Private Peaceful is a book about two brothers that are living in World War 1.
The book focuses on Tommo, the youngest of the brothers, as it is told in first person by him. The other brother, Charlie, is three years older than Tommo.
The first chapter opens with Charlie and Tommo walking to school. Charlie has often told Tommo how horrible the school is. Tommo is worried and begins to cry, but Charlie comforts him. Tommo also meets Molly who will play a big role in the story. The next chapters are all about the friendship between Molly, Tommo, Charlie and Big Joe. Big Joe is the older brother of Charlie and Tommo. He has brain damage but Charlie, Tommo and Molly don’t mind that. Big Joe loves nature and has a collection of animals.
Tommo also has a flashback to when his Dad died in the woods. He had screamed at Tommo. “Tommo! Tommo! Run, Tommo!”, as a tree fell towards Tommo. The story then tells of how Grandma Wolf moved in, and how Charlie and Tommo were caught poching on the Colonel’s land. The Colonel was the richest man on the estate and almost everyone worked for him.
Tommo then delivered letters between Charlie and Molly, as Molly’s father had forbidden her from seeing Charlie because Charlie stol Bertha, a dog, from the Colonel to save its life “So my father won’t let me see Charlie anymore. He won’t let me see any of you” she said, as Tommo gave her the first letter.
Later on, Bertha is shot by the Colonel and Big Joe disappears. He is later found in the Church.
The remainder of the book is set in France, where Charlie and Tommo are fighting on the front lines. Charlie is sentenced to death by firing squad for cowardice, and Tomoo makes him a promise. The book ends with Tommo thinking to himself “All I know is that I must survive. I have promises to keep.”
To me, Private Peaceful was a great book. I would rate it 10/10 as I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was well written and I think