When The Sky Falls - Phil Earle

 

WWII is raging and whilst most children are being evacuated to the countryside, Joseph is being sent to the city by his grandma who can no longer cope with his angry outbursts.  There he moves in with Mrs F, a woman who spends all her time trying to maintain the rundown zoo that she owns, in particular Adonis, a silverback gorilla.  Sent to the local school, he meets Syd, who also helps Mrs F out at the zoo, and who is keen to help Joseph when the others in the class begin to bully him.  You see, although Joseph's maths skills are beyond his years, he struggles to read as the words dance across the page every time he tries.  Mrs F is determined that Joseph will help out at the zoo and reluctantly he begins his quest to find food for the animals, especially for Adonis.  But with Hitler's bombs raining down every night, Mrs F gets no rest as she needs to be at the zoo to protect the animals. As the weeks pass, Joseph and Adonis grow closer and he quickly becomes the friend Joseph's never had. But what will happen if the bombs directly hit the zoo?

Now I'm partial to a WWII book so when When The Sky Falls dropped through the door I was intrigued, especially as it's based on a true story.  Although the book never actually states which city it's is set in, I imagine it to be London and you soon appreciate what people must have gone through during the Blitz.  Night after sleepless night of bombing, not knowing whether their house (or zoo) would still be standing in the morning. Having to carry on despite the exhaustion because you know everybody's in the same boat, all the while, struggling to get food for the table, let alone food to feed animals in a zoo that's had to close. Life was hard and the book clearly illustrates that but the joy of this book is the relationships that are portrayed throughout the story: Joseph and Mrs F, Joseph and Syd, but most of all Joseph and Adonis.

Joseph clearly hasn't had an easy live (did anybody growing up during WWII?): his mum left and his dad is fighting abroad, so it's up to his grandma to look after him. Full of anger and convinced that nobody really wants him, he is sent to live with Mrs F in the hope that she can help. I feel so much for Joseph: it's clear that he wants and needs love and attention but is terrified to let anybody in; anger is his defence and his automatic go-to, which just ends up getting him into more trouble, especially at school. He is obviously dyslexic in a time when this was unheard of and when nobody knew how to help. For My Gryce, the headteacher, the answer to everything is Clarence (his cane) and there was more than one occasion when I wanted to reach into the book and do horrible things to him and his cane! At first, Joseph's incredibly reluctant to help out at the zoo, but, as his friendship with Adonis grows, that changes.  And it's this friendship that is the key to everything in the book. Adonis is grieving the death of his daughter and the fact that his partner has been rehoused elsewhere, which means that he doesn't behave in the way he normally would. Terrified of him at first, Joseph begins to develop the friendship more out of defiance (he isn't prepared to let his fear get the better of him).  There are some truly touching moments between the pair at various points in the story and, at times, it's easy to forget he's a gorilla and not human.  

Although Joseph is the main character in the book, and your heart will go out to him on many occasions, it's Adonis who is the star. Rarely has a character in a book been able to say so much without ever uttering a word.  His mannerisms, behaviour and emotions show him to be so much more than an animal and the bond that builds between the pair is truly touching - the scene at the end of chapter 38 will warm even the hardest of hearts (I defy you not to shed a tear or two).

I have also also mention Mrs F, who is a force to be reckoned with. Her no-nonsense approach to Joseph (and indeed it seems to everything in life) at first rubs him up the wrong way, but with time, they begin to get along. She's obviously struggling with many things, not least of which trying to keep the animals fed and safe at an incredibly dangerous time. It's clear for everyone to see that she is devoted to the animals and her zoo, but Adonis seems to hold a special place in her heart, which is why she spends every air-raid at the zoo instead of in a shelter. She is dedicated to her cause but also to those around her. But she also has secrets she's keeping...

This is a truly wonderful and powerful book that is beautifully written and covers some weighty topics in a sensitive way. Death, grief, bullying and the upheaval of war are all tackled expertly in a must-read story that shows us that friendship can be found in the most unlikely of places and creatures. When The Sky Falls is an emotional rollercoaster of a read that will take your breath away and leave you hugging the book at the end (and, yes, Phil, you made me cry!)

Due for release in June, I cannot urge you enough to pre-order this book.