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The War That Saved My Life #1
The War That Saved My Life
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Middle Grade & Children's (2015)An exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War 2, from the acclaimed author of Jefferson’s Sons and for fans of Number the Stars.
Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.
So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?
This masterful work of historical fiction is equal parts adventure and a moving tale of family and identity—a classic in the making.
Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.
So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?
This masterful work of historical fiction is equal parts adventure and a moving tale of family and identity—a classic in the making.
316 pages, Hardcover
First published January 8, 2015
About the author
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
23 books2,661 followersKimberly Brubaker Bradley's next book, The Night War, will be published April 9, 2024. She is the author of nineteen previous books, including the Newbery Honor winners Fighting Words and The War that Saved My Life. The sequel to the latter, The War I Finally Won, appeared on many state-award and best-books lists and was described as “stunning” by The Washington Post and “honest” and “daring” by The New York Times. She is also the acclaimed author of She Persisted: Rosalind Franklin. Kimberly and her husband have two grown children and live with their dogs, two highly opinionated mares, and a surplus of cats on a fifty-two-acre farm in Bristol, Tennessee. Visit her at kimberlybrubakerbradley.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,790 reviews
February 5, 2015
As a child I was what one might call a selective reader. Selective in that I studiously avoided any and all works of fiction that might conceivably be considered “depressing”. Bridge to Terabithia? I’ll have none please. Island of the Blue Dolphins? Pass. Jacob Have I Loved? Not in this lifetime. Lord only knows what caused a book to be labeled “depressing” in my eyes before I’d even read it. I think I went by covers alone. Books picturing kids staring out into the vast nothingness of the universe were of little use to me. Happily I got over this phase and eventually was able to go back to those books I had avoided to better see what I had missed. Still, that 10-year-old self is always with me and I confer with her when I’m reading new releases. So when I read The War That Saved My Life I had to explain to her, at length, that in spite of the premise, cover (again with the kids staring out into nothingness), and time period this isn’t the bleak stretch of depressingness it might appear to be. Enormously satisfying and fun to read, Bradley takes a work of historical fiction and gives the whole premise of WWII evacuees a kick in the pants.
Ada is ten and as far as she can tell she’s never been outdoors. Never felt the sun on her face. Never seen grass. Born with a twisted foot her mother considers her an abomination and her own personal shame. So when the chance comes for Ada to join her fellow child evacuees, including her little brother Jamie, out of the city during WWII she leaps at the chance. Escaping to the English countryside, the two are foisted upon a woman named Susan who declares herself to be “not nice” from the start. Under her care the siblings grow and change. Ada discovers Susan’s pony and is determined from the get-go to ride it. And as the war progresses and things grow dire, she finds that the most dangerous thing isn’t the bombs or the war itself. It’s hope. And it’s got her number.
I may have mentioned it before, but the word that kept coming to mind as I read this book was “satisfying”. There’s something enormously rewarding about this title. I think a lot of the credit rests on the very premise. When a deserving kid receives deserving gifts, it releases all kinds of pleasant endorphins in the brain of he reader. It feels like justice, multiple times over. We’re sympathetic to Ava from the start, but I don’t know that I started to really like her until she had to grapple with the enormity of Susan’s sharp-edged kindness. As an author, Bradley has the unenviable job of making a character like Ada realistic, suffering real post-traumatic stress in the midst of a war, and then in time realistically stronger. This isn’t merely a story where the main character has to learn and grow and change. She has this enormous task of making Ava strong in every possible way after a lifetime of systematic, often horrific, abuse. And she has to do so realistically. No deus ex machina. No sudden conversion out of the blue. That she pulls it off is astounding. Honestly it made me want to reread the book several times over, if only to figure out how she managed to display Ada’s anger and shock in the face of kindness with such aplomb. For me, it was the little lines that conveyed it best. Sentences like the one Ada says after the first birthday she has ever celebrated: “I had so much. I felt so sad.” It’s not a flashy thing to say. Just true.
You can see the appeal of writing characters like Ada and Jamie. Kids who have so little experience with the wider world that they don’t know a church from a bank or vice versa. The danger with having a character ignorant in this way is that they’ll only serve to annoy the reader. Or, perhaps worse, their inability to comprehend simple everyday objects and ideas will strike readers as funny or something to be mocked. Here, Bradley has some advantages over other books that might utilize this technique. For one thing, by placing this book in the past Ada is able to explain to child readers historical facts without stating facts that would be obvious to her or resorting to long bouts of exposition. By the same token, child readers can also pity Ada for not understanding stuff that they already do (banks, church, etc.).
Ms. Bradley has written on her blog that, “I don't write in dialect, for several reasons, but I try to write dialogue in a way that suggests dialect.” American born (Indiana, to be specific) she has set her novel in historical England (Kent) where any number of accents might be on display. She could have peppered the book with words that tried to replicate the sounds of Ada’s London accent or Susan’s Oxford educated one. Instead, Ms. Bradley is cleverer than that. As she says, she merely suggests dialect. One of the characters, a Mr. Grimes, says things like “Aye” and ends his sentences with words like “like”. But it doesn’t feel forced or fake. Just mere hints of an accent that would allow a reader to pick it up or ignore it, however they preferred.
Basically what we have here is Anne of Green Gables without quite so much whimsy. And in spite of the presence of a pony, this is not a cutesy pie book. Instead, it’s a story about a girl who fights like a demon against hope. She fights it with tooth and claw and nail and just about any weapon she can find. If her life has taught her anything it’s that hope can destroy you faster than abuse. In this light Susan’s kindness is a danger unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. Ms. Bradley does a stellar job of bringing to life this struggle in Ada and in inflaming a similar struggle in the hearts of her young readers. You root for Ada. You want her to be happy. Yet, at the same time, you don’t want your heart to be broken any more than Ada does. Do you hope for her future then? You do. Because this is a children’s book and hope, in whatever form it ultimately takes, is the name of the game. Ms. Bradley understands that and in The War That Saved My Life she manages to concoct a real delight out of a story that in less capable hands would have been a painful read. This book I would hand to my depression-averse younger self. It’s fun. It’s exciting. It’s one-of-a-kind.
For ages 9-12
Ada is ten and as far as she can tell she’s never been outdoors. Never felt the sun on her face. Never seen grass. Born with a twisted foot her mother considers her an abomination and her own personal shame. So when the chance comes for Ada to join her fellow child evacuees, including her little brother Jamie, out of the city during WWII she leaps at the chance. Escaping to the English countryside, the two are foisted upon a woman named Susan who declares herself to be “not nice” from the start. Under her care the siblings grow and change. Ada discovers Susan’s pony and is determined from the get-go to ride it. And as the war progresses and things grow dire, she finds that the most dangerous thing isn’t the bombs or the war itself. It’s hope. And it’s got her number.
I may have mentioned it before, but the word that kept coming to mind as I read this book was “satisfying”. There’s something enormously rewarding about this title. I think a lot of the credit rests on the very premise. When a deserving kid receives deserving gifts, it releases all kinds of pleasant endorphins in the brain of he reader. It feels like justice, multiple times over. We’re sympathetic to Ava from the start, but I don’t know that I started to really like her until she had to grapple with the enormity of Susan’s sharp-edged kindness. As an author, Bradley has the unenviable job of making a character like Ada realistic, suffering real post-traumatic stress in the midst of a war, and then in time realistically stronger. This isn’t merely a story where the main character has to learn and grow and change. She has this enormous task of making Ava strong in every possible way after a lifetime of systematic, often horrific, abuse. And she has to do so realistically. No deus ex machina. No sudden conversion out of the blue. That she pulls it off is astounding. Honestly it made me want to reread the book several times over, if only to figure out how she managed to display Ada’s anger and shock in the face of kindness with such aplomb. For me, it was the little lines that conveyed it best. Sentences like the one Ada says after the first birthday she has ever celebrated: “I had so much. I felt so sad.” It’s not a flashy thing to say. Just true.
You can see the appeal of writing characters like Ada and Jamie. Kids who have so little experience with the wider world that they don’t know a church from a bank or vice versa. The danger with having a character ignorant in this way is that they’ll only serve to annoy the reader. Or, perhaps worse, their inability to comprehend simple everyday objects and ideas will strike readers as funny or something to be mocked. Here, Bradley has some advantages over other books that might utilize this technique. For one thing, by placing this book in the past Ada is able to explain to child readers historical facts without stating facts that would be obvious to her or resorting to long bouts of exposition. By the same token, child readers can also pity Ada for not understanding stuff that they already do (banks, church, etc.).
Ms. Bradley has written on her blog that, “I don't write in dialect, for several reasons, but I try to write dialogue in a way that suggests dialect.” American born (Indiana, to be specific) she has set her novel in historical England (Kent) where any number of accents might be on display. She could have peppered the book with words that tried to replicate the sounds of Ada’s London accent or Susan’s Oxford educated one. Instead, Ms. Bradley is cleverer than that. As she says, she merely suggests dialect. One of the characters, a Mr. Grimes, says things like “Aye” and ends his sentences with words like “like”. But it doesn’t feel forced or fake. Just mere hints of an accent that would allow a reader to pick it up or ignore it, however they preferred.
Basically what we have here is Anne of Green Gables without quite so much whimsy. And in spite of the presence of a pony, this is not a cutesy pie book. Instead, it’s a story about a girl who fights like a demon against hope. She fights it with tooth and claw and nail and just about any weapon she can find. If her life has taught her anything it’s that hope can destroy you faster than abuse. In this light Susan’s kindness is a danger unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. Ms. Bradley does a stellar job of bringing to life this struggle in Ada and in inflaming a similar struggle in the hearts of her young readers. You root for Ada. You want her to be happy. Yet, at the same time, you don’t want your heart to be broken any more than Ada does. Do you hope for her future then? You do. Because this is a children’s book and hope, in whatever form it ultimately takes, is the name of the game. Ms. Bradley understands that and in The War That Saved My Life she manages to concoct a real delight out of a story that in less capable hands would have been a painful read. This book I would hand to my depression-averse younger self. It’s fun. It’s exciting. It’s one-of-a-kind.
For ages 9-12
April 11, 2021
Jedna z najlepszych powieści dla młodszych.
Dużo o emocjach, a tego czasami brakuje dorosłym.
Dużo o emocjach, a tego czasami brakuje dorosłym.
November 1, 2020
In the midst of a reading slump I decided to try a different genre – middle grade fiction. I’ve seen great reviews (thanks Debbie!) and when an IRL friend also recommended it (thanks Jan!), I decided to pick it up. What a gem! The audiobook was narrated by Jayne Entwistle, who narrates the Flavia de Luce novels by Alan Bradley. Her narration is perfection.
Eleven-year-old Ada was born with a clubfoot and her abusive and cruel mother uses it as an excuse to keep her a prisoner in their one room apartment, often in a tiny closet as ‘punishment’ for minor infractions.
The family lives in England during WWII. To escape the war, Ada's mother prepares to evacuate her brother, Jamie, out to the countryside where families have agreed to take children in for the duration. But not Ada, since according to her mom, “no one would want her”, but Jamie is her life and Ada sneaks out with him anyway. They make their way to the countryside and are reluctantly taken in by Susan, a recluse who has issues of her own.
Ada, not surprisingly, struggles with navigating the outside world, and has anxiety and trust issues. “I wanted Mam to be like Susan. I didn’t really trust Susan not to be like Mam.” The author does a great job of realistically depicting Ada’s struggles without overplaying it.
How these three learn to live and heal together, along with the age-appropriate realistic depiction of WWII, made for a riveting read that was never juvenile, boring, or manipulative. I fell in love with all the characters, but I simply adored spunky, determined Ada. War is terrible, but this war literally saved Ada’s life. Watching her growth as a character amid the tension and intrigue of WWII was an utter delight.
I never considered middle grade fiction because YA is not for me. How wrong I was! This is right up there among the best. Highly recommended for all ages but for younger readers I would recommend reading and discussing the themes along with them.
Eleven-year-old Ada was born with a clubfoot and her abusive and cruel mother uses it as an excuse to keep her a prisoner in their one room apartment, often in a tiny closet as ‘punishment’ for minor infractions.
The family lives in England during WWII. To escape the war, Ada's mother prepares to evacuate her brother, Jamie, out to the countryside where families have agreed to take children in for the duration. But not Ada, since according to her mom, “no one would want her”, but Jamie is her life and Ada sneaks out with him anyway. They make their way to the countryside and are reluctantly taken in by Susan, a recluse who has issues of her own.
Ada, not surprisingly, struggles with navigating the outside world, and has anxiety and trust issues. “I wanted Mam to be like Susan. I didn’t really trust Susan not to be like Mam.” The author does a great job of realistically depicting Ada’s struggles without overplaying it.
How these three learn to live and heal together, along with the age-appropriate realistic depiction of WWII, made for a riveting read that was never juvenile, boring, or manipulative. I fell in love with all the characters, but I simply adored spunky, determined Ada. War is terrible, but this war literally saved Ada’s life. Watching her growth as a character amid the tension and intrigue of WWII was an utter delight.
I never considered middle grade fiction because YA is not for me. How wrong I was! This is right up there among the best. Highly recommended for all ages but for younger readers I would recommend reading and discussing the themes along with them.
February 20, 2022
Update -- Its been awhile since reading/listening to this book -- Its one of MY FAVORITES...
Any adult who stays away 'because' they think its 'just-a-nice-children's story' -- is missing a real gem!!
I can't imagine ANY ADULT 'not' falling in love with this book....
I Highly recommend it... (so to any of my friends -- you'll be giving yourself a real treat!) --
and...I always thank Lisa Vegan for putting this book on my radar!
Audiobook...
...narrated by Jayne Enteistle ( fantastic narrator)
A WONDERFUL HISTORICAL FICTION for young readers.
It’s the start of WWII. ( 1935)
If there’s ever been a buzz book that deserved every award it had received… This is it!!!
I can’t imagine anyone not being swept away by the characters, story, challenges, and love!!!
....2,135 five star reviews on Amazon!!!
....A Newbery Honor Book
....Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award ( Middle School)
....Winner of the Josette Frank Award
....Winner of the Sunshine State Young Readers Award
....Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Books of 2015
.... New York public library‘s 100 books for reading and sharing
.... Chicago Public library‘s best of the best books 2015
....Publishers Weekly best books of 2015
....Kirkus Best Books of 2015
....Horn Book Fanfare Book 2015
A little something to think about:
“Do you know the difference between telling lies, and being a liar?, Miss Smith asked Ada?”
“If you have to tell lies in order to keep yourself safe, I don’t think that calls you a liar”
“Liars tell lies when they need to make themselves look important or special”.
Ada, Jaime, and Miss Smith...
needed each other...more than they realized.
Ada’s voice is priceless. She is about 10 years old, with a cleft foot.
She was severely abused both physically, emotionally, and verbally, by her mother. Jamie, Ada’s younger brother was also abused -but to a lesser degree.
Miss Smith -was grieving from the loss of her best friend when she first meets Ada and Jamie.
I devoured this exceptionally written wonderful story!
I recommend it to readers of all ages!
Thank you Lisa, for first introducing this book to me.
Many great reviews...., LisaVegan, JanB, and many many more
Going in blind works with this gem!!
Any adult who stays away 'because' they think its 'just-a-nice-children's story' -- is missing a real gem!!
I can't imagine ANY ADULT 'not' falling in love with this book....
I Highly recommend it... (so to any of my friends -- you'll be giving yourself a real treat!) --
and...I always thank Lisa Vegan for putting this book on my radar!
Audiobook...
...narrated by Jayne Enteistle ( fantastic narrator)
A WONDERFUL HISTORICAL FICTION for young readers.
It’s the start of WWII. ( 1935)
If there’s ever been a buzz book that deserved every award it had received… This is it!!!
I can’t imagine anyone not being swept away by the characters, story, challenges, and love!!!
....2,135 five star reviews on Amazon!!!
....A Newbery Honor Book
....Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award ( Middle School)
....Winner of the Josette Frank Award
....Winner of the Sunshine State Young Readers Award
....Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Books of 2015
.... New York public library‘s 100 books for reading and sharing
.... Chicago Public library‘s best of the best books 2015
....Publishers Weekly best books of 2015
....Kirkus Best Books of 2015
....Horn Book Fanfare Book 2015
A little something to think about:
“Do you know the difference between telling lies, and being a liar?, Miss Smith asked Ada?”
“If you have to tell lies in order to keep yourself safe, I don’t think that calls you a liar”
“Liars tell lies when they need to make themselves look important or special”.
Ada, Jaime, and Miss Smith...
needed each other...more than they realized.
Ada’s voice is priceless. She is about 10 years old, with a cleft foot.
She was severely abused both physically, emotionally, and verbally, by her mother. Jamie, Ada’s younger brother was also abused -but to a lesser degree.
Miss Smith -was grieving from the loss of her best friend when she first meets Ada and Jamie.
I devoured this exceptionally written wonderful story!
I recommend it to readers of all ages!
Thank you Lisa, for first introducing this book to me.
Many great reviews...., LisaVegan, JanB, and many many more
Going in blind works with this gem!!
February 25, 2023
February 2023. Reread for the third time as a reread with my daughter. Such a wonderful story, the characters in this book reread The Swiss Family Robertson as a comfort read, ironically this story has become our equivalent to the Family Robinson. This was every bit as enjoyable as our other reads and this is definitely one I would read again. There are some great characters and humour for a read aloud. Highly recommended to everyone.
March 2021. Just reread this absolute favourite. We read this aloud for the second time and it was even more enjoyable than the first. This was great escapism and perfect release from the current situation. We loved the characters more than ever, in particular Ada and Susan, but all the others. This is our favourite recently written book, and we’ve read quite a few. Ada is a great character, Brubaker Bradley is very talented at writing great, complex characters and she gives them such a wonderfully humorous voice. We loved Ada, she has so many funny quotes that give her philosophical views, for example
In January rationing began. It was a way of sharing out what food there was so rich people, like Susan couldn’t go hogging it and leaving poor people to starve
The one thing that would really annoy me if I was from the US is that words have been changed for the US audience. Got is repeatedly changed to gotten, normal is changed to regular, stopped is constantly changed to quit, torch to flashlight, Father Christmas to Santa Claus..... Such a shame, this really helps set the scene and is interesting, you learn something new, if a book is set in England and an English person is talking I want to hear English words and terminology. If I was from the US I would find this patronising and annoying. Luckily when I read US books they have US words in them and that is all the more interesting to the reader.
Below is my original review.
What a wonderful book. I rarely enjoy recently written books, and the two recently written books I have given 4 stars too become 3 stars in comparison. We read this as a read aloud and from page 1 we were hooked. In fact getting home from the library standing inside the front door I flicked to the first page and read the first couple of pages without realising, totally absorbed.
The story begins with Ada and Jamie, they are very poor and live with their single mum. Even though she has so little you suspect their mother would be awful even if she were well off. Ada and Jamie's lives are bad and then war comes.
Without giving away too much of the plot this book follows the siblings lives and gives a good look into World War II and lives of evacuees. We loved the characters in this book, Ada was wonderful, so brave, tenacious and funny. The relationship between Ada and her brother was wonderful, we even loved their squabbles, there were some really humorous descriptions of these. Those who love horses will enjoy the descriptions of Ada's first experiences with a pony called Butter. We loved the way that in the time the book was set you could just have a go or help out at stables in return for riding which is what was possible when I was young but sadly not today. There are some wonderful animal characters and we loved the unusual friendships and the way that the hardships of the war brought people who previously wouldn't have mixed together. Susan was a wonderful character and a natural mother to the motherless.
A goodreads friend asked if this was too dark or depressing, it's hard to tell how someone will feel about a book but despite the storyline having sad elements I found this a really positive read and very uplifting, you can tell things are getting better and people are getting stronger in this book. I don't think it's a spoiler to say Ada and Jamie's mother is awful and although their treatment is upsetting you could tell the book is going go be about their escape so this was bearable. I speak from the position of someone whose mother was similar to the mother in the story and I didn't find this part too much, if anything I found this cathartic as I was rooting for them to do something about their situation.
There is so much going on in this book, the relationship with Susan who is looking after them for their evacuation, her relationship with others in the village and her own parents, the relationships between the classes, the injured soldiers, the war effort, teacher's superstitious beliefs and punishments and relationships with animal friends. We loved the sound of Susan's loving home and the way how despite the fact she didn't want refugees or children she
I would highly recommend this book, it is interesting in so many areas from so many angles. I can't wait to read the sequel.
March 2021. Just reread this absolute favourite. We read this aloud for the second time and it was even more enjoyable than the first. This was great escapism and perfect release from the current situation. We loved the characters more than ever, in particular Ada and Susan, but all the others. This is our favourite recently written book, and we’ve read quite a few. Ada is a great character, Brubaker Bradley is very talented at writing great, complex characters and she gives them such a wonderfully humorous voice. We loved Ada, she has so many funny quotes that give her philosophical views, for example
In January rationing began. It was a way of sharing out what food there was so rich people, like Susan couldn’t go hogging it and leaving poor people to starve
The one thing that would really annoy me if I was from the US is that words have been changed for the US audience. Got is repeatedly changed to gotten, normal is changed to regular, stopped is constantly changed to quit, torch to flashlight, Father Christmas to Santa Claus..... Such a shame, this really helps set the scene and is interesting, you learn something new, if a book is set in England and an English person is talking I want to hear English words and terminology. If I was from the US I would find this patronising and annoying. Luckily when I read US books they have US words in them and that is all the more interesting to the reader.
Below is my original review.
What a wonderful book. I rarely enjoy recently written books, and the two recently written books I have given 4 stars too become 3 stars in comparison. We read this as a read aloud and from page 1 we were hooked. In fact getting home from the library standing inside the front door I flicked to the first page and read the first couple of pages without realising, totally absorbed.
The story begins with Ada and Jamie, they are very poor and live with their single mum. Even though she has so little you suspect their mother would be awful even if she were well off. Ada and Jamie's lives are bad and then war comes.
Without giving away too much of the plot this book follows the siblings lives and gives a good look into World War II and lives of evacuees. We loved the characters in this book, Ada was wonderful, so brave, tenacious and funny. The relationship between Ada and her brother was wonderful, we even loved their squabbles, there were some really humorous descriptions of these. Those who love horses will enjoy the descriptions of Ada's first experiences with a pony called Butter. We loved the way that in the time the book was set you could just have a go or help out at stables in return for riding which is what was possible when I was young but sadly not today. There are some wonderful animal characters and we loved the unusual friendships and the way that the hardships of the war brought people who previously wouldn't have mixed together. Susan was a wonderful character and a natural mother to the motherless.
A goodreads friend asked if this was too dark or depressing, it's hard to tell how someone will feel about a book but despite the storyline having sad elements I found this a really positive read and very uplifting, you can tell things are getting better and people are getting stronger in this book. I don't think it's a spoiler to say Ada and Jamie's mother is awful and although their treatment is upsetting you could tell the book is going go be about their escape so this was bearable. I speak from the position of someone whose mother was similar to the mother in the story and I didn't find this part too much, if anything I found this cathartic as I was rooting for them to do something about their situation.
There is so much going on in this book, the relationship with Susan who is looking after them for their evacuation, her relationship with others in the village and her own parents, the relationships between the classes, the injured soldiers, the war effort, teacher's superstitious beliefs and punishments and relationships with animal friends. We loved the sound of Susan's loving home and the way how despite the fact she didn't want refugees or children she
I would highly recommend this book, it is interesting in so many areas from so many angles. I can't wait to read the sequel.
January 26, 2019
Call me dumpling, if this isn't a Newbery contender for 2016. The historical details, character development, tight plot, and rich layered themes make this firecracker sizzle. Ten-year-old Ada has a clubfoot and is kept locked in her family's one bedroom apartment while her six-year-old brother, Jaimie, roams free in London, England. Mam hits her two children and punishes Ada by locking her in the cabinet under the sink. World War II is about to happen, and parents are sending children to the countryside for safety.
Mam plans to send Jaimie, but not Ada, "Nice people don't want to look at that foot." Ada sneaks off with Jaimie to join other evacuees on a train to Kent. Expecting 70 children but receiving 200, the children line up in a building near the station and are chosen by families, but no one picks Ada and Jaimie. The "iron-faced" woman organizing the placement takes the two to a house where the owner, Susan Smith, says she doesn't want any children to care for. The reason for Susan's reluctance is slowly revealed and though she claims she is not nice, her actions show the opposite. She suffers with bouts of depression and the three form a family bond that helps them all move forward in life and deal with suffering.
The ironic title of this book refers not only to the physical war, but the internal and daily battles faced by the characters. War is about death and destruction, not saving; however, there are times when "some things are worth fighting for." WWII meant fighting against loss of freedoms, lands, and extreme prejudices. Most people didn't want to go to war and avoided it until it became necessary. For Ada, "There are all kinds of wars." She talks about her war with Jaimie whom she has raised instead of their negligent mother. She talks about her war with her mother who hits her in order to shame and control her. She sees Susan war with people who act prejudiced toward her disability. She sees Jamie war with his fears. She sees Susan war with her grief. The war theme builds like a wet snowball rolling down a snowy hill getting bigger and bigger until it rests at the bottom doubled in size. The author keeps building on various themes and advances the plot pointing to those themes. This is just one element in Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's impressive writing that makes this book unforgettable.
*spoiler* I want to use this book for book club next fall so the following is more detailed than usual so I'll remember my first impressions.
Daily life is filled with peace and joy and battles and wars. Ada's life is no different except her conditions are more extreme. She battles the prejudice of her mother and others over her clubfoot. She battles hunger on a daily basis. She battles her feelings. She battles being touched by another human. She battles looking forward to the future with hope. She battles being illiterate. Ada is tired of being ignorant of the world and the words in it. She's been locked up in a room and never let outside. On the train, she asks Jaimie what the green stuff is out the window. Even the word, "grass," is not in her vocabulary. Like someone trying to learn a foreign language, words exhaust her and it is no surprise that she resists Susan's efforts to educate her. It is not until she makes friends with Maggie that she is motivated to read and write.
Ada is a survivor, courageous, and persistent. Horses respond to her and when she decides to make her pony jump a wall, she just about kills herself in the effort. She battles back no matter how many times life throws her off a horse. Her physical hunger is nothing compared to her emotional hunger for love, hope, and freedom. When she finds it with Susan, it scares her to heck because she knows their set-up is temporary until the war is over. Ada shuts Susan out to protect herself, but Susan is just as strong-willed as her and she jumps her walls. Jaimie is left-handed and being abused by the teacher. Susan figures it out and rescues him showing she is willing to fight for the two children. The relationship changes from caring to loving - the three are evolving into a family with all its ups and downs. At the end, when Susan doesn't battle for them, it is no surprise that she changes her mind and tracks down Mam and the kids. At the end when Susan tells Ada and Jaimie that they saved her life, the story has come full circle.
Both children have fears. Jaimie has tantrums and wets the bed while Ada is afraid of being hit and sent away. When Jaimie finds a mean cat that is full of fleas and matted hair, he names it Bovril after a nasty drink that Susan makes the children take each night for their health. The cat, Bovril, is loved and cared for by Jaimie. He stops wetting the bed as soon as they keep the cat and after he washes the mangy creature he brings it down wrapped in Susan's "best towel." The parallel with the children is striking for Susan took in two bedraggled children that no one else wanted and gave them the best of herself and home. When Jaimie tells Susan that "nice people" hate Ada's clubfoot, she says they are in luck because she is not a nice person. Ada tries to convince herself of this, but knows it isn't true. "She was not a nice person, but she cleaned up the floor. She was not a nice person, but she bandaged my foot in a white piece of cloth, and gave us two of her own clean shirts to wear." Ada reminds herself all the time that Susan is not a nice person so that she won't become attached to her. She knows that the situation is temporary and she copes by detaching herself.
Another overarching theme besides battles and wars, is the difference between lying and liars. Susan distinguishes "lying" as a way of self-preservation or protecting oneself while "liars" do it to make themselves important. Ada lies about her last name when she meets Susan. Later, when Ada tells the truth, it is easy to see why Susan doesn't believe her about riding Maggie's horse. The two learn to be honest and trust each other as they learn to understand each other. The author shows but does not tell these differences and much of it must be inferred by the reader. As the story progresses, Ada chooses to not lie about the spy, nor does she lie with her mother. She slowly turns from lies to the truth and it allows her to move forward emotionally and become a stronger person. Mam is a liar that bullies Ada to make herself feel important. Mam says that fixing Ada's foot is a lie, even though Ada knows it is possible. By not fixing Ada's foot, Mam feels superior. Susan lies about Divinity school to attack the school teacher's prejudice and abuse of Jaimie. Her lie was protective. Stephen lies to the Colonel because he knows that the Colonel needs full-time care. His lie was to help the Colonel not feel useless in the war. Lies are a big part of the author's character development and Ada learns through lies how she can change her life into one of truth and hope for a better life.
Ada breaks Susan's sewing machine and is terrified she'll be sent back to London. Ada's terror is not normal and shows how traumatized she has been by her mother's abuse. She also pushes aside her emotions and doesn't address them. She calls it going inside her head. Her psychological and physical abuse make her difficult to handle and Susan doesn't always get it right. Both Ada and Susan are persistent, strong-willed, and stubborn. Susan can't tell Ada to read and write but tricks her into it. Later when Ada realizes that Maggie was mad at her for not writing, she is motivated to learn. Susan tricks Ada into doing other things she refuses to do making for some funny moments. Susan's dry humor helps balance the characters heavy issues. The two females learn from each other. When Ada decides to make a present in her room, Susan says she has to spend equal the time with her that she spends alone. She's grown to like her company and Ada unknowingly is helping Susan deal with her grief. Ada goads Susan into volunteering for the war. Susan tries to get Ada to accept herself and not be ashamed of her foot, "your foot's a long way from your brain." When Ada later uses it against the prejudiced officer, Susan's influence is apparent as Ada finds the courage to stand-up for herself and see her self-worth.
Susan's read alouds show how the kids are relating the characters in the stories to their lives. Ada feels that she is like "Alice in Wonderland" who has fallen down the rabbit hole into a strange new world. Jaimie feels like he is on an adventure like the "Swiss Family Robinson." Literature engages and empowers young readers into understanding themselves and the world around them. Ada is learning empathy and through narrative fiction she can get inside a fictional character's mind to understand his or her feelings, motivations, and emotions. This safe place in the fictional world lets her take risks and learn through characters triumphs and mistakes, then relate it to herself with empathy, and not have any real-world consequences. This is the power of reading.
I do so like books that answer questions right away and then take it one step further in an unexpected way. Brandon Sanderson does this and so does Bradley. For instance, when Ada keeps refusing to go to tea with the Colonel, I thought she was embarrassed by her clubfoot and I know that she feels awkward socially. Later she confesses to Stephen that she is afraid of not doing the right thing. Perhaps a better example is when Susan debates the teacher on her superstition of left-handedness. It could have been left with just the dialogue, but she explains the root of the superstition in the Bible. The author digs deeper into the psyche of characters bringing out their complexities that engages me more as a reader.
Bradley has already established herself as an author that pays attention to historical details. Read "Jefferson's Sons" and you will see what I mean. Here, she goes into details regarding the war and maintaining stables and horses. The women sewing blackout curtains and building a rickety, smelly bomb shelter are just two of many examples. Others include the newsreels, that disseminated information to the public before the movies, to the propaganda posters littering the city. The Germans circled the island and sunk ships trying to import or export goods laying siege to England and affecting the food supply. Another fact that parents evacuated their children from London and then took them back endangering their lives when the London Blitz occurred was one I didn't know about. The historical details oftentimes tie in with larger themes, especially the posters such as "Freedom is in peril. Defend it with all your might." Not only is England's freedom in peril, but Ada and Jaimie's freedom living with Susan is in peril when their Mam takes them back.
The psychological progression of Ada wanting Susan to not give her things shows Ada clinging to the emotional detachment as a coping mechanism from being abused. Ada rejects Susan's help over and over. Later while reading "Swiss Family Robinson" she thinks "I was tired of those idiots living on an island with everything they wanted." She doesn't want to be given things. Again, her attitude is about self-preservation. Ada has a meltdown when Susan makes her a velvet dress and calls her beautiful. She reveals "It was too much, all this emotion."She can't see herself as anything but ugly. She doesn't want to love Susan and hope for a better life. Worse, she doesn't want to love herself.
When the war comes to their town and Susan and Ada help the Dunkirk soldiers, Ada learns that she is useful. She also recognizes that she is winning battles against her fears and becoming stronger. "There was a Before Dunkirk version of me and an After Dunkirk version. The After Dunkirk version was stronger, less afraid." Later, when she sees a spy and reports it, she is strong enough to overcome the prejudiced officer that tries to dismiss her. When she stands up to her mother and admits the horrible truth about how she does not care about her or Jaimie, she shows her self-acceptance not only of herself but her mother. When she is lauded a hero for capturing a spy, she sees herself, "As if I'd been born with two strong feet." This is a long way from the ashamed girl that first showed up on Susan's doorstep.
Susan's depression comes from the death of her partner, Becky. The family has disowned Susan, especially her clergyman father, and no one talks about it. Historically, it would have not been discussed openly and if the author had made it a subplot it would have put the book in the young adult section. Children's interest in sexuality begins more in middle school than elementary and had the author emphasized it, the novel would have missed its audience. As is, some readers will miss the implied relationship, while others will notice it hovering in the background and affecting Susan. This choice by the author lets the focus remain on the characters, and it would have detracted from the main themes. Decide for yourself. You really don't want to miss this one.
Mam plans to send Jaimie, but not Ada, "Nice people don't want to look at that foot." Ada sneaks off with Jaimie to join other evacuees on a train to Kent. Expecting 70 children but receiving 200, the children line up in a building near the station and are chosen by families, but no one picks Ada and Jaimie. The "iron-faced" woman organizing the placement takes the two to a house where the owner, Susan Smith, says she doesn't want any children to care for. The reason for Susan's reluctance is slowly revealed and though she claims she is not nice, her actions show the opposite. She suffers with bouts of depression and the three form a family bond that helps them all move forward in life and deal with suffering.
The ironic title of this book refers not only to the physical war, but the internal and daily battles faced by the characters. War is about death and destruction, not saving; however, there are times when "some things are worth fighting for." WWII meant fighting against loss of freedoms, lands, and extreme prejudices. Most people didn't want to go to war and avoided it until it became necessary. For Ada, "There are all kinds of wars." She talks about her war with Jaimie whom she has raised instead of their negligent mother. She talks about her war with her mother who hits her in order to shame and control her. She sees Susan war with people who act prejudiced toward her disability. She sees Jamie war with his fears. She sees Susan war with her grief. The war theme builds like a wet snowball rolling down a snowy hill getting bigger and bigger until it rests at the bottom doubled in size. The author keeps building on various themes and advances the plot pointing to those themes. This is just one element in Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's impressive writing that makes this book unforgettable.
*spoiler* I want to use this book for book club next fall so the following is more detailed than usual so I'll remember my first impressions.
Daily life is filled with peace and joy and battles and wars. Ada's life is no different except her conditions are more extreme. She battles the prejudice of her mother and others over her clubfoot. She battles hunger on a daily basis. She battles her feelings. She battles being touched by another human. She battles looking forward to the future with hope. She battles being illiterate. Ada is tired of being ignorant of the world and the words in it. She's been locked up in a room and never let outside. On the train, she asks Jaimie what the green stuff is out the window. Even the word, "grass," is not in her vocabulary. Like someone trying to learn a foreign language, words exhaust her and it is no surprise that she resists Susan's efforts to educate her. It is not until she makes friends with Maggie that she is motivated to read and write.
Ada is a survivor, courageous, and persistent. Horses respond to her and when she decides to make her pony jump a wall, she just about kills herself in the effort. She battles back no matter how many times life throws her off a horse. Her physical hunger is nothing compared to her emotional hunger for love, hope, and freedom. When she finds it with Susan, it scares her to heck because she knows their set-up is temporary until the war is over. Ada shuts Susan out to protect herself, but Susan is just as strong-willed as her and she jumps her walls. Jaimie is left-handed and being abused by the teacher. Susan figures it out and rescues him showing she is willing to fight for the two children. The relationship changes from caring to loving - the three are evolving into a family with all its ups and downs. At the end, when Susan doesn't battle for them, it is no surprise that she changes her mind and tracks down Mam and the kids. At the end when Susan tells Ada and Jaimie that they saved her life, the story has come full circle.
Both children have fears. Jaimie has tantrums and wets the bed while Ada is afraid of being hit and sent away. When Jaimie finds a mean cat that is full of fleas and matted hair, he names it Bovril after a nasty drink that Susan makes the children take each night for their health. The cat, Bovril, is loved and cared for by Jaimie. He stops wetting the bed as soon as they keep the cat and after he washes the mangy creature he brings it down wrapped in Susan's "best towel." The parallel with the children is striking for Susan took in two bedraggled children that no one else wanted and gave them the best of herself and home. When Jaimie tells Susan that "nice people" hate Ada's clubfoot, she says they are in luck because she is not a nice person. Ada tries to convince herself of this, but knows it isn't true. "She was not a nice person, but she cleaned up the floor. She was not a nice person, but she bandaged my foot in a white piece of cloth, and gave us two of her own clean shirts to wear." Ada reminds herself all the time that Susan is not a nice person so that she won't become attached to her. She knows that the situation is temporary and she copes by detaching herself.
Another overarching theme besides battles and wars, is the difference between lying and liars. Susan distinguishes "lying" as a way of self-preservation or protecting oneself while "liars" do it to make themselves important. Ada lies about her last name when she meets Susan. Later, when Ada tells the truth, it is easy to see why Susan doesn't believe her about riding Maggie's horse. The two learn to be honest and trust each other as they learn to understand each other. The author shows but does not tell these differences and much of it must be inferred by the reader. As the story progresses, Ada chooses to not lie about the spy, nor does she lie with her mother. She slowly turns from lies to the truth and it allows her to move forward emotionally and become a stronger person. Mam is a liar that bullies Ada to make herself feel important. Mam says that fixing Ada's foot is a lie, even though Ada knows it is possible. By not fixing Ada's foot, Mam feels superior. Susan lies about Divinity school to attack the school teacher's prejudice and abuse of Jaimie. Her lie was protective. Stephen lies to the Colonel because he knows that the Colonel needs full-time care. His lie was to help the Colonel not feel useless in the war. Lies are a big part of the author's character development and Ada learns through lies how she can change her life into one of truth and hope for a better life.
Ada breaks Susan's sewing machine and is terrified she'll be sent back to London. Ada's terror is not normal and shows how traumatized she has been by her mother's abuse. She also pushes aside her emotions and doesn't address them. She calls it going inside her head. Her psychological and physical abuse make her difficult to handle and Susan doesn't always get it right. Both Ada and Susan are persistent, strong-willed, and stubborn. Susan can't tell Ada to read and write but tricks her into it. Later when Ada realizes that Maggie was mad at her for not writing, she is motivated to learn. Susan tricks Ada into doing other things she refuses to do making for some funny moments. Susan's dry humor helps balance the characters heavy issues. The two females learn from each other. When Ada decides to make a present in her room, Susan says she has to spend equal the time with her that she spends alone. She's grown to like her company and Ada unknowingly is helping Susan deal with her grief. Ada goads Susan into volunteering for the war. Susan tries to get Ada to accept herself and not be ashamed of her foot, "your foot's a long way from your brain." When Ada later uses it against the prejudiced officer, Susan's influence is apparent as Ada finds the courage to stand-up for herself and see her self-worth.
Susan's read alouds show how the kids are relating the characters in the stories to their lives. Ada feels that she is like "Alice in Wonderland" who has fallen down the rabbit hole into a strange new world. Jaimie feels like he is on an adventure like the "Swiss Family Robinson." Literature engages and empowers young readers into understanding themselves and the world around them. Ada is learning empathy and through narrative fiction she can get inside a fictional character's mind to understand his or her feelings, motivations, and emotions. This safe place in the fictional world lets her take risks and learn through characters triumphs and mistakes, then relate it to herself with empathy, and not have any real-world consequences. This is the power of reading.
I do so like books that answer questions right away and then take it one step further in an unexpected way. Brandon Sanderson does this and so does Bradley. For instance, when Ada keeps refusing to go to tea with the Colonel, I thought she was embarrassed by her clubfoot and I know that she feels awkward socially. Later she confesses to Stephen that she is afraid of not doing the right thing. Perhaps a better example is when Susan debates the teacher on her superstition of left-handedness. It could have been left with just the dialogue, but she explains the root of the superstition in the Bible. The author digs deeper into the psyche of characters bringing out their complexities that engages me more as a reader.
Bradley has already established herself as an author that pays attention to historical details. Read "Jefferson's Sons" and you will see what I mean. Here, she goes into details regarding the war and maintaining stables and horses. The women sewing blackout curtains and building a rickety, smelly bomb shelter are just two of many examples. Others include the newsreels, that disseminated information to the public before the movies, to the propaganda posters littering the city. The Germans circled the island and sunk ships trying to import or export goods laying siege to England and affecting the food supply. Another fact that parents evacuated their children from London and then took them back endangering their lives when the London Blitz occurred was one I didn't know about. The historical details oftentimes tie in with larger themes, especially the posters such as "Freedom is in peril. Defend it with all your might." Not only is England's freedom in peril, but Ada and Jaimie's freedom living with Susan is in peril when their Mam takes them back.
The psychological progression of Ada wanting Susan to not give her things shows Ada clinging to the emotional detachment as a coping mechanism from being abused. Ada rejects Susan's help over and over. Later while reading "Swiss Family Robinson" she thinks "I was tired of those idiots living on an island with everything they wanted." She doesn't want to be given things. Again, her attitude is about self-preservation. Ada has a meltdown when Susan makes her a velvet dress and calls her beautiful. She reveals "It was too much, all this emotion."She can't see herself as anything but ugly. She doesn't want to love Susan and hope for a better life. Worse, she doesn't want to love herself.
When the war comes to their town and Susan and Ada help the Dunkirk soldiers, Ada learns that she is useful. She also recognizes that she is winning battles against her fears and becoming stronger. "There was a Before Dunkirk version of me and an After Dunkirk version. The After Dunkirk version was stronger, less afraid." Later, when she sees a spy and reports it, she is strong enough to overcome the prejudiced officer that tries to dismiss her. When she stands up to her mother and admits the horrible truth about how she does not care about her or Jaimie, she shows her self-acceptance not only of herself but her mother. When she is lauded a hero for capturing a spy, she sees herself, "As if I'd been born with two strong feet." This is a long way from the ashamed girl that first showed up on Susan's doorstep.
Susan's depression comes from the death of her partner, Becky. The family has disowned Susan, especially her clergyman father, and no one talks about it. Historically, it would have not been discussed openly and if the author had made it a subplot it would have put the book in the young adult section. Children's interest in sexuality begins more in middle school than elementary and had the author emphasized it, the novel would have missed its audience. As is, some readers will miss the implied relationship, while others will notice it hovering in the background and affecting Susan. This choice by the author lets the focus remain on the characters, and it would have detracted from the main themes. Decide for yourself. You really don't want to miss this one.
November 30, 2017
Every one of my friends who has just come out of the woodwork to say how much they love this book is DEAD TO ME.
Why?
Because I literally do not remember one of them telling me that I MUST READ THIS IMMEDIATELY, and they should have. I remember a bit of buzz around it as Newbery season rolled around. I remember there being "no surprise" when it was named as an honor book. So I dutifully bought it, read the first page, thought, UGH, HOW HORRIBLE! and put it aside. The sequel just came out and everyone I know is suddenly saying, I need to get it! I'm so excited! And I thought, UGH. I will TRY the first one.
Holy #$%^, y'all. This book was amazing! The story of the evacuees in England has long fascinated me. And I love horses as well. So there's two things in its favor right off. But also, ALSO, this book is a heartbreaking work of staggering genius in its portrayal of grief, depression, abuse, and healing.
Ada, the main character who has literally never known happiness, never been loved, does not instantly warm to their new hostess. She struggles. She is crippled not just by a club foot but by years of abuse and self-loathing. She has panic attacks. She is angry and doesn't know why or how to deal with it. It's a nuanced and honest look at what a child raised in such circumstances might actually be like. Susan, who was cast out by her father for living with another woman (this is subtle and their relationship is not labeled as such), who is gossiped about by the town (but not as much as she thinks) is struggling just to exist after the death of her partner Becky. These are damaged people, and they don't do and say the right thing because they don't know the right things to do and say. It's raw and real, as is the depiction of how England begins to change with the coming of war. I shan't go on because, well, you need to read it for yourself (if you haven't already).
This, my friends, is a beautiful book.
Why?
Because I literally do not remember one of them telling me that I MUST READ THIS IMMEDIATELY, and they should have. I remember a bit of buzz around it as Newbery season rolled around. I remember there being "no surprise" when it was named as an honor book. So I dutifully bought it, read the first page, thought, UGH, HOW HORRIBLE! and put it aside. The sequel just came out and everyone I know is suddenly saying, I need to get it! I'm so excited! And I thought, UGH. I will TRY the first one.
Holy #$%^, y'all. This book was amazing! The story of the evacuees in England has long fascinated me. And I love horses as well. So there's two things in its favor right off. But also, ALSO, this book is a heartbreaking work of staggering genius in its portrayal of grief, depression, abuse, and healing.
Ada, the main character who has literally never known happiness, never been loved, does not instantly warm to their new hostess. She struggles. She is crippled not just by a club foot but by years of abuse and self-loathing. She has panic attacks. She is angry and doesn't know why or how to deal with it. It's a nuanced and honest look at what a child raised in such circumstances might actually be like. Susan, who was cast out by her father for living with another woman (this is subtle and their relationship is not labeled as such), who is gossiped about by the town (but not as much as she thinks) is struggling just to exist after the death of her partner Becky. These are damaged people, and they don't do and say the right thing because they don't know the right things to do and say. It's raw and real, as is the depiction of how England begins to change with the coming of war. I shan't go on because, well, you need to read it for yourself (if you haven't already).
This, my friends, is a beautiful book.
January 30, 2018
4.5 stars!
“I don't know what to say," she said, after a pause. "I don't want to tell you a lie, and I don't know the truth."
It was maybe the most honest thing anyone had ever said to me.
Man this book really packed in the feels! There were moments where I felt like I had been punched with emotion!
The War That Saved My Life is about Ada, a young girl with a deformed foot whose mother kept her inside all her life. When London fears Hitler will start bombing it, all the children are sent to the countryside and Ada sees the outside world for the first time.
“I wanted to say a lot of things, but, as usual, I didn't have the words for the thoughts inside my head.”
Loved this story, so so much! Ada is such an amazing heroine with so much perseverance even when life literally kept her down. The author really did well on the historical aspects and the writing in this book flowed.
I think this is a story everyone needs to read, not just children.
“It had been awful, but I hadn't quit. I had persisted. In battle I had won.”
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March 3, 2022
This was a lovely story that is perfect for those in middle school as they can learn about parental abuse and the notion that being handicapped made one the product of the devil. When one wonders how a war could save lives in the case of Ava, a handicapped young girl and her brother Jamie, meeting their caregiver and recognizing the good of an adult is the telling concept.
Poor Ava, mistreated horribly by her mother because of a club foot and because her mother was a horrible person, steals away with her brother, Jamie when he is called upon to leave London as the war had started and children were leaving for the countryside where it was believed they would be safe. They come in contact with a woman name Susan and through her Ava learns of the goodness of people and how it feels to be loved and cared for. Susan on her part didn't at first care for the fact these two urchins wound up in her care, but care she did and eventually she, too, realizes what her life has been missing, the love of another.
It's a wonderful story appropriate for children who are at the middle school level and a fine way to learn of an actual event that occurred during the onset of World War 2. Love does not need to be parental in order for it to be love. It can come from unexpected sources especially for children who never knew the warmth of that emotion.
Poor Ava, mistreated horribly by her mother because of a club foot and because her mother was a horrible person, steals away with her brother, Jamie when he is called upon to leave London as the war had started and children were leaving for the countryside where it was believed they would be safe. They come in contact with a woman name Susan and through her Ava learns of the goodness of people and how it feels to be loved and cared for. Susan on her part didn't at first care for the fact these two urchins wound up in her care, but care she did and eventually she, too, realizes what her life has been missing, the love of another.
It's a wonderful story appropriate for children who are at the middle school level and a fine way to learn of an actual event that occurred during the onset of World War 2. Love does not need to be parental in order for it to be love. It can come from unexpected sources especially for children who never knew the warmth of that emotion.
May 6, 2017
Not bad for a middle grade novel. Not bad at all. A beautiful and heartwarming story about overcoming emotional and physical abuse, and learning to accept unconditional love from yourself and from others. Takes place during World War II in London. This novel doesn't pull punches or try to sugar coat the harshness of life. "The War That Saved My Life" will tug at your heartstrings, and reaffirm your faith in the kindness of strangers. Enjoy!
January 1, 2023
من چقدر دوست داشتم این کتابو
بی نهایت قشنگ بود🤍
بی نهایت قشنگ بود🤍
November 27, 2019
No need to count my senior yawns…this book woke me right up!
What? Right before my eyes, I’m changing into a person who loves well-written books for middle-schoolers. Who knew?! It all happened because a precocious ten-year-old bossed me around and made me read to her. Man, was I lucky—I’m finding all these gems! And genres that normally would turn me off, like fantasy. This book is historical fiction, a genre that’s not one of my go-to’s. Absolutely no complaints about my metamorphosis; I’m having a blast as I turn into a bookish preteen grasshopper.
Whenever I read to the kid, I assume I’ll be all la-dee-da, bored and merely perfecting and counting my senior yawns (sort of like counting sheep). I tell myself that at least I’ll get babysitting points for entertaining her, so I don’t have to love the book. All I have to do is read aloud, which, it turns out, I love—so much fun to try to read the dialogue with the right intonation and effect. Books like this one are stealing my heart and impressing the hell out of me. I feel like I’ve stumbled onto a gold mine. As for this book, I completely loved it; both the kid and I gave it 5 stars.
The setting is WW2 England; the heroine is Ada, an 11-year-old girl who hobbles around on a painful and unsightly club foot. Ada’s foot plays a big role, but she won’t let us pity her. Her atrocious mom is embarrassed by Ada and keeps her in a closet. (Although the mom is horrid, I don’t think she’s overplayed.) Don’t worry, a cool woman named Susan rescues Ada and her little brother. There are rations, bombs, pilots, and a spy. And don’t let me forget the pony—and no, the pony does not make the book cutesy or too childish.
There is tension out the ying-yang, and complex and nuanced dynamics among the characters. No stereotypes to be found.
Ada had a lot of struggles: PTSD, plus self-image and trust issues galore. The book had a bunch of hope, something I sometimes have trouble appreciating—often it’s too unrealistic or fat-chancy. And there was love, but never overdone or schlocky. No syrup and no Hallmark. I must admit I was happy to see that the book did not preach forgiveness, because I’m mostly not a believer in it.
I felt like I was right there beside Ada, experiencing the fright of the war and also feeling her heart ache. I adored all three of the main characters—Ada, her sweet brother, and the wonderful Susan.
Can Ada and her brother stay with Susan? Will Ada ever heal her broken wings? Will the evil mom come back into the picture? Will everyone survive the bombings? Besides tension, there’s suspense, which made it hard to put the book down. Very exciting. Because I only babysit the kid once a week, I had to stretch out the reading, and that killed me.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to both kids and adults. It was nominated for the Newbury Award and it won a bunch of other awards, and I can see why. Check it out; maybe you’ll turn into a bookish preteen grasshopper, too!
What? Right before my eyes, I’m changing into a person who loves well-written books for middle-schoolers. Who knew?! It all happened because a precocious ten-year-old bossed me around and made me read to her. Man, was I lucky—I’m finding all these gems! And genres that normally would turn me off, like fantasy. This book is historical fiction, a genre that’s not one of my go-to’s. Absolutely no complaints about my metamorphosis; I’m having a blast as I turn into a bookish preteen grasshopper.
Whenever I read to the kid, I assume I’ll be all la-dee-da, bored and merely perfecting and counting my senior yawns (sort of like counting sheep). I tell myself that at least I’ll get babysitting points for entertaining her, so I don’t have to love the book. All I have to do is read aloud, which, it turns out, I love—so much fun to try to read the dialogue with the right intonation and effect. Books like this one are stealing my heart and impressing the hell out of me. I feel like I’ve stumbled onto a gold mine. As for this book, I completely loved it; both the kid and I gave it 5 stars.
The setting is WW2 England; the heroine is Ada, an 11-year-old girl who hobbles around on a painful and unsightly club foot. Ada’s foot plays a big role, but she won’t let us pity her. Her atrocious mom is embarrassed by Ada and keeps her in a closet. (Although the mom is horrid, I don’t think she’s overplayed.) Don’t worry, a cool woman named Susan rescues Ada and her little brother. There are rations, bombs, pilots, and a spy. And don’t let me forget the pony—and no, the pony does not make the book cutesy or too childish.
There is tension out the ying-yang, and complex and nuanced dynamics among the characters. No stereotypes to be found.
Ada had a lot of struggles: PTSD, plus self-image and trust issues galore. The book had a bunch of hope, something I sometimes have trouble appreciating—often it’s too unrealistic or fat-chancy. And there was love, but never overdone or schlocky. No syrup and no Hallmark. I must admit I was happy to see that the book did not preach forgiveness, because I’m mostly not a believer in it.
I felt like I was right there beside Ada, experiencing the fright of the war and also feeling her heart ache. I adored all three of the main characters—Ada, her sweet brother, and the wonderful Susan.
Can Ada and her brother stay with Susan? Will Ada ever heal her broken wings? Will the evil mom come back into the picture? Will everyone survive the bombings? Besides tension, there’s suspense, which made it hard to put the book down. Very exciting. Because I only babysit the kid once a week, I had to stretch out the reading, and that killed me.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to both kids and adults. It was nominated for the Newbury Award and it won a bunch of other awards, and I can see why. Check it out; maybe you’ll turn into a bookish preteen grasshopper, too!
December 2, 2017
“'You did a good job taking care of Jamie,' Susan said. 'But it was a big job, and you shouldn’t have had to do it. So now you can relax. I can take care of you. You don’t have to fight so hard.'”
Argh! I think I'm crying. Yup. What a wonderful, emotional, thought-provoking book, and written for middle schoolers! Lately I've realized that what I appreciate most in a book is when the author gives the reader some credit, and doesn't dump emotions all over the page or over explain writing techniques. Especially with books written for a younger audience, does the author have to take care to strike the perfect balance of trust and respect. Which is why this book was perfect in every respect.
Bradley had such a wonderful way of introducing us to her main characters without divulging everything. She let me make my own deductions about Ada, Jaime, Susan, and even the hateful "Mam." There was some content that was hard to read about, like physical and emotional child abuse, WWII in England and its effect on the population, and overall the internal struggles that Ada had to get through as a result of her abusive background. But the overall message really touched my heart. We can't choose our family, but that doesn't mean that we can't have a family of our own making. I can't wait to jump into the sequel.
"A strange and unfamiliar feeling ran through me. It felt like the ocean, like sunlight, like horses. Like love. I searched my mind and found the name for it. Joy."
Earlier in the year I read a book (The Mare) with similar ingredients: a rehabilitative horse, an abusive single parent, a brother and sister with a strong bond, and an evacuation of sorts. I hated it, though. And it was mostly because I didn't feel like the characters rang true. So I was apprehensive about diving into another "horse" book, but so glad I did. I really do like "horse" books!
March 10, 2019
Oh my heart was this book good. The kind of book that everyone should read. My heart was broken and mended, and grew about 3 sizes. I finished it in the parking lot before going in to get my groceries and sat there weeping. Then I immediately ordered a copy of the second book so that I can know the rest of the story! This is Middle Grade at its very finest.
November 5, 2020
خیلی وقت بود کتابی نخونده بودم که یه سره و یه روزه تمومش کنم ـ نشون به اون نشون که چهارده تا کتاب از چالش امسال گودریدزم عقبم. صفحهی اولش رو باز کردم که یه نگاهی بهش بندازم و بعد بذارمش توی کتابخونهم و بره تو نوبت ولی یهویی به خودم اومدم دیدم صد صفحهش رو خوندم.
کتاب رو خیلی اتفاقی و به خاطر تعریف دوستم که میگفت فقط بند اولش رو خونده و عاشقش شده گرفتم. قبل از اون هم اسمش رو شنیده بودم و خلاصهش و نمرهش و همهچی تشویقم کرده بود که بخونمش ولی چون کتاب کودک بود یه مقدار شک داشتم. برای همین، الان تصمیم گرفتم ریویو بنویسم.
کتاب ماجرای دختربچهای رو تعریف میکنه که یکی از پاهاش شکل عادی نداره و مادرش از ترس آبروش اجازه نمیده از خونه بیرون بره. وقتی خبر میرسه که ممکنه شهر بمبارون بشه و قرار میشه که بچهها رو بفرستن خارج از شهر، مادرشون تصمیم میگیره فقط برادرش رو بفرسته ولی آدا که طاقت دوری برادرش رو نداشته یواشکی باهاش میره.
میخواستم یه خلاصهی بهتر از داستان اینجا بنویسم اما همهچی توی عنوان کتاب خلاصه میشه. کتابهایی که در مورد جنگ و تأثیرش روی زندگی آدما و جنگیدن شخصیت اصلی با مشکلات روزمره و شخصی باشه زیاد هست، وجه تمایز جنگی که نجاتم داد دو تا چیزه. اول تأثیر جنگ روی زندگی مردم از دید یه بچه ست ـ که البته قبل از این دنیا رو نمیشناخته و حتی نمیدونه چمن چیه! ـ و دوم اینکه عمق کتاب لایهلایه ست. واضحتر بخوام بگم حتی عنوان هم دو تا معنی داره. جنگی که آدا رو نجات میده هم میتونه جنگ جهانی دوم باشه و هم ـ همونطوری که خودش توی چند فصل آخر کتاب میگه ـ جنگ درونی خودش برای اینکه احساس ارزشمند بودن بکنه؛ یا این که آدا و برادرش به محض وارد شدن به دنیای بیرون با جنگ روبهرو میشن و این جنگ اصلاً تمثیل جنگشون با مادر بیرحمشون نیست، خودشه.
برخلاف تصور داستان اصلاً قابل پیشبینی نیست. در عین حال نه اونقدر توی بدبختیها فرو میرفت که آزاردهنده باشه و نه اونقدر همهچی گلوبلبل بود که مثل قصههای پریان باشه. فصلها کوتاهکوتاهن و با اینکه شاید به نظر بیاد عنوان کتاب تمامش رو لو میده اما باز هم چندین بار منِ مخاطب رو شوکه کرد. یکی دو بار مجبور شدم خودم رو جمعوجور کنم که بتونم ادامهش رو بخونم. سیر تغییرات آهسته و پیوسته ست، مدام توی ذهن مخاطب سوالهایی ایجاد میکنه که با وجود اینکه جوابشون واضح و جلوی روشه، دلش میخواد مطمئنتر بشه. مثلاً یه جای کتاب آدا میگه که از اینکه معنی خیلی کلمهها رو نمیدونه و از دنیا سر درنمیاره عصبانیه و بعد شروع میکنه به بدقلقی اما چند صفحه که جلوتر رفتم تعجب کردم که چرا اینقدر پریشونه و همهی صفحهها رو دوباره خوندم تا جای شکی برام نمونه.
عجیبترین و خارقالعادهترین ویژگی کتاب اینه که ما همزمان آشنا شدن آدا با خودش باهاش آشنا میشیم. وقتی اولین بار خودش رو توی آینه میبینه تازه میفهمیم که چه شکلیه. شخصیت آدا کاملاً قابل باوره. مدام به خودش و خوانندهی کتاب یادآوری نمیکنه که باید قوی باشه و بجنگه و سعی کنه، مثل یه بچهی عادیه، نگران آینده نیست اما به اتفاقهایی که اطرافش میفته بهجا و بهموقع واکنش نشون میده، با مسیر زندگی یکی میشه. شخصیتهای دیگهی داستان هم همونطور که از یه کتاب با راوی اول شخص انتظار میره، همونقدر توصیف شدن که آدا درک میکنه، نه اینکه نویسنده دید دانای کل خودش رو به شخصیت اصلی قرض بده تا بتونه همهی موقعیتها رو تماموکمال توصیف کنه، به خاطر همین موقع خوندن کتاب مخاطب خیلی خوب درک میکنه که آدا چرا فلان احساس رو داره یا چنین رفتاری نشون میده.
با یک بار خوندن کتاب اصلاً متوجه نشدم نویسنده چطوری تونست آدای جنگزدهای که هیچ درکی از دنیای اطرافش و آداب معاشرت نداره و شدیداً احساس حقارت میکنه رو یواشیواش تبدیل به آدایی کنه که آرزوهای بزرگی داره و چطور کاری کرد که خواننده بدون اینکه دلش برای آدا بسوزه ـ چیزی که تو این دست کتابا خیلی معموله ـ با خواستههاش همراه بشه. چطور پیش از اینکه خودش بفهمه که دوست داره مثل یه دختر عادی باشه و تراماهای زندگی گذشتهش رو کنار بذاره، سیر زندگی تغییرش داد.
پینوشت: گویا شخصیت سوزان همجنسگراست ولی توی نسخهی فارسی بهش اشاره نمیشه. نمیدونم توی متن اصلی هم همینطور بوده یا نه. اما اشارههای کوچیک و غیرمستقیمی که بهش میشد برام جالب بود.
پینوشت دو: فکر کنم برای هیچ کتابی ریویو به این بلندبالایی ننوشتم:دی اما واسهم مهم بود که اگه شما هم مثل من فکر میکردین کتاب صرفاً مناسب کودکه بدونین که برای بزرگسالها هم مناسبه و حرفی برای گفتن داره.
کتاب رو خیلی اتفاقی و به خاطر تعریف دوستم که میگفت فقط بند اولش رو خونده و عاشقش شده گرفتم. قبل از اون هم اسمش رو شنیده بودم و خلاصهش و نمرهش و همهچی تشویقم کرده بود که بخونمش ولی چون کتاب کودک بود یه مقدار شک داشتم. برای همین، الان تصمیم گرفتم ریویو بنویسم.
کتاب ماجرای دختربچهای رو تعریف میکنه که یکی از پاهاش شکل عادی نداره و مادرش از ترس آبروش اجازه نمیده از خونه بیرون بره. وقتی خبر میرسه که ممکنه شهر بمبارون بشه و قرار میشه که بچهها رو بفرستن خارج از شهر، مادرشون تصمیم میگیره فقط برادرش رو بفرسته ولی آدا که طاقت دوری برادرش رو نداشته یواشکی باهاش میره.
میخواستم یه خلاصهی بهتر از داستان اینجا بنویسم اما همهچی توی عنوان کتاب خلاصه میشه. کتابهایی که در مورد جنگ و تأثیرش روی زندگی آدما و جنگیدن شخصیت اصلی با مشکلات روزمره و شخصی باشه زیاد هست، وجه تمایز جنگی که نجاتم داد دو تا چیزه. اول تأثیر جنگ روی زندگی مردم از دید یه بچه ست ـ که البته قبل از این دنیا رو نمیشناخته و حتی نمیدونه چمن چیه! ـ و دوم اینکه عمق کتاب لایهلایه ست. واضحتر بخوام بگم حتی عنوان هم دو تا معنی داره. جنگی که آدا رو نجات میده هم میتونه جنگ جهانی دوم باشه و هم ـ همونطوری که خودش توی چند فصل آخر کتاب میگه ـ جنگ درونی خودش برای اینکه احساس ارزشمند بودن بکنه؛ یا این که آدا و برادرش به محض وارد شدن به دنیای بیرون با جنگ روبهرو میشن و این جنگ اصلاً تمثیل جنگشون با مادر بیرحمشون نیست، خودشه.
برخلاف تصور داستان اصلاً قابل پیشبینی نیست. در عین حال نه اونقدر توی بدبختیها فرو میرفت که آزاردهنده باشه و نه اونقدر همهچی گلوبلبل بود که مثل قصههای پریان باشه. فصلها کوتاهکوتاهن و با اینکه شاید به نظر بیاد عنوان کتاب تمامش رو لو میده اما باز هم چندین بار منِ مخاطب رو شوکه کرد. یکی دو بار مجبور شدم خودم رو جمعوجور کنم که بتونم ادامهش رو بخونم. سیر تغییرات آهسته و پیوسته ست، مدام توی ذهن مخاطب سوالهایی ایجاد میکنه که با وجود اینکه جوابشون واضح و جلوی روشه، دلش میخواد مطمئنتر بشه. مثلاً یه جای کتاب آدا میگه که از اینکه معنی خیلی کلمهها رو نمیدونه و از دنیا سر درنمیاره عصبانیه و بعد شروع میکنه به بدقلقی اما چند صفحه که جلوتر رفتم تعجب کردم که چرا اینقدر پریشونه و همهی صفحهها رو دوباره خوندم تا جای شکی برام نمونه.
عجیبترین و خارقالعادهترین ویژگی کتاب اینه که ما همزمان آشنا شدن آدا با خودش باهاش آشنا میشیم. وقتی اولین بار خودش رو توی آینه میبینه تازه میفهمیم که چه شکلیه. شخصیت آدا کاملاً قابل باوره. مدام به خودش و خوانندهی کتاب یادآوری نمیکنه که باید قوی باشه و بجنگه و سعی کنه، مثل یه بچهی عادیه، نگران آینده نیست اما به اتفاقهایی که اطرافش میفته بهجا و بهموقع واکنش نشون میده، با مسیر زندگی یکی میشه. شخصیتهای دیگهی داستان هم همونطور که از یه کتاب با راوی اول شخص انتظار میره، همونقدر توصیف شدن که آدا درک میکنه، نه اینکه نویسنده دید دانای کل خودش رو به شخصیت اصلی قرض بده تا بتونه همهی موقعیتها رو تماموکمال توصیف کنه، به خاطر همین موقع خوندن کتاب مخاطب خیلی خوب درک میکنه که آدا چرا فلان احساس رو داره یا چنین رفتاری نشون میده.
با یک بار خوندن کتاب اصلاً متوجه نشدم نویسنده چطوری تونست آدای جنگزدهای که هیچ درکی از دنیای اطرافش و آداب معاشرت نداره و شدیداً احساس حقارت میکنه رو یواشیواش تبدیل به آدایی کنه که آرزوهای بزرگی داره و چطور کاری کرد که خواننده بدون اینکه دلش برای آدا بسوزه ـ چیزی که تو این دست کتابا خیلی معموله ـ با خواستههاش همراه بشه. چطور پیش از اینکه خودش بفهمه که دوست داره مثل یه دختر عادی باشه و تراماهای زندگی گذشتهش رو کنار بذاره، سیر زندگی تغییرش داد.
پینوشت: گویا شخصیت سوزان همجنسگراست ولی توی نسخهی فارسی بهش اشاره نمیشه. نمیدونم توی متن اصلی هم همینطور بوده یا نه. اما اشارههای کوچیک و غیرمستقیمی که بهش میشد برام جالب بود.
پینوشت دو: فکر کنم برای هیچ کتابی ریویو به این بلندبالایی ننوشتم:دی اما واسهم مهم بود که اگه شما هم مثل من فکر میکردین کتاب صرفاً مناسب کودکه بدونین که برای بزرگسالها هم مناسبه و حرفی برای گفتن داره.
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July 10, 2024"The War That Saved My Life" begins during the summer of 1939 and is told from the perspective of 10 year old Ada. Ada has spent her entire life locked in a one room apartment. Born with a clubfoot, Ada's mother subjects her to mental, emotional and physical abuse. When Ada learns her mother is going to send her younger brother, Jamie, to the country due to anticipated war bombings, she runs away with him to join other children evacuees out of London. Arriving at the English countryside, Ada and Jamie are given to a woman named Susan who reluctantly takes them in. Susan has suffered loss and heartbreak and has bouts of depression. While Ada unknowingly helps Susan deal with her grief, Ada can't accept that Susan sincerely cares for her. Ada doesn't trust that it's true or will last. Over time, Ada begins to recover and even learns she is worthy of love and happiness. Readers will feel encouraged for Ada as she learns to stand up for herself and comes to understand the true nature of home and family. "It had been awful, but I hadn't quit. I had persisted. In battle I had won." The book deals with difficult subjects including child abuse, post-traumatic stress, disabilities, depression and war. There are many wonderful lessons that can be learned and, although a juvenile book, it would appeal to a wide range of ages. This novel is a thoughtful and engaging tale of hope and perseverance.--Jacque C.
May 5, 2019
I was thoroughly absorbed by this wonderful book. I loved it! It touched my heart. Set in the early years of World War II It follows the experiences of two young evacuees, brother and sister, escaping from awful lives in London. Their transformation, especially in the older child while they are away, makes for wonderful reading. Born at the beginning of the war myself I found lots to remind me of those difficult years. The story centres round the hardships of war and themes of cruelty, low self esteem, disability, lack of love, learning to trust and and the healing of emotional damage. I would love to describe so much more about this beautiful and such a readable book but I don't want to stray into 'spoilers' territory.
January 25, 2019
While still reading, I reserved the sequel and intend to read it soon. I was emotionally invested in this story and its many characters.
This is a brilliantly done middle grade novel. It’s a page turner! It is an extremely well deserved Newbery Honor book. I’d have been happy had it won the Newbery Award.
Ada is a great character! She’s smart and resourceful and brave and caring and loyal and observant, and inspiring. She’s also been horribly traumatized and is dealing with the ramifications of her experiences and her situation. It’s a pleasure to watch her progress.
I love Susan Smith! I might even like her better than I like Ada. She’s a natural therapist, a wonderful (foster) mother, and she is also dealing with past losses. I appreciated how her grief over her housemate and best friend Becky’s death is described but while it was obvious to me as an adult reader and might be to today’s children (but not to children when I was a child) that those two had a sexual relationship, that Susan is a lesbian, but because nothing sexual about the relationship is delved into, it’s not the focus at all, and is conveyed in a way that will go over many readers’ heads, and that’s fine. Because even though this story is about Susan and about Ada’s brother Jamie, and about quite a few other interesting characters, primarily this is Ada’s story.
I also loved the cat character and the pony character. I was worried for a while that I wouldn’t like the way the pony was treated, but it ended up okay for me. (Even though I’m an outlier and like it when dogs and cats and horses are treated as friends and not used in any way. Of course here, riding the pony was not for financial gain at all. As far as other owners & horses included in the story, they’re not a main part of the plot, and I was also very aware of the sensibilities of this time and place.)
Ada’s and Jamie’s mother was horrible, yet believable. I thoroughly enjoyed how things ended regarding her and her children.
This was also an excellent historical fiction story. It touched on WWII including the Blitz and the bombings in Kent, the area of England closest to the fight on the continent. My heart sank when the airfield was constructed where it was.
This is a fine book for ages 9 and all the way up. It does get intense at times around issues of war and child abuse, issues of abandonment and neglect, but I think it manages to stay a solid middle grade novel that can also be enjoyed by adults and teens. The two main children go from age 10 to 11 and from age 6 to 7.
Highly recommended for fans of books that include: historical fiction, coming of age novels, foster care, child abuse, physical disability, childhood trauma, cats, horses, country living/small town living, issues of poverty, WWII English history, books that show characters overcoming obstacles, and stories about characters caring for one another in various ways.
This will be enjoyed by independent readers but it would also make a great read aloud book parent or older child to one or more children and also for teachers/classrooms and other group settings.
This is a brilliantly done middle grade novel. It’s a page turner! It is an extremely well deserved Newbery Honor book. I’d have been happy had it won the Newbery Award.
Ada is a great character! She’s smart and resourceful and brave and caring and loyal and observant, and inspiring. She’s also been horribly traumatized and is dealing with the ramifications of her experiences and her situation. It’s a pleasure to watch her progress.
I love Susan Smith! I might even like her better than I like Ada. She’s a natural therapist, a wonderful (foster) mother, and she is also dealing with past losses. I appreciated how her grief over her housemate and best friend Becky’s death is described but while it was obvious to me as an adult reader and might be to today’s children (but not to children when I was a child) that those two had a sexual relationship, that Susan is a lesbian, but because nothing sexual about the relationship is delved into, it’s not the focus at all, and is conveyed in a way that will go over many readers’ heads, and that’s fine. Because even though this story is about Susan and about Ada’s brother Jamie, and about quite a few other interesting characters, primarily this is Ada’s story.
I also loved the cat character and the pony character. I was worried for a while that I wouldn’t like the way the pony was treated, but it ended up okay for me. (Even though I’m an outlier and like it when dogs and cats and horses are treated as friends and not used in any way. Of course here, riding the pony was not for financial gain at all. As far as other owners & horses included in the story, they’re not a main part of the plot, and I was also very aware of the sensibilities of this time and place.)
Ada’s and Jamie’s mother was horrible, yet believable. I thoroughly enjoyed how things ended regarding her and her children.
This was also an excellent historical fiction story. It touched on WWII including the Blitz and the bombings in Kent, the area of England closest to the fight on the continent. My heart sank when the airfield was constructed where it was.
This is a fine book for ages 9 and all the way up. It does get intense at times around issues of war and child abuse, issues of abandonment and neglect, but I think it manages to stay a solid middle grade novel that can also be enjoyed by adults and teens. The two main children go from age 10 to 11 and from age 6 to 7.
Highly recommended for fans of books that include: historical fiction, coming of age novels, foster care, child abuse, physical disability, childhood trauma, cats, horses, country living/small town living, issues of poverty, WWII English history, books that show characters overcoming obstacles, and stories about characters caring for one another in various ways.
This will be enjoyed by independent readers but it would also make a great read aloud book parent or older child to one or more children and also for teachers/classrooms and other group settings.
March 16, 2020
This is set during WWII and opens up in the Summer of 1939. Ada is ten years old, and has never left her apartment except for one time. The one time she ventured outside she was beaten so badly by her mother. I knew within 90 seconds of starting this audio book I absolutely despised the mother. She is so disgusted and humiliated by Ada's disfigured foot that she doesn't want anyone to see her.
Children are starting to be sent away to live in the countryside temporarily to keep them safe. Jamie is going, but Ada's mom says she won't be going because no one would want her... that nice people wouldn't want to look at her foot. I love when Ada responds, "I could stay with nasty people.... wouldn't be any different than living here." What a spunky, brave, and awesome little girl! I absolutely love her character. Jamie and Ada decide to leave together the very next day.
All the kids are lined up at the train station in a sort of orphan train adoption process. No one wants them, but they are finally whisked away to stay with Susan Smith. She doesn't particularly want them either, but it's just that she doesn't know what to do with them. Ada keeps reminding herself that Susan isn't nice, but she actually is very nice. She allows Ada to go outside and be a normal kid. They have plenty to eat, clothed well, and loved like they never knew was possible. And from there her adventure begins! Ada learns to walk, learns how to read, and learns how to ride a pony she falls in love with. Her growth is so heartwarming!
This is probably my favorite Middle Grade novel I have ever read. It's historical fiction set in WWII, but from a completely different side and perspective than I am used to reading. The War was terrible...but this War is one that literally saved Ada's miserable life. A perfect title for a fantastic book!
Children are starting to be sent away to live in the countryside temporarily to keep them safe. Jamie is going, but Ada's mom says she won't be going because no one would want her... that nice people wouldn't want to look at her foot. I love when Ada responds, "I could stay with nasty people.... wouldn't be any different than living here." What a spunky, brave, and awesome little girl! I absolutely love her character. Jamie and Ada decide to leave together the very next day.
All the kids are lined up at the train station in a sort of orphan train adoption process. No one wants them, but they are finally whisked away to stay with Susan Smith. She doesn't particularly want them either, but it's just that she doesn't know what to do with them. Ada keeps reminding herself that Susan isn't nice, but she actually is very nice. She allows Ada to go outside and be a normal kid. They have plenty to eat, clothed well, and loved like they never knew was possible. And from there her adventure begins! Ada learns to walk, learns how to read, and learns how to ride a pony she falls in love with. Her growth is so heartwarming!
This is probably my favorite Middle Grade novel I have ever read. It's historical fiction set in WWII, but from a completely different side and perspective than I am used to reading. The War was terrible...but this War is one that literally saved Ada's miserable life. A perfect title for a fantastic book!
April 26, 2023
داستان از نگاه دخترکیه که سالها از یک پنجره نظارهگر دنیاست و دلیلش رو کمکم میفهمیم اما همونطور که از اسم کتاب پیداست، جنگ که سراسر آسیبه، زندگی آدا رو برای همیشه تغییر میده.
این از زاویهی دیگهای دیدن چیزها رو خیلی دوست دارم. دیدن جزئیاتی که معمولا از نگاهمون پنهان میمونه و باعث میشه نگاه متفاوت و عمیقتری به پدیدهها پیدا کنیم.
یکی از چیزهایی که توی میزان ارتباط برقرار کردنم با یک کتاب خیلی تعیینکننده ست، شخصیتپردازیه. اگر با شخصیتها ارتباط برقرار نکنم، اتفاقات جالب و جملات جذاب چندان درگیرم نمیکنه. اینجا هم نقطه قوت کتاب برام همین بود که شخصیتها مخصوصا سوزان من رو به درون قصه کشید و با اشتیاق داستان رو دنبال کردم. روند تغییر آدمها باورپذیر، قابل درک و خوشایند بود. شخصیتهای فرعی جای کار بیشتری داشتن و این اتفاقیه که توی اکثر کتابها میافته.
نوع روایت، ساده و روونه. در عین سادگی، حرفهایی که نویسنده از طریق داستانش میخواست بزنه رو دوست داشتم و به دلم نشست.
با اینکه داستان آخر جلد یک تموم میشه، دوست دارم جلد دوم کتاب رو هم بخونم.
+ ترجمه مرضیه ورشوساز خوب بود.
+ امتیازم بهش ۴.۵ بود که به پایین گرد کردم.
+ چند هفته بعد برگشتم و بهش ۵ دادم چون بیشتر از تصورم روی من تأثیر گذاشته بود.
----------------------
یادگاری از کتاب:
به بدی عادت داشتیم.
...
میتوانستم لبخندش را بشنوم.
...
پرسیدم: «آزادی چیه؟»
«هممم... حق اینکه تصمیمهات رو خودت بگیری. تصمیمهای زندگیت رو.»
...
- مجبورم کرد به دستش دست بزنم. لرز کردم.
+ آداب معاشرته دیگه.
- اونم همین رو گفت.
خانم اسمیت لبخند پهنی زد. نمیدانستم چرا. گفت: «با همه چیز سر جنگ داری، نه؟»
...
اگه برای اینکه حس میکنی در خطری دروغ بگی یا فکر کنی که باید دروغ بگی، به نظرم این دروغگویی نیست. دروغگوها حتی وقتایی که لازم نیست هم دروغ میگن.
...
می��گفت زمستان غمگین و بیحالش میکند. مثل موقعی که ما آمده بودیم؛ اما این زمستان آنقدر کار داشت که وقت نداشت ناراحت باشد.
...
مردم میخواهند با وجود جنگ، کریسمس خوبی داشته باشند.
...
آدا دختر آسونی نیست، اما من براش میجنگم. بالاخره یکی باید این کارو بکنه. من این کارو میکنم.
این از زاویهی دیگهای دیدن چیزها رو خیلی دوست دارم. دیدن جزئیاتی که معمولا از نگاهمون پنهان میمونه و باعث میشه نگاه متفاوت و عمیقتری به پدیدهها پیدا کنیم.
یکی از چیزهایی که توی میزان ارتباط برقرار کردنم با یک کتاب خیلی تعیینکننده ست، شخصیتپردازیه. اگر با شخصیتها ارتباط برقرار نکنم، اتفاقات جالب و جملات جذاب چندان درگیرم نمیکنه. اینجا هم نقطه قوت کتاب برام همین بود که شخصیتها مخصوصا سوزان من رو به درون قصه کشید و با اشتیاق داستان رو دنبال کردم. روند تغییر آدمها باورپذیر، قابل درک و خوشایند بود. شخصیتهای فرعی جای کار بیشتری داشتن و این اتفاقیه که توی اکثر کتابها میافته.
نوع روایت، ساده و روونه. در عین سادگی، حرفهایی که نویسنده از طریق داستانش میخواست بزنه رو دوست داشتم و به دلم نشست.
با اینکه داستان آخر جلد یک تموم میشه، دوست دارم جلد دوم کتاب رو هم بخونم.
+ ترجمه مرضیه ورشوساز خوب بود.
+ امتیازم بهش ۴.۵ بود که به پایین گرد کردم.
+ چند هفته بعد برگشتم و بهش ۵ دادم چون بیشتر از تصورم روی من تأثیر گذاشته بود.
----------------------
یادگاری از کتاب:
به بدی عادت داشتیم.
...
میتوانستم لبخندش را بشنوم.
...
پرسیدم: «آزادی چیه؟»
«هممم... حق اینکه تصمیمهات رو خودت بگیری. تصمیمهای زندگیت رو.»
...
- مجبورم کرد به دستش دست بزنم. لرز کردم.
+ آداب معاشرته دیگه.
- اونم همین رو گفت.
خانم اسمیت لبخند پهنی زد. نمیدانستم چرا. گفت: «با همه چیز سر جنگ داری، نه؟»
...
اگه برای اینکه حس میکنی در خطری دروغ بگی یا فکر کنی که باید دروغ بگی، به نظرم این دروغگویی نیست. دروغگوها حتی وقتایی که لازم نیست هم دروغ میگن.
...
می��گفت زمستان غمگین و بیحالش میکند. مثل موقعی که ما آمده بودیم؛ اما این زمستان آنقدر کار داشت که وقت نداشت ناراحت باشد.
...
مردم میخواهند با وجود جنگ، کریسمس خوبی داشته باشند.
...
آدا دختر آسونی نیست، اما من براش میجنگم. بالاخره یکی باید این کارو بکنه. من این کارو میکنم.
September 17, 2018
This is a story about Ada and her brother James. Ada's mother is a horrid woman that hates her bc she was born with a clubfoot. Calls Ada simple, cripple, worthless. World War 2 starts in England and as the kids evacuate London to go the country Ada escapes also. James and Ada live with Susan Smith. Seems mean at first but loves and cares for the kids slowly.
Such a good read. I liked that the story is about a girls will to fight for her happiness. I liked that WWII in this story had little focus on Nazi's and Jews. It was definitely different bc it focused the war on a 10 yr old's self-worth. It became a try not to cry, I dare you not to cry! kind of read.
Highly recommend.. will check out Bradley's other works....
Such a good read. I liked that the story is about a girls will to fight for her happiness. I liked that WWII in this story had little focus on Nazi's and Jews. It was definitely different bc it focused the war on a 10 yr old's self-worth. It became a try not to cry, I dare you not to cry! kind of read.
Highly recommend.. will check out Bradley's other works....
March 25, 2017
Nossa........
Nem sei por onde começar! Pelo menos eu já fiz um vídeo grandinho sobre esse livro onde eu consegui dizer muita coisa do que eu senti fazendo essa suficiente.
Eu confesso pra vocês, sendo 100% sincero, mesmo tendo trabalho junto da Darkside para a divulgação desse livro, que eu terminei a leitura orfão. Eu queria que esse livro fosse maior! Eu conseguia enxergar esses personagens, a casa da Susan, os animais que ela descreve... eu conseguia entender as reações de todo mundo, e isso me deixou tão dentro que eu não conseguia parar de ler. Inclusive, que leitura gostosa e rápida!
A Ada, personagem principal do livro, é uma menina de 10 anos que sofreu quase tudo que uma criança poderia sofrer. Ela se torna uma demôniazinha orgulhosa, mas é tão natural. Fazer essa leitura pelo ponto de vista dela foi tão realista que nem sei.... eu só queria abraçar e brigar com ela o tempo todo!
Eu recomendo fortemente esse livro, gente. Não to forçando a barra não. É muito fofo e triste ao mesmo tempo. Acho que você sai uma pessoa mais grata pelo que você já teve na vida.
Nem sei por onde começar! Pelo menos eu já fiz um vídeo grandinho sobre esse livro onde eu consegui dizer muita coisa do que eu senti fazendo essa suficiente.
Eu confesso pra vocês, sendo 100% sincero, mesmo tendo trabalho junto da Darkside para a divulgação desse livro, que eu terminei a leitura orfão. Eu queria que esse livro fosse maior! Eu conseguia enxergar esses personagens, a casa da Susan, os animais que ela descreve... eu conseguia entender as reações de todo mundo, e isso me deixou tão dentro que eu não conseguia parar de ler. Inclusive, que leitura gostosa e rápida!
A Ada, personagem principal do livro, é uma menina de 10 anos que sofreu quase tudo que uma criança poderia sofrer. Ela se torna uma demôniazinha orgulhosa, mas é tão natural. Fazer essa leitura pelo ponto de vista dela foi tão realista que nem sei.... eu só queria abraçar e brigar com ela o tempo todo!
Eu recomendo fortemente esse livro, gente. Não to forçando a barra não. É muito fofo e triste ao mesmo tempo. Acho que você sai uma pessoa mais grata pelo que você já teve na vida.
November 5, 2022
After reading a blog by the author on this book (who explains her character is a lesbian), I will not be reading this book.
http://kimberly-brubaker-bradley.blog...
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So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
http://kimberly-brubaker-bradley.blog...
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
February 28, 2016
I feel like I really must be missing something with this one. Newbery Honor, great reviews, but to me it just felt like a story that's been done to death, with nothing really fresh. Neglected London child evacuated for safety to the country, placed with grouchy hermit, blooms and brings new joy and community integration to grouchy hermit. Good Night, Mr. Tom all over again. Only not nearly as well done. Our protagonist here, Ada, is not just horribly abused, but also crippled due to her mother's neglect, and she has a brother. The author's main emphasis is on how emotionally as well as physically damaged Ada is, and how difficult it is for her to trust in the kindness of her hostess (who, of course, is suffering from her own childhood traumas). It read like a textbook for aspiring social workers, focusing on the need for endless patience and kindness when dealing with abused children. Like I was back in the classes my husband and I had to take to be licensed as foster care parents. The children's behavioral issues were presented with painful accuracy – she nailed that part with frightening vividness – but a rundown on the challenges of caring for neglected children doesn't make for much of a story. The “magic” thing in this story that touches Ada and allows her to break free of her self-constructed prison is her love of horses. This could have worked, but her transformation from crippled child crawling across the floor to skilled horsewoman is practically instantaneous and utterly unconvincing. She goes from sitting on a pony who ambles slowly around his pasture to easily mounting a full size hunter and effortlessly putting him over a wall in a single scene. Actually, she learns to read and write with similar skill, once she sets her mind to it, but for some reason it was the instant riding and barn skills that struck me as most improbable.
The author integrates details of life in England during WWII in a way that feels a bit as though she's working through a checklist – rationing, plane-spotting, Dunkirk evacuation – but this aspect wasn't badly done. The story picked up a little steam in the last fifty pages, with more action and the requisite heart-touching happy ending, but it still felt, to me, too much focused on “this is how a damaged child responds to things.”
I'm giving this three stars, not because I “like” it, but because it is an adequate historical fiction story for the intended age group. But just adequate.
The author integrates details of life in England during WWII in a way that feels a bit as though she's working through a checklist – rationing, plane-spotting, Dunkirk evacuation – but this aspect wasn't badly done. The story picked up a little steam in the last fifty pages, with more action and the requisite heart-touching happy ending, but it still felt, to me, too much focused on “this is how a damaged child responds to things.”
I'm giving this three stars, not because I “like” it, but because it is an adequate historical fiction story for the intended age group. But just adequate.
November 15, 2021
Now first and foremost, I for one do very much think that Kim Brubaker Bradley's The War That Saved My Life should have won the 2016 Newbery Award and not just a Newbery Honour designation (and that both Brubaker Bradley's contents and her penmanship in my opinion far outshine the chosen winner in every single way).
For yes, I absolutely adore everything about The War That Changed My Life, from how Kimberly Brubaker Bradley has allowed her first person narrator Ada to feel totally believable and lovable and indeed even when she stretches the truth, even when Ada is hiding and suppressing her feelings both positive and negative (and also how every character encountered in The War That Saved My Life is depicted engagingly and interestingly by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, even the main villain, even Ada and Jamie’s horridly abusive biological mother, who does, to be sure rather appear and act like a typical fairy tale witch, but whose character is also rather terribly realistic, since sadly, the attitudes shown by Ada’s mother towards her daughter’s club foot, towards the physically challenged were quite common, and definitely not just something encountered only in Nazi Germany either).
A delightful reading experience The War That Saved My Life has been for me, full of passion, history and family love (and that the right kind of family does not need to be one’s biological kin or even heterosexual, as Susan is definitely a Lesbian but oh so so much more positive and laudable than either Ada and Jamie’s “Mam” or her judgemental father), although I do feel like the episode of Ada catching that German spy feels just a bit tacked on. And as a person of German background, I do totally and happily appreciate that even though The War That Saved My Life is set in WWII Britain, the main antagonist is actually not really Germany and all Germans but clearly and obviously Ada and Jamie’s abusive mother.
And finally, I also do have to admit that I really find it pretty vile and disgusting that some (negative) reviewers actually seem to consider Susan not only problematic but seemingly totally horrid (and in fact even worse than Ada’s mother) and simply because Susan had been in a loving relationship with another woman. And the reviews of The War That Saved My Life which claim that Ada should be more respectful towards her mother, well, I really cannot understand how anyone thinks that Ada and Jamie’s “Mam” deserves anything but utter disdain and total absolute condemnation.
For yes, I absolutely adore everything about The War That Changed My Life, from how Kimberly Brubaker Bradley has allowed her first person narrator Ada to feel totally believable and lovable and indeed even when she stretches the truth, even when Ada is hiding and suppressing her feelings both positive and negative (and also how every character encountered in The War That Saved My Life is depicted engagingly and interestingly by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, even the main villain, even Ada and Jamie’s horridly abusive biological mother, who does, to be sure rather appear and act like a typical fairy tale witch, but whose character is also rather terribly realistic, since sadly, the attitudes shown by Ada’s mother towards her daughter’s club foot, towards the physically challenged were quite common, and definitely not just something encountered only in Nazi Germany either).
A delightful reading experience The War That Saved My Life has been for me, full of passion, history and family love (and that the right kind of family does not need to be one’s biological kin or even heterosexual, as Susan is definitely a Lesbian but oh so so much more positive and laudable than either Ada and Jamie’s “Mam” or her judgemental father), although I do feel like the episode of Ada catching that German spy feels just a bit tacked on. And as a person of German background, I do totally and happily appreciate that even though The War That Saved My Life is set in WWII Britain, the main antagonist is actually not really Germany and all Germans but clearly and obviously Ada and Jamie’s abusive mother.
And finally, I also do have to admit that I really find it pretty vile and disgusting that some (negative) reviewers actually seem to consider Susan not only problematic but seemingly totally horrid (and in fact even worse than Ada’s mother) and simply because Susan had been in a loving relationship with another woman. And the reviews of The War That Saved My Life which claim that Ada should be more respectful towards her mother, well, I really cannot understand how anyone thinks that Ada and Jamie’s “Mam” deserves anything but utter disdain and total absolute condemnation.
April 2, 2024
✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“I drifted off to sleep, sometime before Mam came home, and as I did, I thought one word. War.
At last I understood what I was fighting, and why. And Mam had no idea how strong a fighter I’d become. ”
Before World War II broke out in London, ten-year-old Ada was waging a war of her own against the hands of her cruel and abusive mother, simply because she was born with a clubfoot. Hurling insults at her, physically assaulting her, and forcing her to stay locked up in their apartment without any interaction with the outside, confining her to her meager and bleak surroundings - leading people to believe that she is a simpleton and not a cripple - 'you can’t leave. You never will. You’re stuck here, right here in this room, bombs or no.' 😢💔 When that fateful announcement arrives that all children should be evacuated to the English countryside for their safety and her cruel mother is set on holding Ada back, cruelly reminding her that she's not fit to be taken care of and is unworthy of others' kindness, it takes all of Ada's willpower to get her legs to move, so that she can sneak away with her six-year-old brother, Jamie, to join him as they board the train for the intended children - in the hopes that they can find safe haven in a life much sweeter and comforting than the one they're leaving behind. 🙏🏻
“She swung her hand toward me. I ducked.
She froze.“I wasn’t going to hit you,” she said. “I was going to help you.”
Sure. Because she was so happy to have me bleeding on her floor.”
Ada is a heart-wrenching example of how prolonged abuse and neglect can make it impossible for a young child to accept and understand what tenderness and care and well-meaning affections can look like. It may have been the best blessing ever when everyone refused to take her and her brother and they were forced into the hands of Miss Susan Smith, a cantankerous woman who has no idea about how to take care of children. But, she shows them what a home looks like - she leaves nothing to chance - going above and beyond to show her concern and her consideration for their well-being. 🫶🏻🫶🏻 'Your courage, your cheerfulness, your resolution”—she was saying it wrong. I scowled—“will bring you victory, my dear.' What it feels to be safe in the comfort of a bed, the blessing of a warm home-cooked meal, the joy of learning how to read and write, and most of all, not to deny Ada the chance to move. To roam freely, to let her spread her legs, to make her realize that it is not impossible for her to stand or walk - is the freedom of mobility that had been denied of her - is the best gift that she fiercely fights to cling onto. 😟
“I never wanted children.”
“I never wanted you,” I said.
“I can’t imagine why not,” she said, snorting. “I’m so loving and kind.”
It may have been narrated from Ada's perspective, but Susan was the star for me. From the start, she let it be known that it would be difficult for her to take care of them, but once she saw how badly they needed her - she did not hesitate to make life as comfortable for them as possible. 🥲 The challenges that Susan faced with these children - she made her mistakes, but when she acted in kindness and proved her worth as their guardian blew me away. Resolute and determined and still so very mindful of how her treatment of these two young children is in her hands and will affect them emotionally and physically was beautifully done.
That scene in the school classroom with Jamie and that heart-wrenching moment with Ada when she gifted her the Christmas dress - the sheer panic of anxiety that erupted from Ada - 'a scream built up from somewhere inside me, came roaring out in an ocean of sound' - and how she gently guided her back from it, sending a shocking wound through my heart that I never thought such a reaction could be possible. 😥 It was a storm of emotions that she had to school in her own temperament, because she could see how vulnerable and how neglected these two had been for so long. The author showed her strength and her firm resolve in protecting them at whatever cost. She is an admirable character and I really am glad that Ada and Jamie got to experience a better life with her and appreciated her for it. 👍🏻🫂👍🏻
“I know you aren’t stupid,” she continued. “Stupid people couldn’t take care of their brother the way you do. Stupid people aren’t half as brave as you. They’re not half as strong.”
Stupid. Simple. Educable. Thoughtful. All just words. I was so tired of meaningless words.”
That's not to say that Ada's journey was not as important to the story, because it was. I was not expecting such a visceral reaction from her - a conflict of emotions that waged a war within her own heart. She had so much anger and confusion inside of her that I pitied her, but understood where those emotions stemmed from. When you've only been pushed and shoved down - it doesn't feel possible that you'll ever feel a gentle hand caress you rather than reproach you. 'So I can stay. SoIcanstaysoIcanstaysoIcanstay... “I’m not going to send you away. Why would I send you away? You made a mistake. A little, small mistake.' ❤️🩹❤️🩹 But, what hurt even more is how she was faced with such a heavy burden of sacrificing her own happiness to stay with her brother. How she knew that she could never leave him, even at the cost of her own safety and well-being - was the last thing she would ever want to do - proving that she had such a strong heart of conviction at such a young age.
It was heartbreaking to see how Ada never felt completely at ease - never could get comfortable enough in their new home - that ever-present hesitation that it could all go away - because in the back of her mind lingered the constant fear that this was only a temporary sanctuary till their mother demanded their return. As much as she embraced and enjoyed her newfound happiness, she could never settle down - always fearing that it could be snatched away from her as quickly as she was blessed to have it. 😞
“I didn’t want to ask her. I don’t like her helping me.”
“Why ever not?”
“I don’t want to get used to her,” I said. “She’s just someone we have to stay with for a little while. She’s not, you know, actually real.”
Maggie looked me up and down. “She seems real to me,” she said.”
Yes, she comes off as bitter and closed-off at times, distrusting of others' good intentions for - almost akin to a wounded puppy so broken and defeated that when a reassuring and tender hand touches them, their first reaction is to retaliate viciously. And those moments when Ada had to experience that kindness - were some of the most raw and heartbreaking moments - ones that really make you feel her pain and her inability to accept someone like her, who has only ever been treated with these harsh words - 'you ugly piece of rubbish! Filth and trash! No one wants you, with that ugly foot!' - could ever be on the receiving end of kindness - can you blame her for mentally breaking down - for resorting to violence? To show how traumatized she's been by her anguish and guilt and pain - that the very thought of kindness is too impossible for her to accept - to believe?'I didn’t know the words to explain. I was choking and now I can breathe.' 😢 The ability to capture that, and still keep the writing easy and understanding for young readers was -- wow. Heart-wrenching and raw - but so beautifully portrayed that it moved me deeply.
“I couldn’t breathe. Dead, when he’d just been talking to me. Dead, when he’d wanted to write a letter. A wave of grief washed over me.
“It’s really a war now,” Daisy whispered.”
The author skillfully incorporated the events of World War II into the narration, allowing Ada and Jamie to, at times, be front-row and center at some of the most critical moments, due to their seaside location and their interaction with their neighborhood. A few instances felt a bit unbelievable to me, such as the German spy being thwarted or when Dunkirk landed, but these events felt necessary for Ada's own personal growth; for her to gain confidence in herself - for people to realize how you simply can't judge someone from the outside.🥺 'Victory,” she said, “means peace.'
It was an adventure of a lifetime that she got to live after being caught off from the world her entire life! All the new challenges she embraced, all the friendships she forged, all that she learns - that she learns what love feels like, and not hatred... 'Terror enveloped my brain. Suddenly I felt something tight around me. “Shh,” she said.“We’re all here, we’re safe.' It is that exhilarating happiness that she clings onto with Jamie - that for as long as the war lasts, they are safe from their mother. It is a pivotal contrast to how people simply viewed Ada from the window in her room and assumed that she just was too simple to venture outside. 💔
“A strange and unfamiliar feeling ran through me. It felt like the ocean, like sunlight, like horses. Like love. I searched my mind and found the name for it.
Joy.”
I love the significance of the title of how, consequently it was for Ada The War That Saved My Life. If that evacuation order had not come at the moment that it did - she would have never seized that fortuitous opportunity to escape from her mother's clutches - a chance for freedom - that anything would be better than being trapped in a nonexistent life of worthlessness and shame. 😔 'There’s things worse than bombs,” I said, remembering what I’d heard her say before.' It is times like this where I wish I could speak to a person that these books are initially the target audience for and read a review from their perspective rather than the adults or authors that are featured on Goodreads.
I know it is a strange notion, but as much as I enjoyed reading it I wonder if the target audience would appreciate it just as much as well. Or I would even love to know how twelve-year-old me would have been overwhelmed with the same emotions as I felt now. For the me who I now, it was a powerful and inspiring historical middle grade read. 🤍🤍 It captured such an array of emotions, but still made it feel so genuine and true to the time it was depicting, portraying with a hopeful resilience of a young girl's determination that showed everyone is deserving of love and the basic necessities of life. 🌸
“I drifted off to sleep, sometime before Mam came home, and as I did, I thought one word. War.
At last I understood what I was fighting, and why. And Mam had no idea how strong a fighter I’d become. ”
Before World War II broke out in London, ten-year-old Ada was waging a war of her own against the hands of her cruel and abusive mother, simply because she was born with a clubfoot. Hurling insults at her, physically assaulting her, and forcing her to stay locked up in their apartment without any interaction with the outside, confining her to her meager and bleak surroundings - leading people to believe that she is a simpleton and not a cripple - 'you can’t leave. You never will. You’re stuck here, right here in this room, bombs or no.' 😢💔 When that fateful announcement arrives that all children should be evacuated to the English countryside for their safety and her cruel mother is set on holding Ada back, cruelly reminding her that she's not fit to be taken care of and is unworthy of others' kindness, it takes all of Ada's willpower to get her legs to move, so that she can sneak away with her six-year-old brother, Jamie, to join him as they board the train for the intended children - in the hopes that they can find safe haven in a life much sweeter and comforting than the one they're leaving behind. 🙏🏻
“She swung her hand toward me. I ducked.
She froze.“I wasn’t going to hit you,” she said. “I was going to help you.”
Sure. Because she was so happy to have me bleeding on her floor.”
Ada is a heart-wrenching example of how prolonged abuse and neglect can make it impossible for a young child to accept and understand what tenderness and care and well-meaning affections can look like. It may have been the best blessing ever when everyone refused to take her and her brother and they were forced into the hands of Miss Susan Smith, a cantankerous woman who has no idea about how to take care of children. But, she shows them what a home looks like - she leaves nothing to chance - going above and beyond to show her concern and her consideration for their well-being. 🫶🏻🫶🏻 'Your courage, your cheerfulness, your resolution”—she was saying it wrong. I scowled—“will bring you victory, my dear.' What it feels to be safe in the comfort of a bed, the blessing of a warm home-cooked meal, the joy of learning how to read and write, and most of all, not to deny Ada the chance to move. To roam freely, to let her spread her legs, to make her realize that it is not impossible for her to stand or walk - is the freedom of mobility that had been denied of her - is the best gift that she fiercely fights to cling onto. 😟
“I never wanted children.”
“I never wanted you,” I said.
“I can’t imagine why not,” she said, snorting. “I’m so loving and kind.”
It may have been narrated from Ada's perspective, but Susan was the star for me. From the start, she let it be known that it would be difficult for her to take care of them, but once she saw how badly they needed her - she did not hesitate to make life as comfortable for them as possible. 🥲 The challenges that Susan faced with these children - she made her mistakes, but when she acted in kindness and proved her worth as their guardian blew me away. Resolute and determined and still so very mindful of how her treatment of these two young children is in her hands and will affect them emotionally and physically was beautifully done.
That scene in the school classroom with Jamie and that heart-wrenching moment with Ada when she gifted her the Christmas dress - the sheer panic of anxiety that erupted from Ada - 'a scream built up from somewhere inside me, came roaring out in an ocean of sound' - and how she gently guided her back from it, sending a shocking wound through my heart that I never thought such a reaction could be possible. 😥 It was a storm of emotions that she had to school in her own temperament, because she could see how vulnerable and how neglected these two had been for so long. The author showed her strength and her firm resolve in protecting them at whatever cost. She is an admirable character and I really am glad that Ada and Jamie got to experience a better life with her and appreciated her for it. 👍🏻🫂👍🏻
“I know you aren’t stupid,” she continued. “Stupid people couldn’t take care of their brother the way you do. Stupid people aren’t half as brave as you. They’re not half as strong.”
Stupid. Simple. Educable. Thoughtful. All just words. I was so tired of meaningless words.”
That's not to say that Ada's journey was not as important to the story, because it was. I was not expecting such a visceral reaction from her - a conflict of emotions that waged a war within her own heart. She had so much anger and confusion inside of her that I pitied her, but understood where those emotions stemmed from. When you've only been pushed and shoved down - it doesn't feel possible that you'll ever feel a gentle hand caress you rather than reproach you. 'So I can stay. SoIcanstaysoIcanstaysoIcanstay... “I’m not going to send you away. Why would I send you away? You made a mistake. A little, small mistake.' ❤️🩹❤️🩹 But, what hurt even more is how she was faced with such a heavy burden of sacrificing her own happiness to stay with her brother. How she knew that she could never leave him, even at the cost of her own safety and well-being - was the last thing she would ever want to do - proving that she had such a strong heart of conviction at such a young age.
It was heartbreaking to see how Ada never felt completely at ease - never could get comfortable enough in their new home - that ever-present hesitation that it could all go away - because in the back of her mind lingered the constant fear that this was only a temporary sanctuary till their mother demanded their return. As much as she embraced and enjoyed her newfound happiness, she could never settle down - always fearing that it could be snatched away from her as quickly as she was blessed to have it. 😞
“I didn’t want to ask her. I don’t like her helping me.”
“Why ever not?”
“I don’t want to get used to her,” I said. “She’s just someone we have to stay with for a little while. She’s not, you know, actually real.”
Maggie looked me up and down. “She seems real to me,” she said.”
Yes, she comes off as bitter and closed-off at times, distrusting of others' good intentions for - almost akin to a wounded puppy so broken and defeated that when a reassuring and tender hand touches them, their first reaction is to retaliate viciously. And those moments when Ada had to experience that kindness - were some of the most raw and heartbreaking moments - ones that really make you feel her pain and her inability to accept someone like her, who has only ever been treated with these harsh words - 'you ugly piece of rubbish! Filth and trash! No one wants you, with that ugly foot!' - could ever be on the receiving end of kindness - can you blame her for mentally breaking down - for resorting to violence? To show how traumatized she's been by her anguish and guilt and pain - that the very thought of kindness is too impossible for her to accept - to believe?'I didn’t know the words to explain. I was choking and now I can breathe.' 😢 The ability to capture that, and still keep the writing easy and understanding for young readers was -- wow. Heart-wrenching and raw - but so beautifully portrayed that it moved me deeply.
“I couldn’t breathe. Dead, when he’d just been talking to me. Dead, when he’d wanted to write a letter. A wave of grief washed over me.
“It’s really a war now,” Daisy whispered.”
The author skillfully incorporated the events of World War II into the narration, allowing Ada and Jamie to, at times, be front-row and center at some of the most critical moments, due to their seaside location and their interaction with their neighborhood. A few instances felt a bit unbelievable to me, such as the German spy being thwarted or when Dunkirk landed, but these events felt necessary for Ada's own personal growth; for her to gain confidence in herself - for people to realize how you simply can't judge someone from the outside.🥺 'Victory,” she said, “means peace.'
It was an adventure of a lifetime that she got to live after being caught off from the world her entire life! All the new challenges she embraced, all the friendships she forged, all that she learns - that she learns what love feels like, and not hatred... 'Terror enveloped my brain. Suddenly I felt something tight around me. “Shh,” she said.“We’re all here, we’re safe.' It is that exhilarating happiness that she clings onto with Jamie - that for as long as the war lasts, they are safe from their mother. It is a pivotal contrast to how people simply viewed Ada from the window in her room and assumed that she just was too simple to venture outside. 💔
“A strange and unfamiliar feeling ran through me. It felt like the ocean, like sunlight, like horses. Like love. I searched my mind and found the name for it.
Joy.”
I love the significance of the title of how, consequently it was for Ada The War That Saved My Life. If that evacuation order had not come at the moment that it did - she would have never seized that fortuitous opportunity to escape from her mother's clutches - a chance for freedom - that anything would be better than being trapped in a nonexistent life of worthlessness and shame. 😔 'There’s things worse than bombs,” I said, remembering what I’d heard her say before.' It is times like this where I wish I could speak to a person that these books are initially the target audience for and read a review from their perspective rather than the adults or authors that are featured on Goodreads.
I know it is a strange notion, but as much as I enjoyed reading it I wonder if the target audience would appreciate it just as much as well. Or I would even love to know how twelve-year-old me would have been overwhelmed with the same emotions as I felt now. For the me who I now, it was a powerful and inspiring historical middle grade read. 🤍🤍 It captured such an array of emotions, but still made it feel so genuine and true to the time it was depicting, portraying with a hopeful resilience of a young girl's determination that showed everyone is deserving of love and the basic necessities of life. 🌸
August 2, 2018
It was my first read of Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and she won my heart! The War that saved my life was absolutely breathtaking and one of the best books I've ever read!
While reading this book, I felt so submerged into all characters that it was hard to remember I was not Ada or Susan. Sometimes I was Susan, who was a melancholic soul and didn't want anyone in her life, for she was completely absorbed by sorrow of her loss and sometimes I was Ada, a ten years old little girl, who was fighting her own battle against all odd, personal insecurities and abominations of her mom. Well, Kimberley certainly did a brilliant job developing characters and she perfectly understood the psychology of a little girl who had always been treated horribly by her birth mom! I wonder how a mom could be so hateful!
And I must say, I love stories where girls save themselves. In this book, Ada didn't just save herself but also took great care of her brother, Jamie. Her love for Jamie overwhelmed me. The way she fought back against her disability and her eagerness to learn new things make her the bravest and courageous girl one ever could be. I could almost felt her anger which she experienced when she doesn't know something. And finally, when Ada won her battle my heart leaped with tremendous joy!
Highly recommended!!
While reading this book, I felt so submerged into all characters that it was hard to remember I was not Ada or Susan. Sometimes I was Susan, who was a melancholic soul and didn't want anyone in her life, for she was completely absorbed by sorrow of her loss and sometimes I was Ada, a ten years old little girl, who was fighting her own battle against all odd, personal insecurities and abominations of her mom. Well, Kimberley certainly did a brilliant job developing characters and she perfectly understood the psychology of a little girl who had always been treated horribly by her birth mom! I wonder how a mom could be so hateful!
And I must say, I love stories where girls save themselves. In this book, Ada didn't just save herself but also took great care of her brother, Jamie. Her love for Jamie overwhelmed me. The way she fought back against her disability and her eagerness to learn new things make her the bravest and courageous girl one ever could be. I could almost felt her anger which she experienced when she doesn't know something. And finally, when Ada won her battle my heart leaped with tremendous joy!
Highly recommended!!
December 27, 2014
Okay, this has been done before and has lots of stock characters--the disabled/abused child who gets away from a bad situation and blossoms, the adorable younger sibling who needs to be protected, the unlikely guardian who doesn't want them, but learns to love them.
Yet it's fresh and new and I stayed up till well past my bedtime reading it, and I DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE OVER.
In other words, it's really, really good and I thank Edelweiss for my digital ARC.
Yet it's fresh and new and I stayed up till well past my bedtime reading it, and I DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE OVER.
In other words, it's really, really good and I thank Edelweiss for my digital ARC.
November 2, 2018
The book's translation that saved my life. I was trying to read this book in the original and I thought it would be easy, after all, it's a book written for children, right? Well, I failed! The book's language is very difficult for a foreigner that is learning English by herself. So, I bought this book translated into my own language (Portuguese) in amazon.com.br and I got it read in a few hours. What happiness! I loved the book. Now, I'll read the second book "The war I finally won" in Portuguese too.
March 24, 2015
I can't get over how much I loved the characters in this WWII English home front story. It was fascinating to me to read a book about one sibling being horribly abused by her mother while her younger sibling was treated fairly regularly. Ada seemed really realistic to me, brimming with emotions and occasionally volatile. Susan, their steadfast caretaker, was complicated, too, still mourning the loss of her "good friend", a woman named Becky whom she lived with. Ms. Baker shows how these characters grow and change during the time they're together, developing a relationship that turns out to be a lifesaver, despite it happening in the middle of a war.
Highly recommended for readers who love characters they can root for or readers looking for solid historical fiction, particularly World War II stories.
Highly recommended for readers who love characters they can root for or readers looking for solid historical fiction, particularly World War II stories.
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