Book Review: Goodnight, Mr. Tom

New year, new book review! Well, this is a new review, but the book is a classic. I haven't read a book like this in a long time, but sometimes you just need a good heart felt story! This book is historical fiction, often shelved for children's and young adults, but it is a wonderful story for any age! Goodnight, Mr. Tom was recommended to me by my mom; she read it first and loved it so much, I had to read it too! We both love a good story that brings a tear to your eye and really moves you.

image courtesy of goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/257758.Goodnight_Mister_Tom

The story takes place right as WWII is beginning. Willie Beech is sent out to the English countryside with many other children seeking safety. Poor Willie is too small for his age, obviously underfed and not well taken care of. He is taken in by Mr. Tom Oakley, an older gentlemen who lives alone.

At first, Willie is terrified of everything in the country. The dog, Mr. Tom, working outside. He is terribly fragile and Mr. Tom notices it right away. The more he gets to know Willie, he quickly discovers that Willie has an abusive single mother. She has physically hurt Willie, leaving him with many bruises and sores that Mr. Tom finds. She has also been mentally abusive, making Willie think he is constantly sinning. She unfortunately has twisted his view of the Bible, trying to weaponize scriptures.

Mr. Tom helps Willie overcome all of that. Willie spends time outside, growing strong and healthy again, the bruises fading. His nightmares stop, and Mr. Tom tells him Bible stories every night, and Willie begins to make friends.

But then, all that stops abruptly. Willie's mother writes a letter saying she is sick and needs him to come back to the city right away. When Willie disappears for three weeks with no word, Mr. Tom knows something is wrong, and goes into the city to find him.

Willie's relationship with Mr. Tom is so sweet! Poor Willie has suffered so much abuse that he has trauma, and has horrible nightmares and bed wetting issues. But Mr. Tom never gets angry. Instead, he takes care of Willie, and remains patient. As we read the story, we find out that Mr. Tom had been married quite young, but lost his wife and son in childbirth. It's obvious that Willie feels like the son he never got to raise, and he treats him with the utmost care.

This book was also eye opening about child abuse, and how it is not just a modern problem but has existed for a while. I won't lie to you, I had tears in my eyes reading about how Willie suffered. It is heart breaking! If that subject is too much for, just know this book does highlight it a good bit. We don't really read about Willie's mom actively abusing him, but we read about the aftermath of it all.

Of course, the whole time I was reading the book, I was rooting for Mr. Tom to adopt Willie. But Mr. Tom faces an uphill battle in keeping Willie, who decides to begin going by the name William, as he feels like a new boy.

This book has won many awards, and is considered a classic, and for good reason! It should be read by all ages. But I will warn you, the characters' speeches are written with a heavy accent at times, and you may have a little trouble deciphering what they are saying at first. I had to re-read a few sentences to make sure I understood it!

Also, be prepared to get teary-eyed or even full on cry. Get the tissues ready! But don't worry, a lot of it will be good tears. Happy Reading!