LET’S ALL GO ON A SPY HUNT
Set in Bristol during the First World War, Conkers and Grenades is the story of schoolboys Mar and Appy who in 1916 accidentally stumble on a plot to assassinate the King and Queen of England. It isn’t long before the youngsters find themselves caught in a world of spies and subterfuge, with an unlikely source as their guide.
It’s the kind of intrepid, daring boys own adventure that dreams are made of except the real world is never far behind. Money and food are in short supply while husbands, fathers, and sons are fighting in the trenches of France. Mar and Appy carry on as normal, until things turn serious. Can they beat the enemy, or will they be overwhelmed? This enjoyable novel is a good read for both children and adults. It has a wonderful cast of characters and a plot that feels authentic because the author seamlessly weaves history into the back story. In the absence of the men it’s the women who hold things together while in the background paranoia runs through the local community, powered by fears that strangers are trying to sabotage the war effort on the home front. Adversity may be the force that brings people together but suspicion still weighs heavily in the air.
British author Hilary Lee-Corbin has written a delightful book that captures the spirit of the age and the inquisitiveness of childhood.
Reviewed by Juliette Foster
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