Echoes of War [Hardcover]

Robert Westall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1991

A collection of five short stories examining the lingering repercussions of war on the lives of young people.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The reality of war is the chill current that runs through the five stories in Westall's latest collection. In "After the Funeral , " the ghost of a fighter pilot returns to haunt his son in the most tangible, nerve-racking way imaginable. "Adolf" chronicles a boy's run-in with postwar complacency and the rewriting of history. A lighthearted episode of beach-combing becomes infused with notions of mortality in the meditative "Gifts from the Sea." In "The Making of Me," a man recalls a tentative friendship with his terrifying, shell-shocked grandfather. "Zakky" tells of a bloodthirsty war orphan and his uneasy relationship wth the county's Home Guard. The spare, direct writing makes these stories easy to read; their complexity invites rereading. This book is a timely reminder that the ramifications of war can be far-reaching. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-- Here are five stories that, as the title implies, explore the devastating effects of war. In one of the strongest entries, "The Making of Me," a boy at first fears, and then comes to understand, his strange, violent grandfather, a veteran of World War I. The old man, shell-shocked from his wartime experiences, has a profound effect on the person his grandson becomes. The other four stories all deal with World War II in England. All of the selections make heavy use of British slang, and this may be a deterrent for many Americans. Westall also assumes that students will have fairly good grasp of World War II history as it relates to England. References to the Home Guard, British fears about a German amphibious invasion, the RAF, and "the Last Lot" may be puzzling to some readers. Still, the stories should hold the attention of those who have an avid interest in warfare, and World War II in particular. --Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 89 pages
• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux (J) (July 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374319642
• ISBN-13: 978-0374319649
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,669,930 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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