"Stay Where You Are And Then Leave" by John Boyne is a somber story of World War I, and its effects on families and communities, as told from the viewpoint of a young man; Alfie Summerfield.

I was excited to receive the ARC for "Stay Where You Are And Then Leave" because I love "The Boy In The Stripped Pajamas."

For me the beginning was a bit slow, and it took a few days to try it again. As I began to become more fully involved in the story, the backdrops became three dimensional. I was not disappointed.

Observing the lives of the Summerfields, their friends and neighbors, the truth of what individuals went through at this time in American history came through. Had I not persevered, and skipped this book, I would have been the loser. I will never be the same again.

For those who read "The Boy In The Stripped Pajamas," which took place during World War II, we were given a look at the horrors of war, and how humans were treated in the Nazi concentration camps. It was not pretty, it could not be soft-soaped, but it gave voice to atrocities that are being revealed to this day.

"Stay Where You Are..." brings us to the second world war, and in an intelligent manner shows how the psychology of throwing a war, by any nation, will always be harmful to families and their dreams. The best thing about this book is that it teaches us that love, personal bravery, honor and fortitude can pay off, and sometimes breaking rules is the right thing to do.

If you are looking for an amazing historical fiction based on many truths, it would be a shame to by-pass "Stay Where You Are And Then Leave."

This has been recommended and ordered for our Y/A genre library collection. ( )

El 28 de julio de 1914, Alfie celebra la fiesta de su quinto cumpleaños que coincide con el estallido de la primera guerra mundial. El padre de Alfie, Georgie, decide alistarse inmediatamente porque cree que es su obligación de ciudadano y, además, está convencido de que todo acabará antes de que lleguen las Navidades. Después de cuatro años y enfrentado a un panorama desolador, Alfie descubre que el padre al que ya daba por muerto no regresa porque está internado en un hospital militar, así que decide coger un tren e ir a buscarlo para traerlo de vuelta.

This is a YA novel, written at that level and did not engage me. Predictably the young main character becomes the hero he believed his Dad was.
Not a favorite Boyne novel. ( )

CW: PTSD ( )

Book on CD read by Euan Morton
3***

The Great War (WWI) began on Alfie Summerfield’s 5th birthday, with the result that few people attended his birthday party. That was okay … more cake for Alfie! At least his Dad, Georgie, was home from his job driving the milk delivery cart. But within a few weeks, Alfie’s father joined the fight, and although everyone said “It will be over by Christmas” they didn’t specify WHICH Christmas. Now, four years later, nine-year-old Alfie is doing all he can to help his Mum survive until his father can get home.

This is a book suitable for middle-school children, but deals with some serious issues, including poverty among the families of fighting men, conscientious objectors and “shell shock” (now called PTSD).

Alfie is a marvelous character. He’s curious, intelligent, a hard worker, resourceful and tenacious. Of course, although he’s been forced to take on more responsibility due to the war effort, he is only a child, and he doesn’t fully understand all that is happening. The fact that his mother tries to shield him from adult troubles leads him to draw his own conclusions, and, ultimately, to take action to fix the problem as he sees it.

Euan Morton does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. He gives us a believably young Alfie, and I loved the voices he used for Grannie Summerfield and Joe Patience. ( )