It's the second World War and Billy's life will never be the same again. As he lies in his hospital bed, horribly burned, he longs for death. But when a soldier comes to see him and gives him a clarinet Billy realizes that there might just be something worth living for - some hope for the future...BLJames Riordan has now earned himself a reputation for writng about war in a powerful and uncompromising way BLHis background in retelling traditional stories shows in his excellent storytelling abilities BLJames Riordan lives in Portsmouth

 

There are 144 pages in this book. This book was published 2004 by Oxford University Press .

James Riordan has written many books for children, including many translations of Russian tales. His Peter and the Wolf is published in cloth and paperback by Oxford.