Two Weeks With the Queen

In this older (1991) novel, 12-year-old Colin Mudford’s brother is dying from leukemia, so their parents send Colin to London from Australia in order to try and protect him from the grief and pain. Colin, who was earlier jealous of the attention his parents were giving his brother, decides to seek help from the queen and her physician. When that doesn’t succeed, he tries seeking help at various hospitals. At one, he meets Ted, a young man whose partner Griff is dying from complications of AIDS. They find support and comfort in each other through their struggles (including Ted being the victim of a homophobic bashing). Colin learns to be less self-centered even as he comes to understand that adults don’t always the answers. He emerges a better person, giving the story a sense of hope despite the tragic topics. It feels a little dated now, but may still be of interest to some.