Calling Major Tom by David M Barnett

Although Thomas Major (yes there is a little bit of Bowie in this novel) is not an astronaut; he is flying solo on a seventh month voyage to Mars. His mission is to dig trenches, plant seeds and generally get Mars ready for the first commercial settlement mission. For Thomas being alone is just what he wanted; just like having a shed at the bottom of the garden. What he is not so keen on is reading up on how the spaceship works and what he is supposed to do when he gets to Mars.

Down on earth the Ormerod family are struggling. Grandma Gladys's forgetfulness has her putting her phone in the fridge and the butter on the sideboard plugged into the wall socket. Keeping the family situation a secret so that she and her science mad younger brother, James, don’t get taken into care is teenager Ellie, who is trying to keep up with her school work whilst holding down three jobs.

These two worlds collide when Thomas discovers a working terrestrial telephone on-board and inadvertently rings Gladys. What transpires is a storyline that has you cheering for the Omerods and even the most unlovable Thomas.

Confession time – I read the first few chapters so quickly that I couldn’t make heads or tails out of why this grumpy non-compliant scientist was allowed anywhere near a spaceship. Was I reading a fantasy novel? And did I want to read a book about a 7 month voyage to Mars? I am pleased that I went back and reread the beginning of this book because if you can believe that the Brits are using a second-hand spaceship to get to Mars then it kind of all makes sense.

As you glide from solving cryptic crossword puzzles in space to hoping the schoolyard bullies who are making James’s life a misery get their just desserts, you can’t help but feel a wee bit sad that Thomas and the Omerods will never physically meet each other. This heart-warming debut novel with its quirky and humorous characters is memorable in the most delightful terrestrial ways.

Posted by Miss Moneypenny

Catalogue link: Calling Major Tom