The Silver Hand - Terry Deary

The Silver Hand - Terry Deary

We were hugely honoured to have been handed a proof copy of Terry Deary's latest book, The Silver Hand, which is due to have its book birthday on the 10th May so we wasted no time in getting stuck in ...

Set during the final days of WWI in and around The Somme and, in particular, the town of Bray-sur-Somme, the novel is centred around a girl called Aimee and her life growing up during the war.  Aimee is a confident and determined girl whose love of languages (particularly Latin and English) is evident from the start of the book. Whilst her English father is away fighting for France, she and her mum, Collette, must run the family farm.  Aimee quickly learns that Collette has also been acting as a White Lady (the code name for the underground intelligence network that operated in France and Belgium during WWI).

The arrival of the British army in Bray, means that school closes for Aimee; however, her encounters with the soldiers lead her to hear things she really shouldn't have and she meets Sergeant Grimm whose silver hand was given to him after he heroically lost his saving a solider.

As the English tactically leave the town and the Germans arrive, the farm is soon used as a hospital for wounded German soldiers and Aimee meets Marius, a gentle young German boy who joined the war to heal people but ended up as a soldier.  His knowledge of herbs (in particular Willow bark) means that Marius is able to help many of the soldiers who have fallen prey to the flu epidemic.

Despite her initial hatred of Marius, the pair soon become friends and are forced on a journey that will see them risk life and limb for each other.  

Will they make it to Clery?  Why is Sergeant Grimm so keen to catch-up with them and who is the mysterious person who is following them?

O's opinion:
I liked the way that Aimee becomes friends with 'the enemy' and how the friendship grows between them as well as how the English and French help him out in many ways. I also liked the fact that the story was told from different points of view and from different sides of the story. This book has made me feel differently towards the Germans that were in that war and it has made me see how they would feel about the war as well as our view as well. I would recommend this book to anybody who liked Letters From The Lighthouse or books about WW1. This is an amazing book.

K's opinion:

I am rather embarrassed to admit that I hadn't read any of Deary's fictional novels so I wasn't certain what to expect; however, I quickly found it difficult to put the book down.  The plot shows a different side of WWI, through the eyes of Aimee and Marius, two very different characters.  Aimee is a brave, bold young lady who contrasts against Marius' more gentle personality.  From rocky beginnings, the pair show that the two opposing sides can come together to become allies and shows us that you shouldn't judge people by their nationality.

I was impressed with the historical detail within the novel (I researched Bray after I finished the book and quickly discovered how accurate Deary had been).  As I read, I had a real feeling of walking with Aimee and Marius through the streets and towns, and I particularly liked the description entwined within the narrative.  I lived in France many years ago but have never visited the area of The Somme - I'd like to now.

This is a gripping story.  The action creeps up on you at first as the story is established and I like the development of the characters at the start; however, it's safe to say that once the plot takes hold, it doesn't release you until the very end and I was frustrated every time I had to put the book down.  This is the sort of book that stays with you long after you've read the last page and I found myself thinking of Aimee and Marius for days afterwards!

This is a truly great novel and the best historical novel I've read in a long time.  As a teacher, my reading always sparks a lot of interest from the pupils and there was much intrigue over this book, especially when I mentioned that it isn't in the shops yet! There will be a queue come May!