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The WAR that Saved my Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

The beginning of WWII saw thousands of children sent out of London to villages in the inner countryside of England as it was feared London would be bombed by Germany.  An amazing story of courage, tribulations and triumphs.

Ada is a 9 year old girl who is never allowed out of her 1 room apartment on the third floor of a London East End apartment.  Her single mother is deeply ashamed of her because Ada has a deformity of her right foot.  She has a younger brother, Jaime, who she takes care of; but he is being sent to the countryside.  Although Ada’s mother forbids her to go, she manages to escape so that she can go with Jaime and protect/take care of him.

As the train arrives at the station…all of the children are lined up to be inspected by the village town folk.  Ada and Jaime are the last ones to be chosen; actually, no one chooses them!  The head of the Women’s Auxiliary, Lady Thornton, bring the two children to the home of Miss. Susan Smith.  She has no idea what to do with them, as she has never married and is rarely around children.

Ada embarks on a series of adventures and quests.  She teaches herself to ride a pony, Butternut, begins to learn to read, and is also as part of her determination to do her bit for her country, she watches out for German spies! Ada forms new friendships and begins to heal her emotional wounds.

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I adored this book!  Ada is full of spunk and has an iron will; how else would she have been able to prevail with all of the trials that life threw at her!  Although she called Lady Thornton ,”iron faced”, I believe she had more iron in her than did Lady Thornton. Ada’s grit in the face of what could have been a very short life (her mother forcing her to stay in the one bedroom apartment) proves that.

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The WAR I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

This is a sequel to The WAR that Saved my Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.  As WWII continues to rage on Ada and Jaime’s mam is killed in a bombing raid.   Their guardian, Susan, brings Ada to the hospital to get her club foot fixed!  Ada can finally walk without crutches! Sadly, Susan’s house is bombed and destroyed as well.

Fortunately, Lady Thornton, has a cottage they can lease.  However, Lady Thornton’s own home is taken over by the government for official business and she moves in with them!  Let the sparks fly…tribulations continue and they are forced to accept a Jewish-German refugee,  a teenage girl named Ruth, into their home.  Lady Thornton and Ada are furious and cannot see past the fact that Ruth is German and do not take kindly to poor Ruth.

The privations of war-torn Britain continue and they grow a garden, get a community pig, and a couple of hens for eggs to stretch their rations and Jaime is in charge.  He loves it.

Lady Thornton’s son is killed and Susan becomes ill.  The women are incapacitated at the same time.  Ada and Ruth must make adult difficult decisions. They work together to solve the problems that arise and begin to understand one another.

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This book truly tore at my heartstrings!  I find it unbelievable that parents can be so breathtakingly cruel and inhumane to their own children. The War I finally Won is a superbly written novel of betrayal and heartbreak, as well as the indomitable spirit of inner strength that comes shining forth and forges one into steel…with a soul.