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The War That Saved My Life
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The War That Saved My Life
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The War That Saved My Life
Audiobook7 hours

The War That Saved My Life

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Winner of the 2016 Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production

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.

Nine-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.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 8, 2015
ISBN9780553556520
Unavailable
The War That Saved My Life

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Rating: 4.599087466232073 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book! My sister recommended it and now I know why she read the two books over again!!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ada has never been out of her small apartment because her mother is too embarrassed of her. Instead she watches all the other children, including her younger brother, from her spot by the window. Living in a dirty apartment with a mother who is angry all the time is a sad way for a little girl to grow up. Ada realizes she needs to try to walk even though it isn't easy because of her disfigured foot, but her mother has forbidden her from doing it. World War II has begun and now it's reaching England. When bombs are threatening London and children are being sent out to the country, Ada hatches a plan to leave first thing in the morning with her brother. No one wants them when they get out to the country, but they finally go live with a woman named Susan Smith. She cleans them up, gives them a place to live, and treats them with respect. Susan sees no reason why Ada shouldn't be able to do everything everyone else is doing. For the first time in her life Ada is spending time outside. She even meets her beloved Butter, the horse who resides on the Smith property. The freedom Ada feels is amazing. There are hard days too, and Ada’s mom cannot be reached to approve a surgery for her club foot. Are things too good to last? What will happen when the war is over? Will Ada ever get her surgery so she can wear regular shoes? You will not be able to put this book down!

    I first heard about The War That Saved My Life on The Children’s War blog. I am so happy I had a chance to read it. The characters in the book really come to life. I loved some of them and hated others. My heart went out to Ada because of her struggles with her foot and I winced at the way her mother treated her. She was an amazing older sister though! I thought it was also interesting how something as terrible as a war could end up saving someone's life in a different way. I recommend this to kids in fourth grade and up who like historical fiction and easy to relate to characters. I look forward to reading more books by this author!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I read this with my sixth grade son. We both were drawn in immediately and felt emotionally involved with the characters throughout the novel. A nominee for Nebraska' Golden Sower for 2016-17.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is an excellent book that deals with some serious subject matter (parental mental and physical abuse and neglect and the long term affects) in a realistic way but also in a way that I feel comfortable letting my 8 year old read it too. She watched me the whole time I read it too, waiting for her chance to get her hands on it- the title really intrigued her. "How could a war save someone's life?"
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Born with a severely clubbed foot, Ada Smith, 10, has been kept imprisoned and abused by her mother who is referred to as, Mam. Her entire life has existed in a one room flat with a window to watch life go by and a bucket as her bathroom. Mam sees her foot as a mark of shame and humiliation, and so Ada never learned to walk, crawling along on the floor as she waits on Mam and younger brother Jamie, 6. Then one day, Ada decides to learn to walk, keeping at it despite the pain and blood. Her club foot has the top of her foot the part that touches the floor instead of the sole.

    Then, when war comes to England, Ada is told that Jamie will be evacuated with the other children, and she will remain in the flat. But Mam doesn't know Ada's secret and when evacuation day arrives, she and Jamie take off for the train station together. Eventually arriving at a small countryside village, all the children are selected by residents except Ada and Jamie who are filthy and unkept both mentally and physically. They are eventually taken to the home of Susan Smith (no relation) and left in her care, even though Susan never send doesn't want children.

    But Susan is depressed, mourning the death of her friend (though clearly more than friend), Becky. The two women had lived there together for years and Susan had inherited the property. The last thing she wanted now were two children to take care of. And yet, she does. She feeds Ada and Jamie, buys them new clothes and shoes to replace the dirty, raggy things they arrived in. Having never been taught or saw examples of manners and grace, Susan sets out to "tame" the wild personalities the children have learned.

    Susan has a pony named Butter that belonged to Becky. Ada is fascinated with the pony and is determined to learn how to ride and care for. Soon, she is riding all over the village and surrounding area. Susan has also taken Ada to a doctor about her foot, and she has been given crutches to help her walk. But when Jamie begins school, Ada is not on the list and is not allowed to attend the school. This is okay with Ada who doesn't want to admit she can't read, write or do simple math. Eventually Susan figures it out and offers to teach her at home - an offer not very welcomed by Ada. But why not?
    Born with a severely clubbed foot, Ada Smith, 10, has been kept imprisoned and abused by her Mam in a one room flat her whole life. Mam sees her foot as a mark of shame and humiliation, and so Ada never learned to walk, scooting around on her bum as she waits on Mam and younger brother Jamie, 6. Then one day, Ada decides to learn to walk, keeping at it despite the pain and blood.

    Then, when war comes to England, Ada is told that Jamie will be evacuated, and she will remain in the flat - bombs or no. But Mam doesn't know Ada's secret and when evacuation day arrives, she and Jamie take off for the train station together. Eventually arriving at a small countryside village, all the children are selected by residents except Ada and Jamie, who are taken to the home of Susan Smith (no relation) and left in her care.

    But Susan is depressed, mourning the death of her friend (though clearly more than friend), Becky. The two women had lived there together for years and Susan had inherited the property. The last thing she wanted now were two children to take care of. And yet, she does. She feeds Ada and Jamie, buys them new clothes and shoes to replace the dirty, raggy things they arrived in, and allows them to find their own way through a certain amount of benign neglect.

    And Susan has a pony named Butter that Ada determines to learn how to ride and care for. Soon, she is riding all over the village and surrounding area. Susan has also taken Ada to a doctor about her foot, and she has been given crutches to help her walk. But when Jamie begins school, Ada refuses to go not wanting to admit she can't read or do simple math. Eventually Susan figures it out and offers to teach her at home - an offer not very welcomed by Ada.

    Ada and Susan are two people carrying around a lot of physical and emotional baggage, thrown together by a war they don't really feel connected to and which at first doesn't feel quite as real as the personal war they are waging with themselves. But gradually, they forge relationships with each other and begin to feel like a family. And then Mam shows up and takes the Ada and Jamie back to London, despite the bombing and Ada is forced to scoot around on her bum once again. Mam once again locks Ada in the room with the bucket and discards her crutches.

    Now that they have seen another side of life, is it over for Ada, Jamie and even Susan?

    What a powerful story The War That Saved My Life is. It is everything that makes historical fiction so wonderfully satisfying. There is lots of historical detail about London and the countryside in those early war days, including the rescue of British soldiers from Dunkirk (Susan's house is on coastal Kent, the closest point in England Dunkirk)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ada was born with a clubfoot, and her mother is ashamed of it. Because of that, Ada has never been out of the house, never learned anything, even though she is…or at least THINKS she is, 10 years old. Her little brother Jamie, on the other hand, is their mother’s favorite, and can play outside and attend school. As the war gets closer to London, Jamie is going to be sent to the country to stay safe. Ada sneaks out with Jamie, and they get on a train with the other children from London. People who live in the country are going to take in children until World War II is over, but what if no one wants Ada and Jamie? This was a very engrossing book, and I don’t usually enjoy historical fiction. The ending of this book is one of the most satisfying I’ve read in a long time, with a perfect last line. Highly recommended!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was an excellent book to take in via audio. I loved the perspective of the story and I felt a strong connection with the characters
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    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.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love this book -- I’m getting emotional just thinking about it. Because of Ada’s twisted foot, her mother doesn’t allow the ten year old to leave their one-room flat. But in the summer of 1939, Ada secretly teaches herself to walk and when her younger brother’s school is evacuated to the country, she steals her mother’s shoes and leaves with him. Ada and Jamie are foisted upon a reluctant, grieving woman who owns a pony. Ada is immediately determined to teach herself to ride.The amount of things Ada doesn’t know (including her own age) and the extent of deprivation she’s experienced is staggering -- but her journey is so heartwarming and hopeful. But recovery isn’t straightforward or instantaneous. I was fascinated by how the better things get the angrier Ada becomes -- and by how believable that anger was. She doesn’t want to become too attached to living with Susan because it is temporary and the more she learns, the more she understands how unnecessary and cruel her mother has been.I love how Susan -- still struggling with grief and not always knowing what Ada and Jamie have been through or what they don’t understand -- supports these kids. She too knows that recovery isn’t an easy, straightforward thing. “I’m just now learning to write,” I said. “And read. So I couldn’t write back yet. I’m sorry. Next time I’ll try.”Instead of looking horrified by my ignorance, she looked mollified. (Susan taught me that word, and I loved it. Mollified. Sometimes when Jamie was cross, he had to be mollified.) “I didn’t think of that,” she said. “I thought you just weren’t interested. But wouldn’t Miss Smith have helped you? She would have written down what you wanted to say.”She would have, if I’d asked. “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.”
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A super story told in a superb manner. Held my interest 100% and really was hard to put down.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    5is novel follows two siblings evacuated from London during the early days of World War II Aida and Jamie are placed with Susan, a woman isolated from her community with a heart full of pain. Through time, patience, discipline and a lot of love and support,the group bonds and becomes a family. This is a wonderful novel that shows love can come from unexpected sources and when you least expect it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    There are two wonderful independent bookstores within (somewhat) reasonable driving distance of me. One is quite a bit further than the other so I don't get to it as often but I love the store and the owner so I try to make the trip when I can. If the owner is there, we chat and I like to ask her what books I shouldn't miss. (I do the same at the other store as well, because bookstore owners are invaluable for recommendations, of course.) Since I have a bit of a book problem (ie I buy far more than I should), I can be difficult to recommend to and often the recommendations are just on the knife's edge of what I like to read regularly. The last time I was in, the big recommendation was for a middle grade novel set during WWII. I admit I wrinkled my nose. I almost never read middle grade now that my kids are older and I am feeling worn out with WWII books. But I was told that everyone in the store had read it and raved about it. So I figured I'd take a chance on it and if it wasn't for me, well, I have a niece and nephews at about the right age to pass it along to. I will definitely be passing Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's The War That Saved My Life along to them but not because it wasn't for me. I'll be passing it along because it is a wonderfully written and engaging look at a very different facet of the war and I think they will thoroughly enjoy it. They have other aunts so I have to try and win favorite aunt status somehow, right? And how better than by passing along a book I'm sure they'll love. Ada is a young girl living in London with her mother and her younger brother. She was born with a club foot and her mother is ashamed of and disgusted by her child's disfigurement, abusing her, despising her, keeping her indoors away from other people and children, not enrolling her in school, refusing to have the condition treated, and using Ada to do chores around their small flat. Ada cannot walk due to the severity of twisting but she has an active and agile mind and she yearns to go outside and to be around other people. An incredibly determined child, she eventually teaches herself to walk despite the terrible pain it causes. Her brother Jamie is good to Ada and when World War II starts and London children are evacuated to the countryside, he helps conspire for Ada to go too, even though she's not enrolled in school so not technically on the evacuation lists. Ending up in Kent, the children are billeted with an emotionally distant and uncommunicative woman named Susan who owns a pony that Ada learns to ride. Under Susan's care, Ada really starts to blossom and come into her own. Susan too starts to thaw with these children around.It is strange to think of something so terrible as the war as being beneficial to anyone but for Ada and for Susan, it is. This is a wonderful tale of coming to appreciate and value yourself, to make connections to others, and to learn to love or love again. The characters here are beautifully drawn and Ada's mother is scarily real. It might be hard for a middle grade reader to read about the terrible way that Ada is treated but the payoff in the end is so worthwhile. The story moves along at a good pace, with enough action beyond Ada's emotional maturation to keep kids turning the pages and the valuable lessons are not overt enough to be off-putting. A really great read, I look forward to seeing what my niblings think of it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was an excellent book to take in via audio. I loved the perspective of the story and I felt a strong connection with the characters
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is one of the new nutmeg books, but it's a beautiful story, and an instant classic. It had enough WWII history to enthrall my fifth grade son, and actually succeeded in bringing him to tears. It has a flawed but extremely lovable heroine. For any middle reader that is interested in historical fiction, this book is a sure bet.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book opened my eyes how when held in darkness, we should always search for the light. This book really made me appreciate my mother and my upbringing. I never took into consideration how a war can actually save someone's life in the event of evacuation. Ada was not only experiencing a world war but also an internal war as a result of her mother's abuse. Ada grew so much as a character as she became more determined and learned self-love. This book was fantastic, and I'd recommend it to anyone.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ada and her brother Jamie escape their abusive mother during a London evacuation of children at the start of WWII. Ada has an untreated club foot so this was not an easy task! They are grudgingly taken in and cared for by a WVS volunteer where they become a family. There are many twists and turns in this novel including air raids and spies, but throughout the story the reader cheers for Ada as she learns not only to read and write but also to trust.I look forward to reading the sequel.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ada is such a compelling character - she is brave and reaches out to grab the few chances that come her way to make a different life. She is also jealous of others (including her brother) at times and is afraid to trust. She struggles with PTSD and low self worth from living with an abusive mother. And if that weren't enough, Ada has a club foot that causes pain and limits her ability to get around and do what she wants to do. Set against the back drop of WWII in England, the world events are mirrored in Ada's own life. As an adult reader, the unsung hero for me is Susan.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is an INCREDIBLE book about a young crippled girl and how she eventually learns to love , trust and take her life into her own hands. Wow !!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I struggled with leaving a star review for this book. Initially, it was a three, the book was well written, including historical facts, and followed a straight forward plot. Unfortunately, I didn't fall in love with the characters or the book overall. The ending is what shifted my opinion to closer to a four star, maybe 3.5.

    Ada and Jamie, two children who are living in a terrible world with their mother. She abuses them, mistreats them, and specifically attacks Ada for her disability.

    With the threat of war looming around the corner, Ada makes an escape with her brother as evacuees. They travel to the country and find themselves left with a woman who doesn't seem to want them.

    Ironically, Susan is the one person that will change their lives, but with a lot of hard work and help from a few friends, and a pony named Butter. There are many ups and downs in their lives as they learn to adjust. Ada is also dealing with he disability and learning that she doesn't have to be crippled her whole life anymore.

    Each character struggles through a personal journey of healing, while the war acts as a catalyst. I would recommend this book at any age. It's characters are youthful and living through their own personal war. There is historical aspects of the story, and adult problems that will entice even the older reader. Like I said I didn't fall in love with this book overall, but by the ending I am happy I picked it up for a read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really loved this. The protagonist's determination to rely on herself, to not hope - since that's what she'd learned from her mother - and her growing past that were so wonderfully portrayed. And the parallel growth in Susan, who believed she was ostracized and finds that that's not completely true is also so well done. I truly cared about these characters and hope there's a sequel!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This books tells the story of a young girl and her brother who live in London, but are sent to stay with a stranger in the country during World War II. She has a club foot and was abused by her mother, but with this move she learns to be strong and confident in her own way. This is a moving, easy to read novel that provides historically accurate information in the context of an engaging story. You come to love the girl and her brother, and the woman they are staying with, as they learn and grow together.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I count this as the best book I read in 2015. This book combines a gripping historical fiction narrative with an emotionally rich and authentic story of children who have suffered terrible abuse and neglect and how they come to trust and love their guardian and begin to discover a world much wider than the London slum they came from. While this is a story of transformation and recovery, it is not a simplistic Cinderella story. Change is hard, trauma is deep, and even the most abused children love their mother. Bradley respects these emotional truths and depicts them clearly and carefully. I've read the book twice and listened to the audio book twice, recommended it to many other people, and given multiple copies as gifts. Even my 11-year-old nephew loved it. I am really looking forward to the sequel!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wonderful characters with a great story and excellent reading by Jayne Entwistle.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is my favorite kids book of 2016. The story is simply narrated with a tough-as-nails, yet sweet and vulnerable girl, Ada, who has experienced limited exposure to the outside world, no thanks to an abusive mother who keeps her locked away out because she has a club foot. A rare peak into a probably realistic characterization of child abuse and ignorance during this time period; Bradley's novel is compelling, honest, heart-wrenching, and hardly simplistic despite the candid naivety of her main character as she makes her way into the outside world and discovers how to heal. Excellent audio performance; highly recommend.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I fell in love with this book. The book takes place during WWII and the reign of Hitler and it kept you wanting to read more, and remained a roller coaster through its entirety. Ada, a young girl born with an unfortunate birth defect and an even more unfortunate parent, Mam, looked after her brother Jamie through pain and suffering. Finally she grew the courage to flee with her brother, after a painful trail of teaching herself to walk, when an oppurtunity arose. Her and her brother were malnourished and very poorly cared for in the hygiene department so people taking in evacuees were not exactly "breaking down doors" to take them in. However, they found a home ,through the unrelenting demands from Lady Thorton, with a single lady named Ms. Susan. Ms. Susan "never asked for children", nor did she have any idea how to care for them, however took her new role very seriously. Ada took those words to heart and never really let Ms. Susan forget them, even after a very long period of being a loving, caring, and protective guardian. Without repeating the entire book, which I highly recommend, I will say this, it is well worth the read, even in your late twenties. The book keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end, with one of the most genuine lines in the entire book. Sidenote: There were many signs throughout the book that Susan was in a relationship with Becky, not just friendship. I wonder why the book never fully addressed this? Is it because it was set in a time where this was highly unacceptable or did the author feel it was necessary to give hints but never reveal this fact? It kept me wanting to read just to find out if she would ever reveal this fact to the children or not. I would really love to know why that relationship was necessary beyond the fact that Susan being highly depressed when the children first arrived and the children kind of relieving that pain in a sense.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An amazing book! Ada's story about the struggles she went through when living with her mother to meeting Susan and her pony. It truly is an amazing story of how both Ada overcame so many challenges.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ada only knows about the world from the small view of a London street that she can see from her apartment window. Her mother thinks she is a disgrace as she was born with a clubfoot, and although both she and her little brother Jamie feel the sting of neglect and abuse, Ada bores the brunt by far. When the threat of WW II comes close to home, the children are sent to a village to live and Ada takes it upon herself to teach herself to walk as best as she can and escape to safety with the other children. No one wants the tattered children when they arrive at the village, but a single woman named Susan is forced to take them in. As time goes on, they bond into a sort of a family and Ada struggles with becoming the normal child she was meant to be while the chains of abuse hold her back emotionally. This very powerful story about war seen through the eyes of a child with disabilities, being brave while being terrified and the bond between a sister and a brother is one that resonates beyond the war story. This 316 page award-winning book is an excellent choice for book discussion and would interest grades 4-6.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The War That Saved My Life was a great read. Many thanks to Amber for recommending it.In WWII-era London, pre-adolescent Ada has a club foot and a mother who seems to despise her for it. Unable to walk, she's abused and imprisoned at home, taking care of her younger brother Jamie while her mother works at a pub. Everything changes when the children are evacuated with others from London to a country village because of expected bombing from the Germans. There they are brought into the home of single Susan, who has lost a dear friend and is unsure of whether she can handle them. She is brought around in large part by Ada's rough honesty and Ada's love for Jamie. In turn Ada experiences intelligent parenting from Susan, learns to ride and care for her pony Butter, and begins to heal from the trauma she has experienced. The war soon makes demands on all of them, and when Mam reappears, Susan, Ada and Jamie all must decide what they mean to each other.Great characters and a realistic view of the war help make this a real page-turner. Loved it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book needs exposure -- it was very moving. Ada and her brother Jamie live in London with their mother. World War II is about to begin. Ada has a club foot, and her mother is utterly horrible to her. She treats Jamie slightly better, but their children don't receive any love or affection. Just derision and cruelty. When children in London are evacuated before the bombing, Ada manages to escape with Jamie. It appears at first that they are again unlucky with their placement, because the woman who is forced to take them doesn't want any children. Over time these three emotionally wounded people bond and grow to love each other. Beautifully written. The war is present throughout.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    excellent, evokes a lot of emotion and discussion about then and now and how perceptions have changed so much towards disabilities and poverty etc. This book is a must read for years 10 -15 as it will create a lot of discussion around historical events and help readers understand why things are the way they are.