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The Kid on Slapton Beach
War is hard enough when your dad is missing in action, and even harder when you have to leave everything you know and love. Twelve-year-old Harry is one of three thousand people leaving the coast in Devon during the Second World War as US troops move into the area, planning secret D-Day rehearsals on the beach there in April 1944. But what if your most treasured possession is left behind?
318 pages, Paperback
First published September 13, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 19, 2023
Gritty, evocative account of a dark episode in WW2 seen through the eyes of a child caught up in the horrors of war. Descriptive writing of real quality puts this novel in the same league as Goodnight Mr Tom, which is a measure of its excellence. There is no idealism in the character portrayal as the uprooting of a village community brings a range of emotions to the surface, some of them raw and unpleasant.
May 24, 2018
War can rob a 12-year-old boy of his childhood but Harry Beere finds himself in danger of losing something far more important in this superb novel - his family. With his father already missing presumed dead with the army in Italy, Harry's world is turned upside again back in England when he's evicted from the family home in the south of England to make way for American GIs engaging in war games ahead of the D-Day landings. Along with his mum and little sister Peppy, they are relocated to another town and forced to stay with a bitter and spiteful landlady who lost her own husband in the First World War. This is bad enough for Harry but he also has to cope with one of the wardens, Lewis, trying to usurp his father and win his mother's affections. Having lost hope of her husband returning and in dire need of a provider for her family, mum Celia takes the warden's side and a rift emerges between her and Harry.
Apart from best friend Tim, the only person Harry can rely on is American GI Mike, who takes a shine to him and gets him out of trouble on more than a few occasions.
He becomes a father figure to Harry but nothing can replace his real Dad and he clings to the faint hope of his triumphant return. His only memento of his father is a picture that Harry cherishes but it was left in the house during their eviction and Lewis spitefully refuses to let him return. As the warden grows closer to his mum, Harry's anger increases and he runs away after a blazing row, vowing to return to their house for the picture that will rekindle his mum's love for her husband.
But when he gets there, the war games have started and he finds himself caught up in the infamous Operation Tiger, with potentially deadly consequences for both him and GI Mike.
I must admit, I had never heard of Operation Tiger before and as Felicity Thompson expertly explains it through Harry's eyes, I couldn't believe it. But it did happen and it remains one of the great tragedies of a war that never grew tired of creating them.
The book is therefore interesting from a historical point of view but it's really a story about family and coming to terms with loss. You really feel for Harry and find yourself rooting for him but my only criticism of the book is that Lewis the warden is painted as too much of a villain, particularly when he sends Harry's sister away to a safe house and refuses to tell his mum, who bafflingly accepts this, where she has gone. It would have made for a better story if Lewis was more complex, with Harry's hatred being unfair and based only on his love for his father. But this is an excellent novel from an accomplished storyteller who clearly knows her craft inside out. I had the pleasure of meeting the author and getting a signed copy at a book show in Worthing and I will certainly check out her back catalogue.
Apart from best friend Tim, the only person Harry can rely on is American GI Mike, who takes a shine to him and gets him out of trouble on more than a few occasions.
He becomes a father figure to Harry but nothing can replace his real Dad and he clings to the faint hope of his triumphant return. His only memento of his father is a picture that Harry cherishes but it was left in the house during their eviction and Lewis spitefully refuses to let him return. As the warden grows closer to his mum, Harry's anger increases and he runs away after a blazing row, vowing to return to their house for the picture that will rekindle his mum's love for her husband.
But when he gets there, the war games have started and he finds himself caught up in the infamous Operation Tiger, with potentially deadly consequences for both him and GI Mike.
I must admit, I had never heard of Operation Tiger before and as Felicity Thompson expertly explains it through Harry's eyes, I couldn't believe it. But it did happen and it remains one of the great tragedies of a war that never grew tired of creating them.
The book is therefore interesting from a historical point of view but it's really a story about family and coming to terms with loss. You really feel for Harry and find yourself rooting for him but my only criticism of the book is that Lewis the warden is painted as too much of a villain, particularly when he sends Harry's sister away to a safe house and refuses to tell his mum, who bafflingly accepts this, where she has gone. It would have made for a better story if Lewis was more complex, with Harry's hatred being unfair and based only on his love for his father. But this is an excellent novel from an accomplished storyteller who clearly knows her craft inside out. I had the pleasure of meeting the author and getting a signed copy at a book show in Worthing and I will certainly check out her back catalogue.
February 18, 2018
There are great and terrible tragedies in war. But there are also the little tragedies, personal to one or two people but just as heart-wrenching. The beautifully written ‘The Kid on Slapton Beach' has both. The year is 1943; Christmas is just a few weeks away. Harry, along with his mother and little sister, are uprooted without warning, and told to leave their village in Devon and find homes elsewhere. In the scramble to leave, Harry’s precious box is left behind. Among other treasures, it contains his only photo of his father, missing in action in Italy.
Harry’s unhappiness at the upheaval and his desperate quest to recover the photo are the small tragedy that define this book. The catastrophic outcome, all the more harrowing for being true, is one of the great untold stories of World War Two.
What makes this story so powerful is that the events unfold through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy. The author evokes brilliantly the powerlessness and frustration of a child whom nobody has consulted or informed.
Harry’s unhappiness at the upheaval and his desperate quest to recover the photo are the small tragedy that define this book. The catastrophic outcome, all the more harrowing for being true, is one of the great untold stories of World War Two.
What makes this story so powerful is that the events unfold through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy. The author evokes brilliantly the powerlessness and frustration of a child whom nobody has consulted or informed.
December 27, 2023
In preparation for D-Day, British and American troops take over a beach on the eastern side of England. The inhabitants of the local village are evacuated - and told they will be able to return - without knowing where they will work or live or how their absent soldier family members will find them later.
Nobody tells the troops that live amunition is being used in the rehearsal activities, and over 1,000 soldiers are slaughtered as they practice coming ashore under fire. The local buildings are reduced to unrecognizable splinters and brick-rubble.
This historical novel is based on an actual incident that remained secret for more than 50 years after the end of WWII.
Nobody tells the troops that live amunition is being used in the rehearsal activities, and over 1,000 soldiers are slaughtered as they practice coming ashore under fire. The local buildings are reduced to unrecognizable splinters and brick-rubble.
This historical novel is based on an actual incident that remained secret for more than 50 years after the end of WWII.
May 29, 2023
A lovely book, which highlights the ‘difficulties’ of being evacuated from yr home without any compensation. But it really came to life for me at the end - when Ceclia articulated what it was really like trying to live in a country at war, with a husband who’s missing in action.
February 20, 2019
Based on the factual evacuation of the entire area during the second world war, this tale captures the spirit of the time. It's suitable for all from children to adults. The story is captivating.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews