Sheila O’Connor’s Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth is a beautiful peak into the life and mind of a young girl growing up in the summer of 1968. A touching story told entirely through letters, O’Connor manages to not only highlight a lovely yet quickly fading art form, but she also achieves a level of intimacy that can only be found in such a format. Protagonist Reen’s kind and irrepressible spirit is the perfect counterpoint to Mr. Marsworth’s reluctant sincerity as the characters shine from the pages. Because of the familiarity she achieves, the author is able to easily examine issues that are often difficult and clumsy to approach. Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth is a wonderful look into the past that should not be missed.
Review of an Advance Reading Copy
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 3 religious exclamations; 4 mild obscenities.
Violence/Gore: Many references to wartime violence, both real and imagined, including but not limited to death, severe injury, etc.; reference to being bitten by a dog; many reference to death of girl’s mother; boy intentionally hits girl with bike; boy puts other boy in a headlock while girl sprays him with shaving cream; boys shoot girl with BB guns; boys hang raw grocery chicken from man’s fence; many other instances of vandalism, including egging, graffiti, broke windows and slashed tires; boys dump worms down girls shirt; several references to bullies stealing newspapers; boys beat up girl; boy throws book at girl; several references to severe consequences historically faced by those who objected to armed conflict; reference to a building being bombed; boy shoves girl; boys pelt boy and girl with candy; boy dumps drink on other boy’s head; man backhands boy into wall; boys assault peaceful protestors; sheriff uses excessive force on a 12-year-old; boys shoot children with BB’s; boy sustains serious injury falling out of a tree.
Sex/Nudity: None
Mature Subject Matter:
War, death, courage, family, concientious objection, prejudice, extreme bullying.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
None
