Published By: Piccadilly Press
Pages: 256
Released On: 05/11/2026
Reading Age: 9-12
It’s 1944 and Stan’s hopes of keeping his family together until the war is over are shattered when his father signs up to fight. Left with his mother in Croydon as Hitler sends over waves of V1 rockets, Stan suffers endless air-raid sirens and long nights in the cramped Anderson shelter they share with their neighbours.
Then comes the news they were dreading: his father is missing, presumed killed. But Stan refuses to give up hope, and when a mysterious piece of doodlebug shrapnel holds crucial information from a prisoner of war, he and his friends run away to track down the truth.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Piccadilly Press for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I’m generally not a fan of books written in an accent or dialect, but this one felt real – perhaps because it’s not overpowering. But also, it felt very East London and I live about 20 minutes from London so it felt familiar.
I thought the choice to have it narrated by a child was good. You get that mixture of innocence with fear but still with a bit of hope that comes with that innocence of youth. It also gives younger readers someone to identify with.
We have three main child characters and then a range of adults, and they’re all very well written, and have interesting personal stories but also play a part in the overall story.
Tia has perfectly encapsulated the fear of shelters, the claustrophobia, the panic – I can’t even begin to imagine how horrendous it was. She’s not gone overboard but she’s really painted an uncomfortable picture.
She’s been careful not to paint war as fun. I mean, yes, they’re kids, and so they will find fun in most things, but she hasn’t let it take over, but nor has she hammered home the morbidity.
It’s a war story, but for me the war is incidental. It’s a story about family, friendship, love, grief, trust, hope, resilience, believing, community, and the power of togetherness.
Whilst it’s a fictional book, it’s clear Tia has done her research because everything feels so right and grounded. I found it interesting. But she hasn’t overwhelmed the story with facts, she’s just rooted it in reality.
Whilst it should be rea on its own merit, it definitely reminded me of Goodnight Mister Tom which was a staple read at school and I could this right up there.
Whether it has a happy ending or not I won’t spoil, but it’s the ending this story deserved and I really liked it.
I read it in one sitting, it was so gloriously addictive.
