Just Henry

Henry Dodge is 14 years old in a post-WWII England that is trying to preserve a society in which everyone knows their place, attempts to improve oneself are frowned upon and all are judged by the sins of their fathers. These prejudices have poisoned him, too. Henry scorns his stepfather for wanting to become a teacher, as well as two boys in his class (one is illegitimate and the other a deserter's son) until the interventions of a new teacher, Mr. Finch, and the benevolent Mrs. Beaumont. He needs those friendships and kindnesses when disastrous family secrets begin to unravel and someone he greatly admired turns out to be a possibly lethal threat. Magorian writes children and adults with equal deftness and paints a vivid portrait of 1949 England with all of its best and worst attributes, which often collided. Henry's pain and uncertainty are stark, making him sympathetic even when he's deeply set in his prejudices. Magorian laces hope throughout her novel, and the fact that she offers no easy answers makes the characters' hard-won victories especially heartening. Ages 12–up. (Oct.)