She thought he was her only true friend so every night they would sneak out to their "cabin in the woods" and make it their own.

Back Home - Penguin Books UK

Young Willie Beech is evacuated to the countryside as Britain stands on the brink of the Second World War. After three years of study at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama, she spent two years at Marcel Marceau's L'école Internationale de Mime in Paris. Adjusting to her old life is not made easier by the fact that she now has an American accent and a free and easy way of challenging authority that does not make her popular with her teachers or peers. Aunt Hannah and Uncle Bruno Omsk Rusty's American host family, the Omsks embraced their role as surrogate parents, however always made sure Rusty never referred to them as 'Mom' or 'Pop'.She and Lance knew that if anyone found out about their secret cabin in the woods, they would be expelled from school. The novel was adapted into a TV drama, Back Home (1990), starring Hayley Mills and Haley Carr, and again in 2001 starring Sarah Lancashire, Stephanie Cole and Jessica Fox. She trained to be an actress, studying at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama, and at Marcel Marceau's L'école Internationale de Mime in Paris.

Back Home DVD - Michelle Magorian Back Home DVD - Michelle Magorian

Virginia's mum, Peggy, had been evacuated to Devon and loves the Estate, and the home she and her friends have created during their time together. This was my favourite book for years as a child, so much so my book copy is now only just still all attached as it’s been so well read.Her mother has become quite independent and refuses to give that up even though she is expected to by both her husband and his mother. The idea for the book came from the colours in a song from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Lance's parents are getting divorced and to escape the house he goes for long runs in the holidays which leads to him joining the school rugby team and being accepted by other students.

Back Home by Michelle Magorian - Penguin Books Australia Back Home by Michelle Magorian - Penguin Books Australia

Through her friendship with Beattie and Harvey, Peggy learns self confidence and to trust her own judgement which was not encouraged when she lived with her husband as she was seen as inferior to Roger and his mother.

Modern readers will think that the best, indeed the only, way forward would be divorce, something Rusty mentions to her secret friend Lance in relation to his parents. Rusty and her mother have to learn to accept that they have changed and to be true to themselves, not what others wanted them to be.