Stay Where You Are and Then Leave is a story set during World War 1 and deals with a young boy coping with his father signing up to go and fight in the trenches. As with Noah Barleywater and Barnaby Brocket there is a hint of the fairy tale about the way the story is written, despite the fact that it is firmly set in a real place and time.
Alfie, the young lad in the story, is desperate to deliver the milk on the milk float with his father, but at 5 years of age he is considered to young. On Alfie's 5th birthday, his dad signs up to go and fight in the war... much to his mother's horror and Alfie's confusion. The story flits about a little at the start, moving between flash-backs to when Alfie was 5 and then back to when he is 9... and his dad still hasn't reappeared. A chance encounter at King's Cross station leads Alfie on a secret mission to find his missing dad - and in doing so he comes across some horrific and disturbing sights of returned soldiers who are suffering from shell shock.
This is not always an easy read as it touches on some difficult issues, not least that of the effects of shell shock on the young soldiers who fought in the Great War. However, John Boyne seems to be able to pen a tale with ease and his characters are well-developed and interesting.
This book would appeal to those who are interested in World War 1 and its effects on the lives of the people at the time. It is NOT a war story, rather a human interest story.
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