A gritty, realistic tale about World War I and the terrible effects it had on both the people fighting and those left at home. Tony’s brother Charlie has died in the war, and this is not from fighting but from being shot for desertion. He can’t believe that Charlie could have done such a thing. He was very close to his brother, and neither he nor his mother can accept that Charlie was guilty. In fact, his mother has become seriously mentally ill because of what has happened, believing that Charlie has come home even though only she can see him. When Tony is given a white feather from a woman who had been a friend and the whole community rejects him, he knows he must find out the truth about his brother’s death. He begins to do this when his brother’s friend turns up with Charlie’s belongings, and he finds a note, written by Charlie just before his death. The note is strange and unlike Charlie, and Tony realises it is written in a code they used as younger boys. How he discovers the young officer who was to blame for Charlie’s undeserved death makes up the rest of the story and an excellent page-turner it is. The young officer also has come back from the war damaged mentally because of his guilt, and so mental illness comes about both for soldier and civilian alike. Not a long novel (87 pages), but the level of writing and the emotional strength is superb. Even the use of short sentences adds to the drama. One of the excellent Barrington Stoke productions, the book is printed on creamy paper with large-ish print and so is particularly good for young people who find reading a challenge. However, this is a book that will appeal to all, particularly boys, and conveys a remarkable sense of history.