The Two-Pound Tram - Hardcover

Newton, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1582343748 ISBN 13: 9781582343747

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA, 2003

Synopsis

"Our dream, our obsession, was to own a tram. This all started with an advertisement which showed a picture of a London tram with the words: 'Trams surplus to the requirements of the London Omnibus and Tramcar company for sale at their depot at Acton, London for £2 each.' I doubt if there was a day afterwards when the tram did not enter our conversation..."

The year was 1937, and Hitler had just walked into Austria. It was also a marvelous year for clouded yellow butterflies.

Wilfred and Duncan live in a big old house in Sussex, England. They spend their days catching butterflies and dreaming of escape, and only ever see their parents on Wednesdays for lunch. When their mother elopes and their already distant father takes up with other ladies, they decide that enough is enough. And they have a plan: they will leave home, go to London, and buy a tram, decommissioned by the bus and tram company, that they have seen advertised in the paper for two pounds sterling. Soon the brothers find that their adventures have begun in earnest-as they become proprietors of an old-fashioned horse-drawn tram service, then local celebrities whose tram advertises for a seaside merchant, and finally such heroes of the war effort that they receive a visit from royalty.

Destined to become a new family classic, The Two-Pound Tram is a bittersweet testament to youth and its triumph over hardship.

About this title

About the Author:

William Newton is a retired doctor who lives in Oxfordshire, England, with his wife. The Two-Pound Tram is his first book.

From School Library Journal:

Adult/High School-The tumultuous history of England in the late 1930s is blended seamlessly into this tale of adventure, innovation, and brotherly love. When their mother leaves, most likely, Wilfred surmises, because their father was as mean to her as he is to his children, Wilfred and Duncan know that their childhood has come to an end and that they must now survive on their own. They head for London to buy a surplus tram that they have seen advertised in the newspaper. Their adventures truly begin when they acquire the horse-drawn vehicle, a horse, a dog, and many new friends. They survive hardship, German bombs, and run-ins with the local authorities and become celebrities as they provide transportation and advertising for a local merchant, and are even heroes in the war effort. This first novel is narrated in a matter-of-fact, almost simple way by Wilfred, without a great deal of reflection and self-discovery (the boys probably didn't have time), but the story is satisfying, moving, and sometimes very funny. Readers looking for historical fiction will find this book informative and engaging.-Susanne Bardelson, Arvada Public Library, CO
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1582343748
• ISBN 13: 9781582343747
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208