The Two-Pound Tram [Hardcover]

William Newton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 5, 2003

"Our dream, our obsession, was to own a tram. This all started with an advertisement which showed a picture of a London tram with the words: 'Trams surplus to the requirements of the London Omnibus and Tramcar company for sale at their depot at Acton, London for £2 each.' I doubt if there was a day afterwards when the tram did not enter our conversation..."

The year was 1937, and Hitler had just walked into Austria. It was also a marvelous year for clouded yellow butterflies.

Wilfred and Duncan live in a big old house in Sussex, England. They spend their days catching butterflies and dreaming of escape, and only ever see their parents on Wednesdays for lunch. When their mother elopes and their already distant father takes up with other ladies, they decide that enough is enough. And they have a plan: they will leave home, go to London, and buy a tram, decommissioned by the bus and tram company, that they have seen advertised in the paper for two pounds sterling. Soon the brothers find that their adventures have begun in earnest-as they become proprietors of an old-fashioned horse-drawn tram service, then local celebrities whose tram advertises for a seaside merchant, and finally such heroes of the war effort that they receive a visit from royalty.

Destined to become a new family classic, The Two-Pound Tram is a bittersweet testament to youth and its triumph over hardship.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-The tumultuous history of England in the late 1930s is blended seamlessly into this tale of adventure, innovation, and brotherly love. When their mother leaves, most likely, Wilfred surmises, because their father was as mean to her as he is to his children, Wilfred and Duncan know that their childhood has come to an end and that they must now survive on their own. They head for London to buy a surplus tram that they have seen advertised in the newspaper. Their adventures truly begin when they acquire the horse-drawn vehicle, a horse, a dog, and many new friends. They survive hardship, German bombs, and run-ins with the local authorities and become celebrities as they provide transportation and advertising for a local merchant, and are even heroes in the war effort. This first novel is narrated in a matter-of-fact, almost simple way by Wilfred, without a great deal of reflection and self-discovery (the boys probably didn't have time), but the story is satisfying, moving, and sometimes very funny. Readers looking for historical fiction will find this book informative and engaging.-Susanne Bardelson, Arvada Public Library, CO
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

'Rather like Daisy Ashford's The Young Visiters this is a charming, miniature oddity, just right for a Christmas stocking' Sunday Telegraph 'Very occasionally one comes across a book which, in its unexpected delights, inspires one to leap about wild with praise, and rush out to buy copies for friends. This first work by William Newton will surely have this effect Their adventures with the tram are both touching and extraordinary Newton is a wonderful find, it's my book of the year and I shall give it to everyone for Christmas' Spectator 'I predict that this book will become something of a cult it goes on haunting the reader's imagination long after he has put the book down I loved it' Country Life 'The Two Pound Tram is a necklace of miracles, each more beautiful and unbelievable than the last. That it may be author William Newton's memoir may be the most dazzling miracle of all' Los Angeles Times --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (November 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582343748
• ISBN-13: 978-1582343747
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 4.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,626,842 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A captivating novel, February 22, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Two-Pound Tram (Hardcover)

Wilfred and his brother, Duncan, ignored by their parents, decide to pursue their dream to own a tram. The story starts in 1937 following the brothers' travels to London to buy a horse-drawn tram and then to Canterbury, where they find they have unwittingly but fortuitously attracted passengers from the local bus route. They finally arrive in Worthing where a wealthy Austrian benefactor enables them to buy the horse-less variety of tram, and find themselves caught up at the beginning of the Second World War defending the Sussex coastline in its hour of need from their tram-cum-lighthouse. Written without sentimentality, it is funny, moving and captivating.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Little Gem, March 16, 2005

By 

Eileen Macdougall "cootmom" (Wilmington, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Two-Pound Tram (Hardcover)

This wonderfully understated book begs for a cover-to-cover non-stop read. Parental indifference and neglect result in great miracles. Fascinating characters hop on at every bend in the road. The rarest of butterflies flits by and a most dignified dog always takes the front seat. The King and Queen of England drop in and a well-meaning letter from Winston Churchill causes an uproar. Hopefully Mike Leigh has already read "The Two Pound Tram" and is working on obtaining funding for the film. Most memorable!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars quite nice, August 16, 2010

By 

Thorsten Kettner - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Two Pound Tram (Hardcover)

The book tell the story of two brothers, how they come to go away from home and follow their dream to own a tram. It tells of events, decisions and coincidences that have an impact on the course of their lives, and it gives you a glimpse of life in the thirties.

The book tells its story in a very tranquil, not too emotional, way, so it won't make you laugh, it won't make you cry, it may make you think "yes, that's the way of life, sometimes". It was not boring to read the book, but it wasn't very interesting either. Yes, quite nice...