By Malachy Doyle (author) Part of the Firefly Classics from Wales Series series
"The restorative power of kindness and care are at the fore of this raw and tender tale of coming through trauma and grief to a state of hope."
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April 2026 Book of the Month
Beautiful, boldly brutal, and seared with hope, Malachy Doyle’s Georgie is a remarkable story of the transformative power of kindness. Published under the Firefly Classics from Wales banner, a series dedicated to shining a light on notable Welsh stories “told in many voices, grown from the many layers of the rich and surprising loam that is the land and the people of Wales”, as Nicola Davies, Children’s Laureate for Wales, shares in her introduction, the novel serves as an extraordinary reminder of the power of well-crafted words as it follows fourteen-year-old Georgie’s journey from trauma-induced rage, self-loathing and self-destruction to realising that somewhere down the line, he might just be OK.
On the eve of moving to a new home in Aberant, West Wales, “where they send you when they’ve run out of ideas, when there’s nowhere left to try”, Georgie is overcome by anger (“Leave me alone. I want to be alone. I’m a nasty horrible boy and I don’t want anyone near me”) and feelings of betrayal, abandonment and powerlessness.
While he hasn’t spoken for years, Georgie’s internal voice reveals his vulnerability, his desire for “someone, anyone, to come and put their arms around me. To tell me it’s just a bad dream. To tell me it’s all right. But it’s not all right. And no one comes”.
Then, after arriving in Aberant, where he has a new room “full of beautiful things”, his new teacher Tommo and a girl called Shannon really see Georgie, and understand what he needs. Softly-spoken Tommo gives him a book about birds (“You’re mine, beautiful birds! All mine, Tommo said”) and they take nature walks together.
At the same time, perceptive Shannon sees herself in Georgie, and he sees himself in her. She brings him hope: “She’s like me, really. I hadn’t seen that before. Further down the line, of course, but I’ve this sneaky feeling that in a whole lot of ways she’s just like me.”
Slowly, Georgie finds the strength to release his grief and traumatic memories as the story shifts to a moving note of hope. Potently direct and relatable, the writing and story cut to the core of what understanding and kindness can do.
14-year-old Georgie hasn't spoken in years. Withdrawn, isolated and full of rage, no one trusts him and no one gets close to him.
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But then he is moved to a new home in the Welsh countryside. Instead of an empty room with a bare mattress on the floor, he has a proper bed, a music system, a mirror. There even seems to be someone here who might want to be his friend.
Is this the place where Georgie can finally overcome his fears and unlock the secrets of his past?
A raw, gritty, yet hopeful and uplifting story about mental health and the power of care and kindness.
First in a new series Firefly Classics from Wales - bringing the best of Welsh writing in English to new readers
Malachy Doyle has written over 120 books, from picture books to teenage novels. His books have won the Nestle Smarties Prize, the Tir na n-Og Award and the English Association Award.
Malachy spent twenty-five years in Wales, before returning to Ireland, where he lives on a tiny island with his wife Liz and collie dog Treacle.
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The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Georgie and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old
Georgie features in the following genres: Featured Books for 13+ readers, Featured Books for Young Adults, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Gritty Reads, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Mental health, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Physical and mental health conditions
Paperback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
Georgie was written by Malachy Doyle and published by Firefly Press
Georgie has 151 pages
Yes it is part of Firefly Classics from Wales Series series
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
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