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FROM THE BOOK:
It is 1940 and William, 12, Edmund, 11, and Anna, 9, aren't terribly upset by the death of the not-so-grandmotherly grandmother who has taken care of them since their parents died.
But the children do need a guardian, and in the dark days of World War II London, those are in short supply, especially if they hope to stay together. Could the mass wartime evacuation of children from London to the countryside be the answer?
It's a preposterous plan, but off they go-- keeping their predicament a secret, and hoping to be placed in a temporary home that ends up lasting forever. Moving from one billet to another, the children suffer the cruel trickery of foster brothers, the cold realities of outdoor toilets, and the hollowness of empty stomachs.
But at least they find comfort in the village lending library-- a cozy shelter from the harshness of everyday life, filled with favorite stories and the quiet company of Nora Müller, the kind librarian. The children wonder if Nora could be the family they've been searching for. . . . But the shadow of the war and the unknown whereabouts of Nora's German husband complicate matters.
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:
There is some minor cussing (i.e. blasted). Two phrases using the Lord's name. Some disrespectful phrases from the children toward adults (i.e. wicked old witch, old cow/miserable cow). Prejudice names towards the evacuees. There are several minor altercations between characters (i.e. a child gets slapped).
Throughout the story, the children continually lie about the fact that their grandma died, wanting people to think she is still alive.
There are two questionable scenes:
1. The boys are told to go "ratting". This is a detailed scene where the boys from the village must kill rats for money. This job causes some of the boys to be ill, however, the author does include a description of "blood lust" in some of the boy's eyes.
2. While the children are on a school trip, a boy mentions a historical event where a woman rode a horse naked through the town. This conversation continues for quite some time with detailed questions like, "I wonder if anyone saw her?"
FROM SONYA:
I really wanted to enjoy this book! It has been highly recognized and recommended. However, I did have a few concerns.
Besides the very long, (and yet, not exhaustive, for sake of space) list of questionable things in the story, I was also disappointed that there wasn't more depth to the story. The characters were fairly stereotypical and predictable (including a mean, poor lady, and a rich, kind librarian).
I do enjoy the thread of books woven into the story and the fact that the children's safe place is the library. After allowing the book to digest for a few days I found, for myself, that the negatives of the story, really outweighed the few positives. Mostly because the objectionable material wasn't necessary to create the storyline, and in the end, took away from the goodness that could've been portrayed.
I understand that my opinion may be controversial to some because it is a highly liked book. But I wanted to make you aware of what is inside the book.
RECOMMENDED AGES: 10+ years
MY RATING: ☆☆☆
☆ star = highly disliked & probably didn't finish.
☆☆ stars = wouldn't recommend.
☆☆☆ stars = mostly good but may have some concerns.
☆☆☆☆stars = very good.
☆☆☆☆☆ stars = reserved for my absolute favorite books.
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