Special Sub-Topic: "Private Peaceful," by Michael Morpurgo Click Here To Play: "Private Peaceful," by Michael Morpurgo

What was Tommo's deepest, darkest secret?

He had killed his father. Tommo loved Molly, but he felt very guilty when his father died. He thought he had caused this, as he had not run when the tree collapsed. His father pushed him forward, but the tree fell on him. He had died to save his son, and that was Tommo's worst memory.

What did Molly get Big Joe for his birthday?

A harvest mouse. Tommo described the harvest mouse as: "the sweetest little mouse I ever saw, with oversized ears and bewildered eyes." But Grandma Wolf got rid of it, and all of Joe's other animals too - the hedgehog, the slowworm, and his two lizards. He was heartbroken.

The Colonel owned a whole pack of wolfhounds, and wanted to shoot one. This dog was Charlie and Tommo's favourite, so Charlie stole her and hid her. Mother then bought the dog from the Colonel, so it wasn't stolen any more. What was this dog's name?

Bertha. Bertha was almost pure white with one brown foot and the most beautiful eyes. Whenever Tommo looked into her eyes, he thought of Molly. They both had eyes the colour of heather honey.

Who caught Charlie and Tommo poaching?

Lambert and his dog. When Molly and Tommo were on lookout, he never felt tired. But when Molly wasn't there, he fell asleep and woke up with a dog sniffing in his face, then barking, and then Lambert pulling him up. Charlie was netting in the river, and could have left Tommo, but he didn't.

What very serious illness did Molly get?

scarlet fever. However, on Christmas Eve, Molly was back. She was pale, and her hair was cut shorter, but she was back. Her plaits were gone, which changed the whole look of her. "She had a different beauty now, a beauty that at once stirred in me a new and deeper love." (Tommo's words)

When Tommo thinks of his mother, what else does he think of?

High hedges, deep lanes, walks to the river, meadowsweet, honeysuckle, and foxgloves.. There wasn't a wild flower or a butterfly that she couldn't name. Tommo loved the sound of their names when she spoke them: red admiral, peacock, cabbage white, adonis blue. Tommo could hear her better than picture her. Her voice was the music of their childhood.

Why did Molly's parents throw her out?

She was having Charlie's baby. Molly and Charlie had been meeting, when Tommo was being postman for them. When Charlie and Tommo went off to war, they decided to call the baby boy Tommo, after the greatest uncle he could ever have.

Charlie and Tommo then went to war. When they were let out of camp for the evening, they all went to the nearest village, Poperinghe ("Pop"). What was the name of the girl who used to smile at Tommo?

Anna. When Tommo tells Anna his name, she smiles and says "It's true then, every English soldier is called Tommy." Every time Tommo looks at Anna, he thinks of Molly and thinks of home.

Charlie gives Tommo a watch, before he dies.

t. Charlie says that he wants Tommo to have it, and when the time is right, he wants to give it to Baby Tommo, as something to remember him by.

Lastly, what was the most significant song in the book?

Oranges and Lemons. Big Joe always sang "Oranges and Lemons", and when Charlie and Tommo are in the dugout in the war, they sung it to comfort each other. When Tommo visits Charlie, they both hum the song to make him feel better.