StayWhere You Are And Then Leave , by John Boyne narrated by, Euan Morton
This is such a powerful story, set in WWI before we had a
name for PTSD or Shell Shock this book takes you to a hospital with one doctor
who is trying to get people to realize this is an actual condition not men just
being cowardly. But how we get to that hospital is a heartbreaking yet
uplifting story told through the eyes of 9 year old Alfie who is in search of
his father Georgie.
Alfie is a precocious 9 year old who misses his father it
has been 4 years since he went off to war and Alfie’s mother won’t let him see
the letters he is writing but Alfie finds a way but notices there hasn’t been a
letter in a long time, his mother tells him his dad is on a secret mission but
Alfie is not sure he believes that. Alfie has been helping out by shining shoes
at Kings Cross Station ( unbeknownst to his mother) and one day a man drops
some papers and as Alfie helps him pick them up he sees his dads name and the
name of a hospital so he sets off to find his dad.
This story is at times heartbreaking, uplifting and
powerful, seeing it through Alfie’s eyes really brings home the separation of
war, the not knowing if your parent is alive or well and how the parent left behind wants to
protect their child from knowing the gory details of war but that leaves Alfie
to think his father is dead. When Alfie does find his father it will break your
heart and Alfie’s innocence in thinking if he just comes home he will be okay
leads to circumstances that make Alfie have to confront just what shell shock
is and how the war affected his father.
Euan Morton narrates this book with skill, his narration of
Alfie is spot on and you feel every emotion he feels. Every character has a
voice and the parts with the banging how Morton brings Georgie’s emotion to the
forefront are amazing. Highly recommend this on audio!
The author does a great job at making you feel everything
Alfie feels the fear, the trepidation, the confusion all written so
beautifully.
4 ½ Stars
I received this book from netgally but ended up listening to
the audio version and am so glad I did!
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