Back Home (novel) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Back Home

Author	Michelle Magorian
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre	Children's historical novel
Publisher	Harper & Row
Publication date	1984
Media type	Print (hardcover)
Pages	384 pp (first edition)
ISBN	978-0-06-024103-2
OCLC	10998796
LC Class	PZ7.M275 Bac 1984

Back Home is a popular children's book written by Michelle Magorian. It was first published in 1984. The story is set during and after World War II in England. It follows a young girl named Virginia, also known as Rusty. The book has been made into TV shows twice. One was in 1990, and another in 2001.

What is Back Home About?

Rusty's Return to England

The story begins with 12-year-old Virginia 'Rusty' Dickinson. She is returning to England from the United States. Rusty was sent away as an evacuee when she was seven. She lived in America during World War II. Now, the war is almost over. Rusty barely remembers her home country. She also doesn't remember her parents well. She has never even met her younger brother, Charlie. He is four years old.

Rusty is a confident and creative girl. She loves being outdoors. She also enjoys working with her hands. When she arrives in Plymouth, her mother, Peggy, greets her. Rusty doesn't recognize Peggy at first. Peggy is surprised by how much Rusty has grown. Rusty is shocked by how run down the town looks. She sees bombed-out buildings everywhere.

Life in the Countryside

Rusty and Peggy travel to the countryside. They go to a place near Totnes. Peggy and Charlie have been living there. Rusty meets Beatie, a kind old woman who owns the house. She also meets Ivy, a young woman with a daughter named Susan. Ivy's first husband is missing from the war. Charlie, Rusty's brother, is not happy to see her. He is suspicious and unwelcoming.

Rusty feels out of place in her new home. Her mother, Peggy, seems distant. She treats Rusty like a child. Peggy scolds her for talking about her American family, the Omsks. Rusty feels Peggy doesn't want to get to know her. Peggy spends most of her days working as a mechanic. She works with the Women's Volunteer Service.

One day, Rusty goes out alone in a rowboat. She returns hours later. Her mother is very angry. She is upset Rusty left without permission. Beth Hatherley, 13, owns the boat. She is first angry but then becomes friends with Rusty. Beth tells Rusty about her school. It is a modern school that encourages creativity. Rusty overhears her mother. Peggy plans to send Rusty to a strict boarding school. This makes Rusty feel even more alone. Only Beatie shows Rusty real kindness.

Moving to Guildford and Boarding School

The war ends when Japan surrenders. Peggy takes the children back to Guildford, Surrey. This was their home before the war. Rusty's grandmother lives there too. Rusty is disappointed by her grandmother. She is very different from Beatie. She dislikes Peggy's work. She is harsh with Charlie. She also disapproves of Rusty's American accent and clothes.

Life with her grandmother is even harder than in Devon. Rusty endures her grandmother's mean comments. Then, she is sent to Benwood House. It is a strict all-girls boarding school. Rusty will live there during the week. She can come home on weekends. Rusty finds Benwood even worse than Guildford. There are many rules. Many seem unfair. Girls cannot hold hands or hug. They cannot get out of bed early. They cannot talk back or use slang. Rusty struggles to make friends. The other girls are unfriendly. She is also bad at most subjects. Her best subjects, like art and gym, are soon replaced. She has to study extra Latin and maths.

Finding Freedom and Friendship

Rusty hates both Benwood and Guildford. She misses her American family terribly. She often dreams about them. One night, she feels very lonely. She climbs onto the scaffolding outside the school. She thinks about escaping. Instead, she realizes she can climb down. She can then sneak into the forest for a few hours. She loves the freedom she feels there. She decides to keep doing this every night.

One day, Rusty meets Lance. He is a boy from a nearby school. Lance was also an evacuee in the US. He lived in the same town as Rusty's American grandparents. For the first time, Rusty feels happy. She feels connected to someone who understands her. But talking to boys is forbidden at Benwood. Rusty is severely punished. Still, she manages to send Lance a message. They agree to meet at midnight behind her school. From then on, Lance joins Rusty in her night walks. They become good friends. One night, they find a bombed-out cottage. It has an intact sitting room. Rusty calls it their 'cabin in the woods'.

Changes and Challenges

Rusty is still lonely, even with Lance and the cabin. Her sadness grows when Beatie dies. Beatie had often complained of "ruddy indigestion." Rusty and Peggy go to Devon for Beatie's will reading. Beatie leaves Rusty her woodworking tools. She leaves Peggy the house. But Peggy cannot sell it for 17 years. If she sells it later, it must be to a woman. This gives Peggy a way to escape her marriage if she wants. Rusty and Peggy spend the weekend in Devon. They start to get to know each other. Rusty discovers her mother is fun and adventurous. They have more in common than she thought.

When they return to Guildford, things get worse. Rusty's father, Roger, comes home. He was stationed in Asia with the army. Roger is a harsh man. He doesn't connect with Rusty, Peggy, or Charlie. He criticizes Peggy. He is hard on Charlie. He is shocked by Rusty's boldness. Rusty watches her mother struggle with Roger's return. Roger thinks Rusty should be a full-time boarder. He also thinks she should do a cookery course after school. Then she should get married. Rusty doesn't like her mother's focus on academics. But her father's plan seems even worse.

A New Beginning

After Christmas, Rusty returns to Benwood House. Things are very bad between her and Roger. Rusty has a letter from her parents. It says she should become a full-time boarder. Rusty hides the letter. When the weekend comes, she leaves school as usual. But she slips into the forest instead of going home. She spends the weekend fixing up the cabin. She finds old furniture and repairs it. She paints the walls and cleans the curtains. She returns to school on Monday. No one knows where she has been. She does this for two more weekends.

Then, the headmistress announces the scaffolding will be removed. This means Rusty's night adventures will end. Panicked, Rusty decides to run away. She plans to go back to the Omsks in America. She slips out of school one morning. She heads for Plymouth. But she gets off at the wrong stop. She realizes she is near Beatie's house. She walks through the cold countryside. The journey takes all day. As she walks, she thinks about her American family. They always gently reminded her about her real family in England. They loved and missed her.

Rusty finally reaches Beatie's house. She decides she cannot run away to the US. She has grown to love her mother. She doesn't want to leave her again. Rusty is thin, hungry, and freezing. She falls asleep on the floor. Beth and Mrs. Hatherley find her. They wrap her in blankets and light a fire. Mrs. Hatherley takes Rusty back to Benwood. Police officers, teachers, and Peggy are frantic. The police found the cabin in the woods. Peggy is amazed by Rusty's decorating talent. She also sees how high the scaffolding is. She realizes how desperate Rusty must have been.

Rusty and Peggy are called to see the headmistress. Rusty is expelled from Benwood. She is told no other school will take her. Peggy and Rusty return to Guildford. They face Roger and Mrs. Dickinson Senior's anger.

The story jumps forward several months to spring. Peggy has left Roger. She has taken Rusty and Charlie back to Beatie's house in Devon. Rusty accepts that she will always feel a bit American. But her life in England has its own beauty and joy. She feels happy as she gets to know her mother better. Rusty has her own room. She can decorate it however she likes. She has also started at the progressive school. Beth and her brothers attend this school. On Rusty's first day, Peggy and Charlie take her to school. Beth's brother Harry shows her around. Rusty sees how teachers respect students. Students seem to genuinely enjoy school. The story ends with Rusty meeting new friends. They show interest in her. They have the potential to become true friends.

Main Characters

Virginia 'Rusty' Dickinson

Rusty is the main character. She was a shy seven-year-old when she left Britain. She returns at 12 as a confident American teenager. In America, she lived with the lively Omsk family. They helped her become more confident. They encouraged her talents. Rusty loves bright colors, art, and music. She is especially good at woodworking and stencil crafts. Her 'Aunt' Hannah Omsk taught her these skills. Rusty is brave, outspoken, creative, and passionate. At first, she dislikes being back in England. She misses the freedom of America. But she grows to love her mother and brother. She becomes happy when they return to Devon. She no longer thinks of America as her only home.

Margaret 'Peggy' Dickinson

Peggy is Rusty's mother. She had to send her young daughter away during the war. Peggy joined the Women's Volunteer Service (WVS). She became a stronger woman through her work. She developed a talent for vehicle mechanics. Before the war, Peggy lived with her parents. After marrying, she lived with her husband and his mother. Through her friendship with Beatie, Peggy gains confidence. She learns to trust her own judgment. This was not encouraged by her husband and his mother. Peggy shows how British women's roles changed during the war. They took on jobs usually done by men. Many became the main providers for their families.

Charlie Dickinson

Charlie is Rusty's younger brother. He was born while his father was away fighting. Charlie was cared for only by his mother in Devon. He has red hair, like Rusty. He also likes music and the outdoors. At first, he doesn't like his sister. He is not used to sharing his mother. He had a father figure in his mother's American friend, Uncle Harvey. Charlie loved Harvey. He carries his teddy bear everywhere. He is unhappy when they move to London. He dislikes his grandmother and father. He misses his friends. He gets into trouble for picking flowers. He doesn't understand that London flowers are not wild. He starts wetting his bed in London. This stops when they return to Devon.

Roger Dickinson

Roger is Rusty's father. He is a traditional English man. He spent years fighting in the army. He returns to a changed world. His wife is self-sufficient. His daughter is very American. His son has no bond with him. Charlie keeps talking about Uncle Harvey. Roger thinks Charlie is too soft. He doesn't see that he needs to get to know his children. Roger is also very tied to his own mother. He respects her more than Peggy. Roger is not mean on purpose. But he struggles to adjust to changes in his family. He also struggles with the changed England. He represents the old England before the war. He shows the problems of not adapting to change.

Grandmother Dickinson

Rusty's paternal grandmother is a controlling and snobbish woman. She is the opposite of Beatie Langley. Beatie became like a mother to Peggy. Grandmother refused to help with the war effort. She kept her house exactly as it was. She is unhappy with her grandchildren and daughter-in-law. Rusty often argues with her. She says Grandmother always complains in a "sugary voice." She often takes the phone off the hook. She has other controlling habits.

The Honourable Beatie Langley

Beatie is Peggy and Charlie's landlady in Devon. She is a warm and kind person. She is open-minded, cheerful, and generous. Beatie gave away many of her things to help the war effort. Materials were in short supply. She happily shared her big, leaky house. She shared it with several women serving in the forces. Beatie knows about Peggy's difficult home life. After her death, she leaves Peggy her house. She puts a condition on it. Peggy cannot sell it for 17 years. Also, the house cannot be owned by a man. This gives Peggy a way to escape her marriage. Beatie shows how some people adapted well to the war. She dies from her "ruddy indigestion."

Lance

Lance is a boy from a nearby school. He was also an evacuee in the US. He is also treated badly for his American accent. He becomes Rusty's friend. He sneaks out to meet her in their cabin in the woods. He admires her craft skills. They help each other with schoolwork. Lance's parents are getting divorced. He goes for long runs to escape his home. This leads him to join the school rugby team. He then becomes more accepted by other students.

Other Important Characters

Beth

Beth is a local Devon girl. She becomes friends with Rusty. Beth is practical and honest. When Rusty runs away, she goes to Beth's house. Beth and her mother then take Rusty back to London. They stay with her until Peggy arrives. When Peggy, Rusty, and Charlie return to Devon, Beth helps them. She helps Rusty and Charlie get into the local school. She becomes a close friend to Rusty.

Ivy

Ivy is another woman living in Beatie's house. She has a young daughter. Her husband is missing and believed to be dead. Ivy marries an American soldier. He was a friend of Uncle Harvey. But during the story, her first husband is found alive. He was in a prisoner-of-war camp. This makes her second marriage invalid. Ivy is pregnant with her new husband's child. This situation happened often during the war. People presumed a partner dead. They moved on, only to find them alive later.

Uncle Harvey

Uncle Harvey does not appear in the novel. He has returned to America. But he was a good friend to Peggy. He was like a father to Charlie. Charlie often talks about how Harvey played with him. Harvey has a fiancée back home in the US. Harvey and Peggy enjoyed spending time together. Peggy denies anything improper happened. Harvey represents a more modern man. He helps with childcare. He is more open with his wife. He is the kind of father Charlie would have loved. He is kind and sympathetic. He shows Peggy that she is worth more than Roger thinks.

Aunt Hannah and Uncle Bruno Omsk

The Omsks were Rusty's American host family. They were like parents to her. But they always made sure Rusty did not call them 'Mom' or 'Pop'. The Omsks are encouraging, kind, and fair. They are creative and practical people. They continue to send Rusty letters and presents.

Film and TV Versions

The novel Back Home has been adapted for television and film.

• In 1990, it became a TV movie. Piers Haggard directed it. Television South and The Walt Disney Company produced it. It starred Hayley Mills as Mrs. Peggy Dickinson. Hayley Carr played Virginia "Rusty" Dickinson. Adam Stevenson was Charles "Charlie" Dickinson. Brenda Bruce played Beatie Langley. Jean Anderson was Grandmother Dickinson. Rupert Frazer played Mr. Roger Dickinson.
• In 2001, another film version was made.