The Poacher's Son

This is another of those novels which adults rave over but which does not have such an immediately enthusiastic reaction from pupils. I found it hauntingly depressing. The carefully drawn, crushing poverty of the Betts family at the turn of the century makes very sad reading and the cruel condemnation of Arthur, the son of the title, to a Reform School for truancy and for poaching to feed his fatherless family underlines basic injustices, which by and large are still current. Even joining up and fighting World War I provided no solutions; risking death did not provide any answers or release; still Arthur asks 'What am I left with? What have I go out of it all?' It's a novel for today about yesterday and its bleak subject echoes around the mind as it rightly should. It's worth persuading your readers to try it, or going out of your way to share it.