On Alfie's fifth birthday, England declares war on Germany. Life will never be the same again. The very next day, Alfie's Dad signs up, and is gone within a week. Letters come regularly, and Alfie begins to get used to his new routine, with different teachers, different food and a different home life. Then, with no warning, the letters stop.
His Mum Margie tells him that his Dad's on a secret mission for the government, but, now nine, he is clever enough to know that he must be dead. Now the man of the house, Alfie skips school whenever it's not his favourite subjects (history and reading) to shine shoes at Kings Cross for a penny a pair. Then one day, while working on a pair of scuffed boots for a doctor, Alfie hears something life changing. His father is in hospital in the UK!Fired up with determination, Alfie catches a train to visit. But what he finds there shocks him to the core, and he decides to help his shell-shocked father escape...
John Boyne will always be remembered as "the one who wrote the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" but, to me, Stay Where You Are and Then Leave is every bit as good. It explores many difficult issues about the war, but from the perspective of a young child. This is really interesting, because it's very unusual to read a book about World War One not written about a grown-up soldier on the Front Line. Alfie's perspective is a fresh one, and his touching innocent narrative really adds to the book. For example, he mainly thinks of the war as an annoying nuisance that stops him from going out on the milk float with his Dad!
One particularly interesting example of this is where he meets his Dad in hospital for the first time and begins to realise what's wrong with him. His endearing distress makes the whole situation seem more real than it could otherwise have seemed. I know that's a bit cryptic, but I don't want to ruin the book! One point though – just because the main character is young doesn't mean this is a book for little kids. It isn't. Read it and you'll realise it can be read on so many levels.
The cover is lovely too, although it doesn't really have much to do with the book. It's a bit like the artist thought "Right, war book: I can do this!" It's still really beautiful though and I'm certainly not complaining.
One thing I particularly like about this book is how it managed to incorporate so many alien ideas - like white feathers being handed out in the streets, outside toilets with ashes for the smell - in such a way they seem perfectly natural and we never doubt them or think anything of it. It's a book which is educational without trying to be, which is great, when so many war books are purposefully trying to 'teach' the reader. Overall, a fantastic book which is definitely a must-read for everyone from teens right through to adults.
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