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FROM THE BOOK:
Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Ada’s twisted foot makes her mother too humiliated 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 for 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?
SUGGESTED AGES: 9-12 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.
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:
There are a few uses of the word, "bloody" as a curse word. Also a single use of the word "slut". At the beginning of the book, we also encounter some abuse from the mom to Ada. These situations are fairly descriptive.
Though it's never truly said "out loud" (only suggested) the caregiver of the children is, in fact,
gay.
FROM SONYA:
Sometimes you feel like I'm picking books apart, but I want this page to be where you can receive as much information as possible, unfiltered and unglorified. I want you to be able to make informed decisions for your family.
I will be the first to say that I thoroughly enjoy stories set in World War II. This, however, was not one of them.
Overall I thought that the book felt very dark. I'm not sure I would want to hand it to my nine-year-old to read on their own. If it had been written as an adult book, I could maybe understand why some of the situations were added to the story (i.e. the abuse). However, because it was written as a children's book, I have high reservations.
The fact that there is even a lesbian woman in the book is actually historically inaccurate, which is why the author chose to add it into the background without blatantly mentioning it.
Because the gay aspect is not a dominant theme in the story, could I overlook it? Maybe. However, as I wanted to confirm whether the hint of a lesbian relationship was indeed intended, I came across a blog post from the author.
Not only does she confirm that it is historically inaccurate to portray a lesbian relationship, but she is also amused by the fact that she chose to do it anyway. She thinks that our children won't pick up on the fact that it is added, and yet, in another sentence, she states that she tried to make it obvious. "Children won't mind at all."
My heart was saddened by this response and the blatant disrespect to the concern some parents may have in this regard. I understand this is a subject that causes so much chaos, and yet, I believe we cannot disregard the Word of God.
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