Summary
"Spooky Cott"
On an August day before school starts up again, Zach, Will, George, and the twins go to explore Spooky Cott, an infamous abandoned cottage. The children are spooked by the different noises, and George and the twins run away. Zach also wants to leave, but Will is adamant about staying and exploring more. They hear a strange music coming from the cottage and then hear a man’s voice inviting them inside, which initially startles the boys.
The man is named Geoff and he speaks to the boys, explaining that he is also an evacuee. Geoff is an artist, which excites Will. After a bomb in London, Geoff has lost his fiancée, as well as friends and parents. He has also had his leg and ear blown off, and a resulting nervous breakdown. Geoff asks Will to draw something. Upon looking at Will’s drawing, Geoff tells him he has “a gift.” He offers to give Will art lessons.
Geoff, Will, and Tom sit by the fire and listen to a Brahms record. The boys explain to Geoff that this cottage is known as Spooky Cott, and Geoff says he has been staying there so that no one disturbs him. He acknowledges that it is time for him to come “out of hermitage.”
Will returns home and is surprised to find a group of people, including a policeman and warden, sitting with Mr. Tom. There is also a psychiatrist and a woman from a children’s home. The woman tells Will that his mother has committed suicide. She says Will has to come to the home to be put with foster parents. The warden says that Tom broke the law when he kidnapped Will. Will refuses and firmly says that he wants to stay with Tom. He exclaims that Tom didn’t kidnap him, but actually rescued him.
Will goes up to the attic while the adults talk. He is prepared to run away to Lucy’s house to avoid being taken to the children’s home. However, the group leaves and Tom comes and tells Will that they have agreed to let Tom adopt him. Tom just has to do the paperwork and then Will becomes his son. Will is delighted that Tom will be his father. Both of them dance and celebrate.
“Back to School”
On Thursday morning, Will and Zach go to the twins’ cottage. Carrie is getting ready for her first day of high school and is dressed in uniform. Zach and Will walk outside and Zach expresses concern about his parents in London now that the war has “started properly.”
At school, the boys are happy to see that Geoff is there to teach alongside Miss Thorne. The teachers announce a nature project where the children will make art and read poems related to nature. Then, Mrs. Little appears to take Zach home. Will visits Zach after school and learns that Zach’s father has been badly injured. Zach is packing his bags to go to London, where he will see his father. He is very upset and gives Will his copy of Shakespeare’s plays that belonged to his grandfather.
That Saturday is Will’s birthday and he has everyone come over for food and games. Will unwraps a parcel that Zach left for him. The parcel consists of an epic adventure poem that Zach has written, art supplies, and a picture Zach has drawn of Will as an artist in a beret.
There is news of a heavy raid on London by the Germans. There have been hundreds of deaths. No one has heard from Zach. Will is anxious and has nightmares about war. On Tuesday morning, the Littles come to the cottage to share that Zach has been killed. Will is devastated and faints.
Analysis
The action of the plot picks up greatly in these two chapters. The first major event is the suicide of Will’s mother and the ensuing discussion of where he will go. The second major event is the unexpected death of Zach in the London bombings.
In “Spooky Cott” Will shows himself to be very courageous. This is first demonstrated in Will’s attitude towards approaching the seemingly abandoned cottage. While the other friends run away in fear, Will insists on checking out the house and ends up finding Geoff, a fellow artist. An inference can be made that Will has been through so much in his life that he can now face uncertain situations with bravery. His courage pays off, as he earns a new friend in Geoff.
Will’s resilience is also illustrated through his interaction with Geoff. Geoff has suffered much loss because of this war. Hiding out in Spooky Cott, he seems to be isolating himself in his trauma. The appearance of Will and Zach inspires Geoff to get out of his shell and come back to the world to recover. Will, in one moment, tells Geoff that he is “lucky,” because he has a space to make art. Geoff is surprised—he does not think of himself as lucky at all. Will, in this sense, teaches the important lesson of gratitude for life. Will has also experienced great challenges and suffering, but he is able to see the beauty and goodness despite it all.
Magorian shows us this matured side of Will further when, as Will receives the news of his mother’s passing, he questions: “How could anyone not want to live… when there were so many things to live for?” (280). It is this newfound appreciation for life that provides Will with courage in very tense moments. We see this displayed when he defiantly refuses to be taken to a children’s home, declaring that he will run back to Tom’s cottage no matter what. This moment marks a sense of confidence that has manifested for Will in just a year’s time.
The news of Zach’s death comes as another climactic point of the book. Zach has been a pivotal part of Will’s life. Though initially they seemed like quite different characters, they have become the best of friends, sharing a happiness and zest for living. Zach’s final gift to Will showcases the care of a great friend, as well as their common love of the arts—for Will, drawing and for Zach, writing. It is this relationship that has been integral to Will truly coming into his own sense of identity.
There are many traumas in the book—the death of Zach, Will’s mother, Will’s sister, the war—but never does the storytelling seem negative or grim. Underlying everything, there is a tight-knit community that supports each other even in the most challenging of times. Still, the importance of Zach in Will’s life makes us wonder how he will deal with the death of such a beloved friend.
