Goodnight Mister Tom

infobox Book |
name = Good night Mr Tom
translator =


image_caption = Goodnight Mr Tom Book Cover
author = Michelle Magorian
illustrator =
cover_artist = Angelo Renaldi
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series =
genre = Historical novel
publisher = Viking Press
release_date = 1 March 1981
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 304 pp (first edition, hardback)
isbn = ISBN 0-7226-5701-3 (first edition, hardback)
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"Goodnight Mister Tom" (also "Good Night, Mr. Tom") is a 1981 novel by Michelle Magorian. It follows a young boy named William Beech who is evacuated from London during the air-raids of World War II, and put into the care of an elderly reclusive man named Tom Oakley.

Plot summary

The story begins in a small English village called Little Weirwold during the early part of World War II. Mr. Tom Oakley, who lives alone, aside from a spaniel named Sammy, since his young wife and firstborn son died of scarlet fever, is known as the local village grump, and fosters a small and sickly boy called William Beech. He quickly realizes that his young boarder comes from an abusive home, with an overly religious mother, and makes plans to show William what a true, loving home is like. Having discovered a joy and a talent for drawing and painting, 'Willie' studies hard with Tom's help and makes friends with the surrounding neighbourhood, including some children named Zacharias "Zach" Wrench, George, Carrie (who is the most intelligent of the group and even volunteers to take an exam to get into high school), Ginnie and Lucy (who quickly forms a crush on him, to his annoyance).

All goes well until his mother persuades him to return to London, as she is ill. Mr. Tom hears nothing from the boy for over a month. One night on fire duty he dreams that William is calling out for help, and leaves the village for London the next day with Sammy, his dog.

Tom arrives in London extremely disorientated and, after an air raid, accepts the help of an air warden to find the house where William lives. Sammy begins scrabbling at the door, having smelt something. With a policeman's help, Tom breaks in and finds that Sammy is attracted to a vile stench coming from an alcove under the stairs. They open the door leading into the alcove and find William, badly injured, filthy and tied to a pipe. He has been left there for several days, after his mother was cross with him for 'blaspheming' (mixing with Zach, who is a Jew). There is also a baby in the alcove (William names her Trudy, because her mother had refused to do so herself), who is dead from malnutrition.

It turns out that Mrs. Beech had been pregnant with the baby girl and because of this she had asked for William to come home. It also becomes clear with the testimony of a neighbor that Mrs. Beech could be mentally ill.

William is taken to the hospital, and separated from the body of his baby sister only by Tom's intervention. Tom remains in London while William recovers; however, William is deeply unhappy and suffers from terrible nightmares, but when he wakes up screaming, he is sedated. Realizing that the hospital is no place for William to recover, as he needs to scream, Mr. Tom asks if he can take him with him. However, he is refused, as a psychiatrist called Mr. Stelton would like to take him to a mental hospital and try and find out why he is always plagued with nightmares (which Tom suspects is because he has not been loved enough in his life). Tom realizes that William would be worse off with Mr. Stelton than in the hospital, but with no alternative, concludes that the only way to get him back to Little Weirwold is to literally kidnap him and take him there himself. William's absence goes unnoticed for some time, and he gradually returns to full health. Meanwhile, Carrie passes her high school exam and gets into high school

Time passes, and finally, two men and a lady from London arrive in Little Weirwold to investigate the kidnapping. They also bear bad news; William's mother, having abandoned William and Trudy, has committed suicide. The lady tells William that she is from a children's home in Sussex, and offers to take him there. William, however, is indignant and refuses to leave, even if he has little choice and warns that he will not leave without a fight. The psychiatrist, who is one of the two men (not the same one Tom had met back in London), declares that William is better with Mr. Tom and that anyone could see this. After a long discussion Mr Tom is finally allowed to adopt William.

More news arrives over the wireless of the heavy bombing raids on London (the beginning of the Blitz), where Zach's parents are working for the war effort. News reaches the village of the disappearance of David Hartridge, a pilot, who is the husband of William's teacher. Soon afterward, Zach receives news that his father has been seriously wounded in a fire in the warehouse. He leaves Little Weirwold to return to London to visit him, against his mother's wishes.

Time passes, and yet more bad news arrives; Zach, ironically going to visit his dying father, is one of the victims of the Blitz. The news is shocking and devastating to William, who refuses to grieve despite the efforts of the villagers, instead exhuming his dead friend. After learning a little of Mr. Sanderton's story during an art lesson at his cottage, William finally realises Zach won't be coming back. He then realizes that Zach awakened a part of him that had remained hidden, and so chooses to express that part in his life from there. At the end of the book, William calls Mr. Tom 'dad' and they both realize that they are growing as people.

Awards and nominations

*Highly Commended, The Carnegie Medal 1982 for Goodnight Mister Tom
*The Guardian Fiction Award 1982 for Goodnight Mister Tom
*International Reading Association Award

TV and theatrical adaption

ITV adapted television adaptation in 1998; the cast featured the veteran British actor John Thaw. There was also a musical version written by the author, Michael Isasi, with music by Gary Carpenter. A few small productions of this have been staged.

External links

*itv.com|id=bestofitv/familydrama/goodnightmrtom|title="Goodnight Mister Tom" (Watch the film online)
*imdb title|id=0175680|title=Goodnight Mister Tom