WHEN THE SKY FALLS

The bond between an angry 12-year-old boy and a zoo’s silverback gorilla provides an unusual perspective on the Blitz.

Joseph Palmer leaves Yorkshire to stay with Mrs. F in London after his father heads to war and his grandmother can no longer care for him. Joseph is angry and explosive, challenged at school by bullies and his misunderstood dyslexia. Mrs. F devotedly tends to the closed-down zoo she runs—many animals are euthanized out of necessity or sent to the country. There, Joseph encounters Adonis, a silverback gorilla who is equally irate and volatile. An unlikely relationship and trust build between the two hurting souls, helping Joseph heal and unfold. Earle conveys the stress and tension of the ever present war so that readers also feel that fear. There is a dark cloud of sadness over the decaying zoo, conveying the almost unspeakable things Mrs. F experienced and had to carry out and the life-altering losses that touched everyone. Earle has readers rooting for stubborn Joseph, charmed by his new friend, Syd, and touched by Adonis’ impressive strength and depth of feeling. At times, the book feels overwhelmed by hopelessness, as violence and death come at nearly every turn, but when the proverbial dust settles, there is resilience and peace. All characters are presumed White.

An unusual, moving war story with excellent writing and compelling characters.