Just Henry

While on vacation in the UK last summer I was excited to see the new book by Michelle Magorium. I had recently read and enjoyed Goodnight Mr. Tom so I picked up her new book without hesitation. My time with this book was one of the most satisfying reading experiences in recent memory. This is not a children's book which only children will enjoy. Henry is a 14 year old boy living in post WWII England. (1949). He lives in a world of poverty and prejudice and, as the story begins, Henry is as hateful and prejudiced as everyone else around him. His father died during the war while saving the life of a comrade and Henry now lives with his mother, step father, half sister and his paternal grandmother. He is a sad, conflicted, hate filled and very lonely boy who finds solace in going to the movies. Movies for Henry are an escape, a way to leave his own life behind and enter,for a short time a new world. As the story develops the function of movies in Henrys life changes often. They start as an escape and end up becoming a destination of sorts. From being an escape from reality to actually being his reality. Just one of the many ironies weaved throughout the plot. This book has it all. Secrets, mysteries, friendship, adventure, fear, love and what might be the most black hearted grandmother in literature. I could write so much more about this wonderful book but not without giving away some spoilers, and I hate it when spoilers are part of a review. I give this book my highest recommendation. There is no one I know who would not enjoy this.

I ordered this after reading a glowing review of "Just Henry" in the Guardian, and they were spot on! It's an exciting story, jam-packed with adventure. I'm an adult who enjoys reading children's books, and I couldn't put it down--I read it at home, on the bus, at lunch, and even, toward the end, sneak-read it at my desk at work! (I haven't' done that since the last Connie Willis novel, "Passage," came out.) Henry is a 14-year old boy in post-WWII Britain. He lives under the misguided influence of his grandmother; he has no friends, misses his war-hero father, and resents his stepfather and stepsister. He goes through a great deal of heartbreak and danger as he comes to important realizations about himself and the world, solving mysteries about his past and becoming part of a community--all against a backdrop of the films he constantly goes to see. But that hardly sums up what a rich and thoughtful story it is; it's full of drama, intrigue, humor, sadness...pretty much everything. I'd highly recommend this for both children and adults. It's fast-paced and full of warm, believable characters. And the author is good at portraying the excitement people felt when movies like "On the Town," "Rome: Open City," or "The Third Man" were just coming out. It makes me want to rent them and try to look at them not as classics but as fresh new features. In the meantime, I'll be looking for more books by this author.