Private Peaceful by Michael MorpurgoSynopsis: ” A stunning novel of the First World War
They’ve gone now, and I’m alone at last. I have the whole night ahead of me, and I won’t waste a single moment of it… I want tonight to be long, as long as my life… As young Thomas Peaceful looks back over his childhood from the battlefields of the First World War, his memories are full of family life deep in the countryside. But the clock is ticking, and every moment Tommo spends remembering how things used to be, means another moment closer to something which will change his life forever.“

My Review

Wow this was a very emotional read, that I borrowed from the library via the Libby app.

As the above synopsis reads, the story is told by Tommo Peaceful, a young solider on the frontline in Belgium. The chapters are told by the hours counting down from night to dawn when everything will change for Tommo.

I loved reading about Tommo and his family back home in Devon, told through flashbacks. How he remembered his schooldays, and adventures growing up there with his big brother Charlie, also a soldier on the frontline.

When the end came I was really shocked, as the story took a turn I wasn’t expecting!

I really like the way Michael Morpurgo writes and will definitely be reading or listening to more of his books. 

Highly recommend this if you enjoy middle grade stories set during World War 1.