Tom Gibbons
Written By Margaret Swift
Tom Gibbons lives with his old grandad in a small village, an arrangement that suits them both very well. The only problem — whether Tom realises it or not — is that it can't go on for much longer.
What will happen to Tom when his grandad dies? Is he set to lose everything that matters to him: not just his grandad, but also his home, his place at school and his dog? Tom faces seemingly insurmountable challenges in dealing with the social services and the police, but fortunately he has more friends than he realises. In outwitting those who deal unfairly with him, Tom can emerge a stronger person: a young man.
The book Tom Gibbons is about youth and age, living and dying, human love and animal affection.
The novel Tom Gibbons is set in the village of Clapton (south-west of Crewkerne, Somerset), where Margaret Swift’s parents lived until 1999, and contains vivid descriptions of the familial house Brooklands, the village and the locality. The old grandfather featured in the book is a faithful portrait of Margaret’s father Edgar, who was well known in the village (and formerly throughout the West of England as star racing cyclist). Various other local people and institutions are portrayed — in particular those who were helpful and supportive to Edgar when he became very old — but the main protagonist, the eponymous Tom Gibbons, a sixteen-year-old boy, is a fictitious character.
Tom, who has been brought up by his grandfather, comes back from school camp to find the house deserted. Even the dog Nicky is not there (he is at the kennels, ‘Eldorado’ in the book, ‘Ponderosa’ in real life – Clapton and Wayford likewise becoming ‘Clapford’ and ‘Wayton’, and Crewkerne ‘Crewminster’), and we begin to worry what will happen to Tom when his grandad dies — which he inevitably does, halfway through the book. But as well as being about living and dying, the book is a gripping adventure story about the power of friendship, human love — and animal affection. Tom faces problems with school, the social services and the police, but with the support of his friends, he progresses towards an optimistic conclusion.
