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4.48 AVERAGE
4.48 AVERAGE
When I told a coworker that I’d gotten an ARC of this from Edelweiss, the immediate question was “Did they fix Ada’s leg?!” I won’t tell you what I told them, but I will tell you that yet again, Bradley made me cry. While TWTSML was about Ada and Jamie discovering a world outside of their abusive mother, TWIFW is about dealing with the aftereffects (now I’d call it PTSD) of their childhood, not only from their mother’s abuse, but also from living during a war. The story also expands beyond just Ada and Jamie, encompassing the changes that war inflicts on a community-- the Thorton’s manor is sacrificed to the war effort, as is their lawn, women take turns watching for bombs from the church steeple, and some days the only meat at the butcher is whale meat. I’ve had patrons asking for this book for two months, and I’ll be booktalking it when I do outreach as well.
Great coming of age story that had a lot of really touching moments.
2022 Reading Challenges
• ATY #21 A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover (horse & rider)
How I selected this book
I read [b:The War That Saved My Life|20912424|The War That Saved My Life (The War That Saved My Life, #1)|Kimberly Brubaker Bradley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1453342842l/20912424._SY75_.jpg|40277782] last year and loved it - and I immediately added this sequel to my TBR.
Plot summary
This novel picks up soon after the first one ended.
Likes
• The characters
• Ada's arc as she learns to feel safe and to trust the adults around her
• The story of Ruth to show how the British didn't understand what was going on with the Jews in Germany, at least for the first few years of the war.
Dislikes
• Not much of a resolution
Final thoughts
Anyone who doesn't read modern middle-grade books is missing out!
• ATY #21 A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover (horse & rider)
How I selected this book
I read [b:The War That Saved My Life|20912424|The War That Saved My Life (The War That Saved My Life, #1)|Kimberly Brubaker Bradley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1453342842l/20912424._SY75_.jpg|40277782] last year and loved it - and I immediately added this sequel to my TBR.
Plot summary
This novel picks up soon after the first one ended.
Spoiler
Ada gets surgery for her clubfoot, and after a few months recovery she can walk almost normally. Ada and Jamie's Mam dies when the munitions factory where she worked was bombed. Ada, Susan, and Jamie move into a cabin on the Thornton's property, since Susan's house was destroyed in the battle of Britain. Lady Thortnon moves in after the army takes over her house. A German Jewish teenager, Ruth, moves in for Susan to tutor her in mathematics. Maggie's mostly away at school, but when she's at home she shares a room with Ada. Jonathan promises to take Ada riding, sneaks away to do so, and then dies in battle shortly thereafter. Susan gets very sick from pneumonia, but recovers. Ada takes Susan to Becky's grave, and finds out that Becky's father died. They run into Becky's mother and start a tentative relationship.Likes
• The characters
• Ada's arc as she learns to feel safe and to trust the adults around her
• The story of Ruth to show how the British didn't understand what was going on with the Jews in Germany, at least for the first few years of the war.
Dislikes
• Not much of a resolution
Final thoughts
Anyone who doesn't read modern middle-grade books is missing out!
A great sequel. I still liked the first book better, but book two had a great story with a lot of heart and character growth.
“I love you,” I whispered. I buried my head against Susan’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you before.” “Don’t be sorry,” she whispered back. “I know you love me. You know I love you too.”
Because several people suggested that I listen to the second half of Ada’s story, I tried the audio version of Bradley’s book, The War I Finally Won. The audio is good and I enjoyed it. However, listening always takes me longer than reading and so I was a bit anxious that it would all work out. Don’t ask me why I get concerned about stories, I should know that authors work for their characters’ best interests.
Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed the second half of Ada’s tale. This is a good novel, written for children, but anyone would enjoy it. I am especially glad that the characters stayed within their established personalities and that the adults continued as they were in the first novel. It would have been weird, for example, if Lady Thornton had had a complete change of heart.
I may have to look for more books by Bradley. She told me a wonderful story and taught me a lot as well.
Because several people suggested that I listen to the second half of Ada’s story, I tried the audio version of Bradley’s book, The War I Finally Won. The audio is good and I enjoyed it. However, listening always takes me longer than reading and so I was a bit anxious that it would all work out. Don’t ask me why I get concerned about stories, I should know that authors work for their characters’ best interests.
Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed the second half of Ada’s tale. This is a good novel, written for children, but anyone would enjoy it. I am especially glad that the characters stayed within their established personalities and that the adults continued as they were in the first novel. It would have been weird, for example, if Lady Thornton had had a complete change of heart.
I may have to look for more books by Bradley. She told me a wonderful story and taught me a lot as well.
Gush, gush, sniff, sniff. This book is a heart puller!
10 stars to Jayne Entwistle!!!
10 stars to Jayne Entwistle!!!
As beautiful as the first book. The evolution of Ada and her family is so sweet and human. The writing is neat and flowing. I really enjoyed this book.
For fans of the first book, readers will be very happy with this sequel. We meet back up with Ada, just as she's had surgery on her foot. The book delves deeper into all the relationships Ada has begun to make - Maggie, Jonathan, Lady Thornton, and of course, Susan. All the while, the war rages on and Lord Thornton has brought a German Jew, Ruth, to live with the family to be tutored by Susan.
I love how the book gives you the perspective of how all people in England were affected by the war - the rich and the not so rich - rations were rations, didn't matter who you were. Not sure if this book is quite as good as the first, but it is so nice to see how it all works out for Ada and the family she makes.
I love how the book gives you the perspective of how all people in England were affected by the war - the rich and the not so rich - rations were rations, didn't matter who you were. Not sure if this book is quite as good as the first, but it is so nice to see how it all works out for Ada and the family she makes.
This is a hard one to rate. Parts of the story were really strong. Some of my personal connections to the book brought me to tears. The War that Saved My Life (Book 1) didn’t resonate as deeply with me. However, I felt like the author was pushing a lot of confusing ideas on young readers in a sly way. I think, as an adult, I was able to sort through those pieces and still enjoy the plot, but I’d have a hard time recommending it to children to read on their own.