Review: Gwendoline Ewins, Alexandra Headland, Australia
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 25, 2011
Barbara Arnold's "He called me Son" is not a comfortable read. I wept and felt angry about the injustices of the world. I wanted to put things right and felt frustrated because I couldn't. I also laughed out loud at the irrepressible humour of Cockney kids in situations which in truth were far from funny. Ms arnold handles all manner of human experience - physical, emotional, sexual abuse, disappointment, satisfaction, kindness, joy - without mawkishness and she shows a deft appreciation of dialogue. So you can see I appreciate this book.The story begins in postwar Britain when some of the features of the class system were still firmly in place. Poverty was painful. Food rationing remained in force. Life wasn't fair, as I witnessed myself as a cockney kid in forties' London. Yet even bombsites could be turned into magical places by groups of children who made the most of what was available. With imagination trash really could become treasure, and Tony Addington has plenty of imagination.Ms Arnold writes of a world devoid of rights I nowadays take for granted, where people could see themselves one-up on their neighbours by fine differentials in speech, clothing, attitude, and where the Dibbles (neighbours of Tony) could demonstrate their superiority with a trip to the seaside.She focuses on Tony and his friend who are caught up in the British Government's scheme for sending children to the colonies, often without the knowledge of their parents. It was one of a number of shameful schemes of the time, and we aren't allowed to escape the stark horrow of the boys' and other children's daily experience on a remote new Zealand farm. The children can't escape either.Amazingly the boys are not destroyed by their years on the Downstons' farm. Not everyone in their world is evil. Some people, ordinary people, go out of their way to do what little is within their power to build theboys up and show them respect and even love. And Tony never ever forgets the people - his family and friend Paula - he was forced to leave.I look forward to reading the second of Barbara Arnold's trilogy.