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aklibrarychick 's review for:
The War I Finally Won
by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
The second I finished the previous book, I headed out to the library to get the sequel because I wasn't even close to ready to leave Ada's world.
The war rages on, but Ada and Jamie have found a permanent home with Susan. Lady Thorton pays the bill for Ada to finally have her clubfoot corrected. Although she will never have a completely normal foot, once the healing is over and the casts come off, she can walk - and even run! - without pain for the first time in her life.
After the bombing of their home, they've had to move into the old groundskeepers cottage on Lord and Lady Thorton's estate. Eventually, the main house is taken over by the military and Lady Thorton has to move into the cottage with them as well, joined by Ada's friend Maggie whenever she's home from school. A short while later, Lord Thorton, who has a high-level top-secret job with the government, comes home with another boarder. Ruth is a refugee - a Jew who has escaped from Germany - and Lady Thorton is up in arms about a German living with them. She is determined not to like or trust Ruth, and refuses to allow her to go onto the estate to ride the horses she loves. Maggie's older brother, Jonathan, an RAF pilot, visits occasionally, and they all worry greatly about his safety.
In the meantime, Ada, though healthy and cared for, still has emotional scars from her difficult childhood. Consistent love and care from Susan helps her slowly get better, but she still is irritated when the less shell-shocked Jamie begins to call Susan Mum. It takes a tragedy and a health crisis to finally break through to her.
The riding, care and love of horses remains an important part of this book, and a way for Ada to form stronger connections with Jonathan, Fred, Ruth, and even the prickly Lady Thorton.
I absolutely loved both of these books. I've always recommended them to students even without having read them, and now, having read them, I will push them even more. Both stories have amazing heart and depth.
The war rages on, but Ada and Jamie have found a permanent home with Susan. Lady Thorton pays the bill for Ada to finally have her clubfoot corrected. Although she will never have a completely normal foot, once the healing is over and the casts come off, she can walk - and even run! - without pain for the first time in her life.
After the bombing of their home, they've had to move into the old groundskeepers cottage on Lord and Lady Thorton's estate. Eventually, the main house is taken over by the military and Lady Thorton has to move into the cottage with them as well, joined by Ada's friend Maggie whenever she's home from school. A short while later, Lord Thorton, who has a high-level top-secret job with the government, comes home with another boarder. Ruth is a refugee - a Jew who has escaped from Germany - and Lady Thorton is up in arms about a German living with them. She is determined not to like or trust Ruth, and refuses to allow her to go onto the estate to ride the horses she loves. Maggie's older brother, Jonathan, an RAF pilot, visits occasionally, and they all worry greatly about his safety.
In the meantime, Ada, though healthy and cared for, still has emotional scars from her difficult childhood. Consistent love and care from Susan helps her slowly get better, but she still is irritated when the less shell-shocked Jamie begins to call Susan Mum. It takes a tragedy and a health crisis to finally break through to her.
The riding, care and love of horses remains an important part of this book, and a way for Ada to form stronger connections with Jonathan, Fred, Ruth, and even the prickly Lady Thorton.
I absolutely loved both of these books. I've always recommended them to students even without having read them, and now, having read them, I will push them even more. Both stories have amazing heart and depth.