Cuckoo in the Nest

Hollis Family #1

by Michelle Magorian

A wonderfully nostalgic story about one boy’s determination to follow his dreams

Amid the rubble of post-war Britain, Ralph is entranced by the theater. He loves seeing the performances, talking to the actors, the buzz of the audience, and the corridors and dressing rooms backstage. But how can a working-class boy achieve his dream when there is no opportunity for theater training?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Historical, Childrens, World War II, War

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

British children's author Michelle Magorian - author of the celebrated Goodnight, Mr. Tom (1981), which won The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize - was born in Southsea, Portsmouth, in 1947. She trained to be an actress, studying at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama, and at Marcel Marceau's L'école Internationale de Mime in Paris. While pursuing an acting career, Magorian became interested in children's books, writing her first novel for young readers (Goodnight, Mr. Tom) over the course of four and a half years.

Reviews

[Trish at Between My Lines · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on [Between My Lines]A Cuckoo in the Nest by Michelle Magorian tells the story of a family in post war 1940s England. Ralph's family is full of tension, of family members who no longer know or understand each other and the generation gap has never seemed greater.

 



 
First line of A Cuckoo's Nest by Michelle Magorian:

'No suicides this week,' Aunt Win announced, laying the newspaper flat on the kitchen table.

 

My Thoughts on A Cuckoo's Nest by Michelle Magorian:
This book captured my heart and this family of strong personalities drew me and held my attention until the very last page.

Ralph wants to be an actor to his father's horror and despite every obstacle put in his way, he marches on doggedly towards his goal. Watching him fight and work like a dog to prove himself made me respect him so much. And the theatre scenes were authentic and engaging, I felt part of the inner circle and got a real insight into how it all worked.

And I didn't just like Ralph, I felt like I got to understand every character in this family and they all felt real to me. There is an innocence and an uplifting feel to the book but it doesn't downplay either the struggle of all to find their way again after the war. There was a lot of misery and poverty and it could all have felt grim. But it didn't as there was a lot of unspoken love going around and it gave the book heart.

All the characters are struggling to readjust to life after the war and all have changed during the war years.  Ralph is out of step with the rest of his family as he spent the war years living with a Rector and has received a higher education than the rest of his family.  His father is glad to be home from the front and to have his family all together again but the adjustment is hard for him.  And it must have been a horrible anti-climax for so many families who would have dreamt for so long of happy family reunions and a world returning to normal but ended up facing with a very different reality. I really appreciated how the plot got dark and gritty as they all try to make sense of their new/old world.

Overall I loved it. It had a lot more depth than I was expecting a Children's book to have and it quite honestly touched my heart.

 



 
Who should read A Cuckoo's Nest by Michelle Magorian?
If you like children's fiction with interesting characters and a really strong sense of post-war Britain, then I'd highly recommend this to you.  Fans of Goodnight, Mr Tom and Back Home by same author should also enjoy this one.  I'd also recommend it to you like authors such as Noel Streatfeild or Antonia Forest.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting look at urban life, as well as life in the theater, in post-WWII Britain. Ralph, 17, is a working-class lad who, while evacuated to the country during the war, learned upper-class speaking and manners, which put him at odds with his father. Ralph is obsessed with theater and with becoming an actor, but he has to contend with the opposition of his father (who wants him to work in the paper mill) and the difficulties of making a living in an austere time. The characters, all of whom are war-weary and strapped--Ralph's family, a widow who hires him to do gardening on her estate, and the repertory theater community in which he becomes involved--are all thoroughly drawn. We learn a lot about the technicalities and practices of theater at the time. And the book made me want to seek out the plays that the group performs or discussed, by DuMaurier, Coward, Shaw, and Brighouse, among others. A rich, entertaining story.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omläsning (än en gång av den svenska översättningen: Plats på scen). Minns att jag älskade den här boken när jag läste den första gången som femtonåring och den är fortfarande väldigt bra.
Om teaterdrömmar och engelsk efterkrigstid, om klass och ett knepigt far- och sonförhållande. Just teaterbiten är så grundligt beskriven att jag misstänker att det bidrog till att göra mig stjärnögd när jag var teaterbiten femtonåring. Vissa detaljer känns så bekanta att jag börjar undra om det kanske ändå är så att jag läst om boken i tjugoårsåldern också, när jag var studerande och läste om ett par andra av mina Magorian-favoriter.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comfirmed: I did love it as much this time as I did when I was younger.

[Ruthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it from start to finish!!
Each character was full of life and the relationships between each character felt genuine. I was able to see a very true and realistic picture of the family and their home in working class. I could see a true bond of friendship between Ralph and Mrs. E-S. The understanding and kindness is so lovely to see.
Of course what an incredible place working behind scenes at the theatre would have been like back then. Everything that happened in the theatre was amusing and dramatic at times. I am so happy for Ralph. He worked hard and kept at it!
The whole story put together is so good! When I thought it was about to go wrong in some places something happened (which many times amused me so much, I couldn't help but smile) and all would be well again. Each character had a big part to play in Ralph's story.
It reminded me of the fact that we all have a part to play. For some it comes sooner but for others patience and hard work is key. Keep working hard no matter what anyone else says.

[Mai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adored this book when I was little and re-read it over and over. I'd love to have another look at it now in adulthood to see whether the charm really endures but unfortunately I misplaced my copy years ago and never found it.

As a child, stories of overcoming adversity through long and arduous struggles really appealed to me, especially if the protagonist was generally rejected by his or her peers (I really loved Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small series for the same reason). I always found it satisfying to see a character develop the skills they needed over a realistic period of time, rather than instantly gaining super powers or popularity. This book has all those things in spades, with an added little splash of romance, family drama and a time and place that I found interesting (post-war London, lots of rubble and fog), so I guess it pushed all my buttons at the time.

I'm not sure it would be quite so interesting for me now, when I'm more interested in stories about the action of grace (or the devastating consequences of its absence/rejection). In hindsight, it is curious that God and religion don't feature at all in the characters' lives (as far as I remember). Was working class culture already that secular in post-war London?
ETA: Ahhhh I'm a moron, I only just remembered that there's a load of stuff in it about them going to church as a family and which service Ralph (the main character) prefers and it plays into the tension between him and his father that he doesn't go with the rest of the family... I still can't remember though whether Ralph's faith plays any role in his decisions or seems to affect him particularly strongly. All the more reason to re-read, if I can find it.

Anyway, it was definitely a good children's book, and it made quite an impression. If I ever come across it while lurking in a second-hand bookshop (as I do), I'll give it another go.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this tale. Found it far more satisfying and more well rounded than Goodnight Mister Tom....for which the author is famous.
It’s certainly apparent that Michelle Magorian has first hand knowledge of the theatrical world. I learnt so much about repertory companies.....including the attitudes different “classes” had to them in this era (set in England, 1946-1947).
Magorian’s excellent descriptions of the bleak weather, lack of heating and electricity made me very glad to be living with my current day home comforts.
A good read.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I've wanted to read it for a long time and it really exceeded expectations. A wonderful coming of age in the theatre. Throughout my reading I kept thinking of my friend, MaryJo, who has worked in the theatre for years. I really wanted to talk to her about it. Very real and full characters struggling with difficult situations. I was happy to see the growth in the characters and to feel in the end that hard work, passion and caring can bring great rewards. Michelle Magorian is a treasure. I'll be looking for anything else I can find by her.

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things I liked:
The action was really exciting and engaging
The characters were interesting and you were able to think like them
The foreshadowing at points was good
The way the book was laid out
Things I didn't like:
There were so many plays that it got very confusing.
Parts seemed similar and uninteresting
Wasn't very technical or a 'good' book

[✿༺cosy reviews༻✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok this is the BEST out of the series! Its about a boy called ralph who loves the theatre and acting. Again, this book is based in ww2 and is a beautiful story with love, family, and following your dreams! This is the main book that made me want to pursue acting!
Its a great must read and i 💯 recomend it!
Byee
☕️Cosy reviews☕️

[ruggedclaws · Rating 5 out of 5]

An old favourite of mine, read first when I was in my early teens. Plotting, characterisation and themes really hold up! I was surprised to notice the complexity of Ralph's relationship with his mother in this re-read - very layered! Without sounding curmudgeonly, they really don't make em like this anymore.

[Huw Collingbourne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moderately interesting and entertaining but the rather thin plot felt stretched by the addition of too many very minor, thinly-drawn characters and excessive detail about theatrical stage management.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just thought of this book for the first time in ages whilst watching a National Theatre production of The Deep Blue Sea- because it was in this then much-beloved book that I first heard of Terence Rattigan, as a child!

[Hjwoodward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strangely familiar ... all the way while I was reading this I felt I'd read it before. So strange.

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another coming of age out of the ordinary story

[John Howes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining novel with themes of second world war and the world of the theatre.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heart-warming tale, expertly told. Rich in period theatrical detail, too. Just my kind of story ...

[Winnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me laugh, made me cry. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as some of her other works. The backstage management stuff was boring and so were the numerous plays.

[Deepal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the boy's perseverance.
Cause it's not 'want to be' rather 'going to be', and that's how you win through the curveball life throws

[Beth Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a young man (rising 17) in postwar London who is determined to become an actor, despite his father's utter refusal to consider such a thing. I am a sucker for "talented child works at and succeeds at chosen career against adversity" sorts of stories, and this one was right up my alley. I stayed up way past bedtime to finish it. I only wish more of Magorian's books were available in ebook format.

(Reread to prepare for reading the three sequels I recently discovered were available on Archive.org.)

[Daniel Tutatchikov · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know. On the one hand - this topic has been done to death. On the other hand, this book is charming enough to get away with it.

You follow this caricature of a person that longs to be in the theater, performing but keeps stumbling onto road blocks past which he has to find a way. Living in a poor family with an abusive father and a gullible mother, this books still manages to feel convoluted and contains aspects that are just ... meaningless. That don't add anything of value, but you still have to read through them to get to the good stuff.

However it's the relationship between the main characters that makes this book shine and that lets me forgive and forget its other flaws. The insanely charismatic cast makes you want to keep turning those pages to see what happens to them next. And even when it doesn't make sense, the fact that the main character is just a cartoon version of himself makes it that much easier to swallow.

Overall, a good time if you don't mind the subject matter.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read this at fourteen I couldn't put it down; I was completely enthralled. Re-reading the book over a decade later and it's not the riveting read I remember, but there's certainly enough there to keep it interesting. Whilst the main plot of the novel is centered upon Ralph's aspirations for the theatre, there are a myriad of sub plots exploring family relationships, politics within the workplace, and the constraints associated with class.

Far from being a novel revolving around one lead protagonist. the pages are packed with characters who each have their own struggles and their own challenge to piece together their lives after the war; each character brings a new dimension, and a more emotional element, to the tale.

For me, the amount of dialogue detracted from the overall flow of the story. Nonetheless, a sweeping, detailed novel that paints a striking picture of post war England, one that is carefully suited to the younger readers it is intended for.

[Andrée · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cripes. I'd forgotten how grim the post war years were.
I remember my mum saying that her abiding child hood memory of the war and years after was the constant hunger. The book rang true according to her.
My dad was called a pansy once while on a bus because he was wearing a yellow scarf !
The 'good old days' - har de har

2022. It's delicious to re-read a book and to re-enjoy it all over again.
So much so that I upped from 3 stars to 4.

[Mrs Mac McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and was fortunate to be able to finish it in two sittings. It reminded me a little of Billy Elliot, but the passion was acting not dancing. It was interesting how the characters changed through the story, I enjoyed Goodnight Mr Tom by Magorian, and she didn't let me down in this book either.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as "Goodnight, Mr. Tom", but still enjoyable. The author must have been really interested in the theatre because 3 of her books so far have had the theatre playing a big part in the main character's make-up. The research, though and the time of her books' settings really make the books, and her characters are believeable, and you want to know them.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really brilliant book telling of life just after the war and of the dedication of the character to follow his calling in life by pursuing a career in theatre in spite of opposition by family and society.
Well worth reading.

[Malcolm]

A story not just about the theatre and class division - but about, as a powerful sub-theme, the struggles of a man who has lived through the second world war and come home to find that life has changed in ways that he finds difficult to cope with.

[Aaditee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It started off a bit slow, but then you really get into the story!
Michelle Magorian's style is also very likable and she writes in a way that appeals to younger readers.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book, and it was especially germane to me as I just finished performing in a play (the first I've been involved in since a small production in grade 8). Magorian is very apt at creating likeable, multi-dimensional characters.