Goodnight Mister Tom

Act One

Goodnight Mister Tom centers around the story of ten year old evacuee, William Beech. He is sent from the east end of London to live in a small village in the West Country at the beginning of World War Two. William is billeted in the village with Tom Oakley, an older man who has lived as a recluse for over forty years. When he arrives, William is physically and emotionally scarred by the cruelty of his mother. Tom is shocked to see the extent of his bruising and how fearful William is of another adult. He reassures William that, while he lives with him, no harm will come to the boy.

Although he is initially shy and fearful, William is soon nursed back to full health and begins to trust Tom. Tom introduces him to his new life in Little Weirwold and he meets the children of the village. Although they are initially wary of the evacuees, they soon bond and make friends. William also meets Zach, a fellow evacuee from London, and the two boys soon become best friends. Although