Shrapnel

by Robert Swindells

It is the height of World War II. Britain is being ravaged by bombs and most young men are off fighting, and Gordon wishes he was too. Maybe then he wouldn't get bullied for having a cowardly Gordon's dad didn't serve in World War I, and now his older brother Raymond isn't serving in World War II—he's gone missing. When Gordon finds a revolver hidden in his house, he tracks Raymond down but ends up involved in more than he'd bargined for. Raymond enlists Gordon's help to deliver and collect some "packages." But is the work actually for the government? And will it have terrible consequences?

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Robert Swindells was born in Bradford in 1939, the eldest of five children. He left the local Secondary Modern School at fifteen to work as a copy holder on the local newspaper. At seventeen he enlisted in the RAF and served for three years, two in Germany. On being discharged he worked as a clerk, engineer and printer until 1969 when he entered college to train as a teacher having obtained five 'O' levels at night-school. His first book 'When Darkness Comes' was written as a college thesis and published by Hodder and Stoughton in 1972. In 1980 he gave up teaching to write full time. He likes travelling and visits many schools each year, talking and reading stories to children. He is the secutatry of his local Peace Movement group. Brother in the Land is his first book for Oxford University Press. He is married with two grown-up daughters and lives in Bradford.

Author description taken from Brother in the Land.

Reviews

[Hajir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! Just like Robert Swindells' In the Nick of Time! I really enjoyed it!

[Tiana Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Swindells book 'Shrapnel' has a similar tone to his novel 'Dosh', they both deal with dark themes where the some of the characters have questionable characters and questionable motivates. This is the story of a character with high moral standing vs one that has highly questionable values. This makes for both a thrilling and yet impossible read because you realise it cannot end well. The protagonist of the story is a naive and trusting young school boy Gordon who desires to be part of something bigger than himself. However, it is not just about him it is also the story of his family, in particular his brother Raymond.

The novel is set in Britain during WWII, when the world is in chaos. Gordon has a brother and father who are not fighting in the war, Gordon's father is considered crucial to the workforce and is kept at home and his brother Raymond refuses to fight, trying his best to avoid conscription. This of course makes life very difficult for Gordon who is bullied because his family are seen as cowards. Gordon on the other hand wants to fight and views it as an opportunity to bring glory and honour to his family. Gordon is too young to fight though and ends up caught up in what he thinks is vital spy work.

I do recommend this read, particular if you are interested in what life was like on the British home front during WWII. It is important to recognise that this is a fictional novel, however, some information and events do ring true to what life was like at the time.