Wolf on the Fold Book

Here's one to challenge people who like a view of childhood as "innocent" and straightforward. Children in this book must confront poverty, separation, privilege, racism, dispossession, injustice, hatred, death of a family member and dementia. Frequently for various reasons adults are unable to adequately protect them. The tone of the book (cosy, domesticated, family-oriented) adds to how harrowing the things that happen are, it's the sort of book where we expect a happy ending but the most we can rely on is survival (by some).

At first I thought the book was over-relying on the usual cosy heterosexualities and stereotypes about siblings, but I noticed actually that anything that worked in a relationship in one part of the book was undermined in the other, it also broke its own boundaries being a book about the many generations of one family, but then also sensitively following one chapter about their refugee neighbours. It's a see-saw of a book, anything shown in one chapter comes out differently in another, there are no certainties except perhaps (in a broad and not very reassuring way) love as a motivator...the strongest love in the book is between son and mother or perhaps between sisters (Clighty and Frances have a complicated relationship which I think keeps resolving into love). Xenophobia and despair are always the enemies to be overcome, they are both shown to spring from fear but the book calls for courage.

I have to give this five stars; not just because it made me think, not just because it undermined it's own certainties, but because when I (as usual) had insomnia I was tempted to sit up reading it and these days fewer books offer a real temptation that way. If some sections irritated me, then I accept that irritation as part of a complex relationship.

(please note it's a kids book but I am an overthinker)