Title: Private Peaceful
Author:Michael Morpurgo
Pages: 202
Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction (WWI)
Rating: 4.5 stars- I'll be thinking about this book long after I finish it.
Goodreads Summary
From the Children's Laureate of England, a stunning novel of the First World War, a boy who is on its front lines, and a childhood remembered.
"They've gone now, and I'm alone at last. I have the whole night ahead of me, and I won't waste a single moment of it . . . I want tonight to be long, as long as my life . . ." For young Private Peaceful, looking back over his childhood while he is on night watch in the battlefields of the First World War, his memories are full of family life deep in the countryside: his mother, Charlie, Big Joe, and Molly -- the love of his life. Too young to be enlisted, Thomas has followed his brother to war and now, every moment he spends thinking about his life, means another moment closer to danger.
My Thoughts:
This was a well-written historical fiction about WWI from the perspectives of two brothers who do everything together, from loving the same girl to going off to war together. The character-types were familiar and relatable, though not especially original or quirky. They could have been anyone, which is part of the point. The character relations were moving, especially between the brothers (including Big Joe) and I was choked up more often than not. I found the scene with Joe and the rabbit dropping pretty upsetting...I'm not really sure I liked how that was handled although my brother did something similar to my little sister once.
I'm not really interested in war-stories so I found myself skimming some of the details about the drills and the trenches, but I think that would be a big draw for those interested in the subject, and boys in particular. This book has a low RL, so a middle grader could read it, but due to the violence and graphic death I don't think I'd recommend it right away.
Certainly this is a story that is not often told and deserves more examination. I can't say more without giving away the plot.
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