A good page-turner about the grief of a boy after the sudden death of his mother which paints a bleak picture of a claustrophobic, judgmental and hypocritical post-war village society. Ignored by a distant father and family friends, his loss and despair builds into withdrawal, self- harm and violence. The contrast between modern thinking on grief, emotional intelligence and expectations of parenting is stark.
(Rebecca Howell - bwl 62 Autumn 2011 ) |
