Cruelty Games — Wendy Robertson

Rachel, an idealistic young teacher tries to make changes in the lives of her tough pupils. The school - tough as it is - is a haven for Rachel's pupil Ian Sobell, whose mother neglects him and whose grandmother abuses him. One of Rachel's adventurous projects leads her class to a place where, hundreds of years before, a boy hung for days in a gibbet until he died in agony: a punishment for the murder of his employers children. Events on this day have a disastrous impact on the lives of both Rachel and Ian: a shock which lasts nearly two decades before they both move on to some kind of resolution, triggered by Rachel meeting Ian again after sixteen years. 'This novel was inspired by my experience teaching in schools where I worked with pupils like Ian who soldiered on under great difficulty, walking the line between violence and normalcy every day. I also know that their desperation and stress is often mirrored in the plight of good, sensitive teachers who have to deal with the ambiguity of children who may be seen as evil.' Wendy Robertson