My Soul, A Shining Tree, written by Jamila Gavin, reviewed by Pippa Goodhart

 

I love Jamila Gavin's stories and writing, Coram Boy being a particular favourite. So I treated myself to her recently published, much admired, new book ... and found myself admiring it but wondering quite what readership it is aimed at.

This story cleverly weaves together experiences of three different young characters whose lives are horrifically affected and changed by the outbreak of the First World War as Germany invades supposedly neutral Belgium. Homes and families are destroyed and die, but the humanity of the three characters, brought together by the walnut tree that stays standing amidst the destruction, overrides the hatred of war. They save each other. 

The very beautiful book cover evokes a kind of fairy tale feel, sanitising the blood and filth and hunger and fear into pristine clothing and hairdos in stark contrast with the reality. That cover suggests a nice story for primary school age children. So, too, does the attractively short length of this chapter book. My Soul, A Shining Tree, opens with a first person account by ten year old Belgian girl, Lotte. So I was expecting this to be firmly middle grade, perhaps for children of about eight to twelve. But then we have first person telling by fifteen year old German soon-soldier, Ernst. And then by fully adult Indian soldier from a British regiment, Khudad Khan. Even Lotte speaks to us like an adult, eg, 'I felt a sudden urgency to descend' rather than a more childlike, 'I wanted to get down.' Her knowledge of the complex politics of the time feels unlikely, and the assumed knowledge of readers to recognise places and incidents referred to is going to leave child readers who have not 'done' World War One feeling left out of the story. Will they even know without more context or example what 'conscription' means, or what 'a retainer' is (as in servant rather than for teeth!), or what 'sadistic' means? 

So, this is a book I'm glad to have read, and will read again, but would only fully recommend for children already interested in, and with some knowledge of, the First World War. 

Having said that, this book has now won the Nero Book Award for 2025, and is one of the Telegraph's 50 best children's books of all time, calling it 'flawless', so maybe I'm wrong to quibble?