by David Marsh

Created on: September 05, 2008   Last Updated: October 20, 2008

Private Peaceful written by Michael Morpurgo has won numerous awards for the writer's ability to retell life for normal people during war time. First published in hardback by Harper Collins in 20003 the book then went on to win such awards like the Blue Peter book award. The book follows the life of a family living in a village in England during the outbreak of the First World War. While reading this I have, on more then one occasion been on the verge of tears as the writer describes the hardships that the family must undergo. The main character is a boy called Tom or Tommo as he is sometimes referred to by his brother and those that know him well. The book starts with the first day that Tom Peaceful goes to school. This was a good thing to do because it enabled the writer to give us a really clear sense of the strong, close relationship which Tom has with his older brother Charlie. We soon learn that Charlie is extremely protective of his brother which makes his character more and more likeable as the story progresses. Tom is a very likeable character and one of which I think we can all relate to. Tom is described as a person who seems neither particularly brave nor courageous, but will do anything he can for his family. Tom loves his family and it is this I believe, that makes it such a compelling story as it is his love for his brother, and his fear of being separated from him that causes Tom to volunteer to join the army. In the first chapter of the book we learn that Tom has a dark secret which he can not bring himself to reveal to his family. We learn of his secret early on, which I am afraid to say that I must reveal if to give a proper account of the story. His farther, a forester who worked for a man called then Colonel who owned the cottage that they lived in as well as those around it. Had taken his son Tom (who was quite young at the time) with him while he cut down trees. Tom, blissfully playing, searching rabbit holes and following after deer prints heard an almightily crack and one of the trees was coming down straight for him. As the tree began to fall Tom's farther pushed him out of harms way which leads to the farther of the Peaceful family to die. Following the loss of their farther and the provider for the household the Peaceful family falls on hard times. This leads to the Colonel to demand that Charlie goes to fight for king and country or the family will be evicted from their home.

With the somewhat daunting prospect of their familly beeing torn apart, Tom Peacful decideds to enrole in the army with his older brother even though he is not of age yet. The pair then go to the training camp where they are instructed in how to become solidures. The auother gives us a origonal view of what life was like for the men who went off to fight in the first world war. We learn of the harsh laws which surrounded those men and the brilliant aspects to the main characters personallity who gose beond th call of duty to stand up for hids values.

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