not understand. Tommo's memories introduce their close-knit family, cruel landlords, and Molly, the girl loved by both brothers. We learn that Charlie left his post to care for his injured brother, a fateful decision in the British Army, where soldiers were routinely killed for lesser offenses. As the young soldier counts the minutes to dawn, it is clear this is not going to end well.—Angelina Benedetti, "35 Going on 13," BookSmack! 8/19/10
Gr 7 Up-At 15, Thomas Peaceful, like many other English soldiers in World War I, is too young to fight, but he lies about his age. Now at the front in France with his older brother Charlie he stands a lonely nighttime vigil for reasons that are not explained until the book's end, watching the minutes tick by and reflecting on his past. Using first-person narration, Morpurgo draws readers into this young man's life, relating memories that are idyllic, sobering, and poignant. Tommo thinks upon the role he played in his father's accidental death, the adventures that he shared with Charlie, his relationship with his childhood friend Molly, and the experiences that he has had since entering the war. Finally, he describes how Charlie disobeyed a direct order to stay with him after he was wounded in action, fully aware of this decision's dire consequences. While this story is not based on any one individual, Morpurgo has personalized the British tactic of executing their own soldiers "for cowardice or desertion," memorializing these men without passing judgment. While readers see the events through Tommo's eyes, the author does not lose sight of the war's effects on the teen's friends and family. Reminders come in the form of letters from home, relationships with other soldiers, and observations of battles. This thoughtful novel touches on themes of humanity and duty, and features brilliant characters whose personal decisions have earned them their very own badges of honor.-Delia Fritz, Mercersburg Academy, PA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
From England's Children's Laureate, a searing WWI-era tale of a close extended family repeatedly struck by adversity and injustice. On vigil in the trenches, 17-year-old Thomas Peaceful looks back at a childhood marked by guilt over his father's death, anger at the shabby treatment his strong-minded mother receives from the local squire and others-and deep devotion to her, to his brain-damaged brother Big Joe, and especially to his other older brother Charlie, whom he has followed into the army by lying about his age. Weaving telling incidents together, Morpurgo surrounds the Peacefuls with mean-spirited people at home, and devastating wartime experiences on the front, ultimately setting readers up for a final travesty following Charlie's refusal of an order to abandon his badly wounded brother. Themes and small-town class issues here may find some resonance on this side of the pond, but the particular cultural and historical context will distance the story from American readers-particularly as the pace is deliberate, and the author's hints about where it's all heading are too rare and subtle to create much suspense. (Fiction. 11-13, adult)
Pitched to perfection for a young audience - The glory of Morpurgo is that [he reconnects] us with our past. He simply opens our hearts to feeling.” —Daily Telegraph
“The sheer restrained power of Morpurgo's writing keeps you gripped.” —Guardian
“A balanced, considered, well-structured piece of theatre, impeccably performed and beautifully committed.” —Five stars - The Public Reviews
“A truly special piece of theatre, and from the standing ovation at the end - it looks like I'm not alone in my thinking.” —Broadway World
“A haunting indictment of war's stupidity and waste” —The Times
The convergence of an eloquent manuscript and a noteworthy reading is only one of the highlights of PRIVATE PEACEFUL. Evocative language increases the realism of the flashbacks that tell the story of brothers Charlie and Thomas Peaceful. Combining scenes of WWI, life on an English estate, school, loving Molly, and a brother’s bond, the characterizations are exceptional. Jeff Woodman’s narration is fully voiced and beautifully modulated. Particularly noteworthy are the vocal nuances he gives Thomas as the character progresses from boy to war-weary man. Woodman builds the tension as the listener is enveloped by Thomas’s plight (made more perfect if one does not have advance notice of it). Be forewarned, listener, the lines “‘Oranges and lemons,’ say the bells of St. Clemens . . . ” will have meaning for a very long time. L.D.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
