Summary
The book opens with the main two characters meeting for the first time. The eight-year-old Willie is left at the home of Tom Oakley, a solitary man in his 60s living in the British countryside. It is the second world war, and many children in London are being evacuated and moved to more rural locations for their safety. A group of children are being placed by a Billeting Officer. The officer explains that Willie has been matched with Mr. Tom because his religious mother insisted on placing him with someone who lives near a church.
Tom introduces the boy into his home and quickly takes note of his sickly and quiet demeanor. Tom makes arrangements so that Willie can be comfortable in his home: he fixes him his own jacket peg, and prepares a meal. While they eat together, Tom notices bruises on Willie's legs. Tom goes out to do some errands. Willie sits in the house and quietly reprimands himself that he must "be good" like his mother told him. Willie starts to fear that Mr. Oakley will discover that he is bad and punish him. Willie goes to visit the graveyard next to Tom's cottage. There, he encounters a young man and woman. The woman is Mrs. Hartridge, the teacher at the local school.
Willie sits in the graveyard and works at clearing grass from a small gravestone. He becomes startled by the sound of a squirrel scuffling in the leaves. Then, suddenly, Sammy, Tom's dog, appears from around the tree and scares Willie. His mother had always told him that dogs are dangerous. Willie picks up a stick to scare the dog off. At that moment, Tom returns and tells Willie that the dog is harmless and that he should put down the stick. They return to the cottage and Willie begins to feel very scared that Tom is going to hit him with the fire poker. Willie is so fearful that he faints. Tom lifts the boy to the window so he can get fresh air and then lets him sleep for awhile. Tom is taken aback at how timidly Willie behaves.
Tom goes to fix up Willie's room in the attic. In the attic, Tom sorts through many old things, including items that belonged to his wife, Rachel: paint supplies, a christening robe, and old photographs. Both Tom's wife and baby son passed away almost 40 years earlier.
Willie wakes up after fainting. Tom and Willie take a walk into town. Tom stops to talk to Mrs. Fletcher, asking her if she can knit Willie a jersey. Mrs. Fletcher is surprised to see old Tom Oakley taking a child into his home. They stop at the food shop and then go get fresh milk. On the way, Willie spots a small brown hedge sparrow. Tom tells him it's a shy bird.
As they get the milk, Willie sees a cow and asks Tom what it is—he has never seen one before, which surprises Tom. The woman at the dairy farm, Roe, is putting "black-outs" on their windows, a common practice during World War II. Willie asks Tom why she is doing that and Tom explains that it is so warring planes can't see where to bomb. It beings to rain heavily so they return home.
Once home, Tom looks through Willie's carrier bag and finds very little. There is a letter from Willie's mother which says that Willie is "full of sin." There is a belt in the carrier bag, which Willie's mom writes is for "when he's bad." Tom is shocked and angry when reading the message. He tells Willie directly that in his house, he will live by his rules, and for Tom, it is unconscionable to ever hit a child with a belt.
Soaked from the rain, Willie undresses from his wet clothes and Tom again sees that the boy is covered with sores and bruises. Tom cuts up an old flannel nightshirt for Willie to wear to bed. They eat their dinner; Willie eats "in a frenzy." Tom offers ginger cake for dessert and we learn that Willie has never eaten cake before.
After dinner, Willie looks at Tom's books and Tom offers to read to him. Willie insists that he has to be read Bible stories. Tom chooses to tell him the story of Noah's Ark. As he tells the story, Willie stares at Tom with "adoration." This makes Tom slightly uncomfortable.
Tom tucks Willie into bed. Willie, at first, gets under the bed instead of in it; he is surprised that he can actually sleep under the covers. Sammy jumps in the bed with him. Willie hugs the dog and starts crying for a bit. He immediately apologizes to Tom. Tom goes back downstairs, smoking his pipe and thinking to himself that he must not get too fond of the boy. Tom goes back upstairs and puts out the lights. The chapter ends with Tom sitting in his armchair with Sammy, holding his wife's box of paints.
Analysis
In the first two chapters of the book, we get a deep insight into both protagonists. Right away, we are shown that Willie is a nervous, fearful boy with a history of abuse from his mother. This abuse has clearly shaped his mannerisms, which Tom notices right away. Willie fears possible punishment so much that he often stays quiet. Because of being abused, Willie sees the world as an innately dangerous place where there is violence lurking in every corner. He easily becomes frightened of mundane things, such as the squirrel in the graveyard. Willie's religious upbringing is one focused on abstaining from the sins of the world. We see that Willie tries so hard to be a good, sinless boy that he hides himself, incapable of communicating with Tom in certain moments.
The backdrop of the second world war shows the reader that this is a time when many sacrifices are being made. Tom is not entirely expecting his guest, but he knows it is his duty to take in the child. The window blackouts also show how many are taking special precautions and changing their way of life for the purpose of safety during wartime. Willie's mother has intentionally asked that her son be placed with a religious person or someone near a church. To Willie's mother, safety in times of chaos is to be found in religion. Little does she know that Willie's host, Tom, does not have the same outlook on raising children that she does.
We can observe through Tom's actions—his efforts to make Willie feel safe and comfortable at home—that he is a kind-hearted person, despite his gruff exterior. The people in Tom's community, such as Mrs. Fletcher, see Tom as a hermit widower. The fact that he has taken a child into his home comes as a surprise to her. We learn that Tom has lost his wife and baby son many years ago. Willie's arrival provokes Tom to reminisce about his family, as we can see in the last scene of Chapter 2 when he is holding onto his wife's paintbox. The sadness Tom still feels about their deaths is perhaps one reason why he feels cautionary about becoming too attached to Willie.
Another theme that comes up in the opening of the book is the nature of rural life. Tom Oakley lives in the countryside, and the people there live in the sort of community where everyone knows each other. This serves as a contrast from the chaotic and harsh London where Willie comes from. Willie encounters animals, such as the squirrel and cow, for the first time. Despite being startled in a few instances, Willie is able to find a sense of peace and relaxation when he is outside in the graveyard; something he probably has rarely experienced before.
Michelle Magorian writes in a way that builds up tension and places us in the shoes of her characters. For example, when Willie is scared that Tom might brandish him with the fire poker, we legitimately also feel this uncertainty of what Tom will do. This is achieved through Willie's inner monologue, which is based on his past experience of being beaten by his mother. We are allowed to feel what Willie feels and thus are able to better understand his extreme fear, when it otherwise might seem ridiculous.
