Michelle Magorian Livres

The gruff and surly Mr Thomas Oakley is less than pleased when he is landed with a scrawny little city boy as a guest, but because it is compulsory that each villager takes in an evacuee he reluctantly agrees. It soon becomes obvious to Mister Tom that young Willie Beech is hiding something, and as the pair begin to form an unlikely bond and Willie grows in stature and in confidence he begins to forget the past. But when he has to return to war-torn London to face his mother again he retreats into his shy and awkward ways once more. Goodnight Mister Tom is one of the most touching and powerful stories ever written. As the relationship between Willie and Tom begins to transform them both, Magorian's powerful yet gentle writing tugs at the heart, taking the reader on an incredibly emotional journey that never once stoops to unnecessary sentimentality. -- Susan Harrison

'Looks like I rescued you just in time. You're working class, and don't forget it. Family is the most important thing in the world. You lose family, you loose everything. That's where your first loyalty is. So you can drop the accent.' To John Hollis, back from fighting in the Second World War, his son Ralph is worse than a cuckoo in the nest, he is a traitor. Ralph gives up a precious job because all he wants is to be an actor. In the Palace Theatre Ralph is also a cuckoo in the nest. he is working class, without influential friends, without money to buy him a training in the usual way. There seems no future. Ralph will not be put off. He is as stubborn as his father. Whatever the obstacle, Ralph is going to make his dream a reality. Michelle Magorian's acclaimed gifts let one eavesdrop on two worlds, the Hollis family and the Palace Theatre. The theatre echoes in the family with its tensions and humour but in the theatre even the wildest dreams come true. This is a wonderfully engaging and powerful story of growing up, of learning to make one's own future. It is a universal story of fathers and sons and the supreme power of family love.

By the author of Goodnight Mr Tom, this is a heart-warming story of a young girl growing up in the immediate post-war era. For Elsie, though, the fighting isn't over. Not only does she have to cope with the indifference of her father, himself adjusting to family life after the war, she also has to run the gauntlet of a vicious bully and cope with being a scholarship girl at the local grammar school. Through her work with the local repertory theatre, Elsie's confidence slowly grows and she finds herself able to confront all her demons. This is the rich and dramatic story of a young girl who manages to overcome many obstacles in her attempts to lead a normal life. Michelle Magorian's great strength is her ability to understand both the vulnerabilities and the strengths of her characters, and to imbue even the most distressing events with elements of humour and warmth. --Philippa Reece