Setting and Context

Set in the East End of London in 1936, this is the story of an unlikely friendship between a Jewish and a Gentile boy during the upsurge of fascist violence led by Oswald Moseley and his Blackshirts.

Plot Overview

Jimmy and Benny are adversaries in a boxing match before they become friends. Jimmy lives in a tenement with his newly widowed mother; Benny comes from a large Orthodox Jewish family. The discovery that Jimmy's mother’s new friend Mr. Searle is a Blackshirt has a profound effect on their relationship and places Jimmy in an agonizing dilemma.

Themes and Significance

A vivid and compelling story that raises issues that have many parallels today.