"Stay Where You Are And Then Leave" - John Boyne Quiz

Answer: Milkman

Damley Road is a nice street for children to live. All the neighbours know each other. Eccentric neighbours, like Old Bill from Australia, let Alfie into their homes like one of the family. Alfie's granny (Georgie's mother) lives across the road, too. Alfie's closest friend is the daughter of the foreign-accented family who run the local tobacconist. Georgie's best mate Joe lives across the road, too, and Granny thinks of Joe as almost a son.

But soon all these friendships turn into hostilities. Little Alfie does not understand why.

Answer: World War One

Alfie was born in 1909 and turns five on July 28th 1914. He is having an enjoyable birthday party arranged by his parents Margie and Georgie. His granny and the neighbours are there too, but nobody seems very happy. Alfie cannot understand why. Grown-ups keep talking about a place called "France".

But then Georgie decides to "volunteer". Alfie has no idea what that means, but the next day his mother and Granny are suddenly in tears. Georgie is shipped off to an Army camp a few weeks later. Then he leaves for something grown-ups keep calling "The Western Front."

Answer: False

Over the years, Alfie finds letters from his father. Margie hides them under her mattress, but Alfie is cunning and finds them anyway. He gasps, reading horrific accounts of battle, bombs and bloodshed. It transpires Georgie is in the same unit as Tristan Sadler and Will Bancroft from John Boyne's WW1 novel "The Absolutist". (Georgie also writes about the incident in that novel when a young German soldier surrenders but they shoot him anyway.) But then Georgie's letters stop all of a sudden. Why? All Margie will say is "Your father is away on a secret mission." But poor Alfie's shortened childhood has hardened him; he doesn't believe that.

His father is dead. But as it turns out, Georgie is alive. [NOTE: "Stay Where You Are And Then Leave" is what the horribly deranged C.O. Clayton says to his men before sending them over the top.]

Answer: Shines shoes

The tobacconists' is closed when the poor family is suddenly arrested one day. Alfie still cannot understand why - so what if the Janáceks don't come from England? But one day he recalls the old man's beautiful shoe-shine box. The man took care of his shoes religiously; he often showed the box to Alfie. So one day, the boy sneaks into the abandoned house and finds it. Alfie tells himself that he hasn't really STOLEN it as such. If the owners return, he will give it back to them.

In the meantime, he sets himself up at the local railway station.

He shines the shoes of men traveling by train. He should be at school, but in wartime few check children's attendance. He does not tell Margie what he is up to., but every so often extra coins appear in her purse.

The poor woman is too stressed to wonder where they came from.

Answer: Austrian

Little Kalena always told her best friend Alfie, "I'm going to be Prime Minister when I grow up!" Alfie is amazed; she is a girl. When the war begins, he cannot understand why folk start disliking her tobacconist father. The nice man was well liked, people enjoyed listening to him talk about his shoe-shine box. Then one day, the poor man and his daughter are abruptly arrested and sent to the Isle of Man.

The Janáceks are also Jewish. Even though they are allowed to return to Damley Road after the war, Kalena's father decides to leave England as soon as possible. His application to return to his native Austria is accepted (it's no longer the Austro-Hungarian Empire, of course). No one can blame him. But, being Jews, one can sadly speculate what would have become of them 20 years' later...

Answer: He was not shot

Joe is what is known as a "conchie" - a conscientious objector. Before Alfie's birthday, Joe is like one of the family. He's Georgie's best friend and Granny treats him like a second son. But when Joe refuses to enlist - Granny has nothing more to do with him.

She does not even look at him when they pass on the street. Eventually poor Joe is sent to prison for a short spell. On returning to Damley Road he is still hated by everyone. He is even assaulted by drunks every now and then.

Answer: Marion Bancroft

By sheer fluke, Alfie finally discovers what has become of his father. He is shining a doctor's shoes at the station one day. Suddenly a gust of wind blows a bunch of papers out of the poor man's hands. Alfie kindly runs around the platforms collecting them all. The doctor thanks him, explaining he is a doctor "of the mind". But Alfie's hardly heard him. One paper had "George Summerfield." written on it. So his father is alive! Alfie memorizes the name of the hospital.

Eventually he saves up enough money to buy a return ticket to a town near the hospital. He ends up sitting next to a nice lady called Marion. She takes pity on the little boy who is obviously traveling alone. She talks to him. When he mentions his father went to France, Marion commented she had a brother in France too. The operative word is "had". He is dead.

When Alfie asks what became of her late brother, she does not respond. Readers of "The Absolutist" know Will was shot by firing squad for "cowardice". His best mate Tristan volunteered to join the firing squad, and Marion did not forgive Tristan. Until 1979, that is. Then 81-year-old Tristan committed suicide.

Answer: David Lloyd-George

After Alfie parts company with Marion, he eventually makes his way to the mental hospital. He is appalled! So many poor men sitting outside, shouting hysterically. Or crying, or just staring blankly into space. Doctors were unable to treat shellshock very well in those days because it was new and unknown. Many returning soldiers stayed in a "special hospital" for good.

Against all odds, Alfie locates his father. But poor Georgie does not even recognise his son - at first. Then he breaks down and starts screaming and crying. Alfie runs away before the doctors hear them. No wonder Alfie's mother has concealed Georgie's whereabouts all this time.

Back in London, Alfie is desolated. But then he concocts a new plan.

After saving up some more money, he returns to the mental hospital. But this time with a bag - containing Georgie's clothes. This time when Alfie finds his father, he tells him to change clothes. Confused, the poor shell-shocked soldier obeys. Alfie is the only familiar face he's seen in a long time. Looking around frantically, Alfie then sneaks his father out the back entrance. The poor man does not understand what is happening. They finally make it onto the next train for London. Alfie brought enough money for both their fares. The conductor doesn't realise how nervous and shaky the adult passenger is.

But back in London, Alfie spots his mother at the station. She must be going to visit Georgie! Quickly, they hide. Alfie pulls out his shoe-shine box and goes to work. Hopefully Margie will not look in their direction!

What no one knows is Lloyd-George, the new Prime Minister, is walking through the train station. It is November 1918, and he is in a very good mood. When Alfie shines his shoes, he whispers there will be good news soon. Alfie does not understand. But when he looks up, his father has disappeared!

Answer: Joe Patience's house

After unknowingly shining the Prime Minister's shoes, Alfie runs around looking for Georgie. He cannot find his nervously unbalanced father anywhere. Uh oh! Now what? Alfie has to go home and confess everything.

When he arrives, he is surprised to meet Margie, Granny and one of the hospital doctors. They are looking for Georgie too. Suddenly there's a knocking at the door. It's Joe Patience of all people. Granny glares at him, but then they notice Joe has brought someone with him. "Georgie!" Margie runs over and gives her husband a great big hug. Joe explains "I found him wandering up and down the street. I thought I'd best invite him inside; he's my best mate. We've been talking."

Then suddenly, a man runs down the street shouting "The war is over! The war is over!" For the first time in years all the grown-ups Alfie cares about are smiling and crying with tears of joy.

And for the first time in years, Granny gives Joe a great big hug. After the carnage of the Great War, she realises life is too short for grudges.

Answer: Resuming his old job as milkman

It is 1921. Thanks to the efforts of Alfie, Margie, Granny and Joe (and the doctors), Georgie is eventually able to return home. It takes a few years, but he is mostly his old self again. He even gets his old job back. Now he is happily riding his milk-cart again, his 12-year-old son proudly beside him. Both know in their hearts this wouldn't be possible if Alfie hadn't acted so rashly in November 1918...