Alan Gibbons 
Street of Tall People 

Set in the East End of London in 1936, this is the story of an unlikely friendship between a Jewish and a Gentile boy during the upsurge of fascist violence ledby Oswald Moseley and his Blackshirts. Jimmy and Benny are adversaries in a boxing match before they become friends. Jimmy lives in a tenament with his newly widowed mother; Benny comes from a large Orthodox Jewish family. The discovery that Jimmy’s mother’s new friend Mr Searleis a Blackshirt has a profound effect on their relationship and places Jimmy in an agonizing dilemna. A vivid and compelling story that raises issues that have many parallels today.