Why a Booktrail?
1939: A girl is evacuated to Devon during the war and her life changes in ways she ccould never have expected
A Christmas Candle
What you need to know before your trail
All over Britain children are being evacuated, and Eve Armstrong is headed for Devon. As the train pulls out of London she takes a last look at the crowded platform, the shabbily dressed evacuees, and a rude little boy sticking his tongue out. She’s looking forward to a change of scene.
And at first Eve is happier than ever at Drake’s Farm so when Eve runs into the boy from the station, Johnny Durrell, they call a truce and soon become firm friends.
The war might be a distant reality, but the arrival of new evacuee Connie Hale makes every day a battle. Connie is lazy, stuck up and spiteful – and Johnny’s new best friend. As the conflict grows and Eve with it, will she fight for Johnny or concede defeat?
Travel Guide
London
New Cross Station sets the scene for the novel as it’s here in 1939, that she worries about the number of children on the platform and the fact they are all being evacuated to the countryside.
Eve is heading with her mother to somewhere close to Daddy, which is close to Plymouth. Whenever his ship docks, he will join his family there.
“Your father’s decided that Plymouth being a very important port, is no place for his family in wartime”
They stay in Exeter in lodgings before moving on.
Devon – Drakes’s Farm
Despite the fact Eve has been evacuated here, the place seems magical. Despite the hard tasks and work that the farm involves, the sense of freedom and safety from war to some extent is welcome. There is countryside, a sense of space and fresh air..
“Auntie Bess says in winter, the stream doubles or trebles in size, so we shan’t be crossing here”
They’re going to need their wellies: “Devon Devon, glorious Devon, always rains six days out of seven”
Plymouth is the port town they head to as Eve’s father docks here and they want to be here to him/
Booktrail Boarding Pass: A Christmas Candle
Destination: London, Devon, Plymouth Author/Guide: Katie Flynn Departure Time:1939
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