Friends and Traitors
Sidney Dashworth is being evacuated with her school, St. Olave’s, located in Sussex, to Stanbrook House, a dilapidated country mansion owned by Lord Evesham and his family. Nancy, a poorer but well-educated girl who could have gone to St. Olave’s had her parents been able to afford the fees, is employed at Stanbrook as a housemaid.
When the girls meet, what will they discover and are the residents of Stanbrook House all to be trusted?
This is an absolutely gripping, fast paced read. One of Peters’ great strengths is her depiction of Sidney’s grief when tragedy strikes and her realisation of the very different way in which adults dealt with children’s grief in the 1940s. The relationship between Sidney and her beloved brother, Dordy, commonly known as George, seems deeply felt.
The denouement of this book, complete with its twist, is thrilling and it discusses a rarely seen facet of World War Two in middle grade literature. Fifth columnists or British people collaborating with the Nazis are dealt with in some depth. It must have been a challenge for Peters to write pro-Nazi dialogue which fits her characters authentically. If younger readers enjoy school stories, ghost stories and history, they should read this book and they will not be disappointed.
