Alfie Wright, also known as Alfie Wrong to his bullying classmates, is an instantly endearing character who will tug at your heartstrings. A so-called outsider with a less-than-sympathetic mother, Alfie welcomes the wartime evacuation that sees him billeted to a farm in rural Devon. Indeed, under “Auntie” Bell’s motherly wing, Alfie flourishes, despite getting on the wrong side of the geese.
Free to roam the varied coastal landscape, which is almost a character in its own right, Alfie is increasingly drawn to a circle of standing stones where land meets sea, and where he meets a boy c called Smidge. Unbeknownst to Alfie, however, Smidge is from a distant time.
The execution of the time-slip element in this novel is truly skilful and I think children will enjoy going back and picking up the clues that were hidden in plain sight all along, just like Alfie does.
For me, the joyful heart of this novel is the slow-building friendship between the two boys. Different in clothing and customs and language, their shared struggles are timeless, and their desire for connection, acceptance, and the carefree games of childhood jump off the page – made all the sweeter because we understand this is the first taste of much-deserved friendship for both boys.
So, of course, when Alfie learns the truth about Smidge, and the gruesome fate that awaits him, it comes as no surprise he’s willing to risk life and limb to save him. Here, Landman ramps up the pace, and Alfie’s headlong dash into danger reveals some astonishing twists; ones that will reverberate through history.
Tom Clohosy Cole’s cover illustration captures the threads of darkness and menace woven into this story, but also the brightness of friendship.
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