Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Dial Books (2017), 400 pages
Description
Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML:A New York Times bestseller Like the classic heroines of Sarah, Plain and Tall, Little Women, and Anne of Green Gables, Ada is a fighter for the ages. Her triumphant World War II journey continues in this sequel to the Newbery Honor�??winning The War that Saved My Life When Ada�??s clubfoot is surgically fixed at last, she knows for certain that she�??s not what her mother said she was�??damaged, deranged, crippled mentally as well as physically. She�??s not a daughter anymore, either. Who is she now? World War II rages on, and Ada and her brother, Jamie, move with their guardian, Susan, into a cottage with the iron-faced Lady Thorton and her daughter, Maggie. Life in the crowded home is tense. Then Ruth moves in. Ruth, a Jewish girl, from Germany. A German? Could Ruth be a spy? As the fallout from war intensifies, calamity creeps closer, and life during wartime grows even more complicated. Who will Ada decide to be? How can she keep fighting? And who will she struggle to save? Ada�??s first story, The War that Saved My Life, was a #1 New York Times bestseller and won a Newbery Honor, the Schneider Family Book Award, and the Josette Frank Award, in addition to appearing on multiple best-of-the-year lists. This second masterwork of historical fiction continues Ada's journey of family, faith, and identity, showing us that real freedom is not just the ability to choose, but the courage to make the right choice. "Honest . . . Daring." �??The New York Times "Stunning." �??The Washington Post �?? "Ada is for the ages�??as is this book. Wonderful." �??Kirkus, starred review �?? "Fans of the first book will love the sequel even more." �??SLJ, starred review �?? "Bradley sweeps us up . . . even as she moves us to tears." �??The Horn Book, starred review �?? "Perceptive . . . satisfying . . . will stay with readers." �??PW, starred… (more)
Awards
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (Fiction — 2017)
Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2020)
California Young Reader Medal (Nominee — 2020)
Volunteer State Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2020)
Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice (Children/Young Adult)
CCBC Choices (2018)
Notable Children's Book (2018)
Nerdy Book Award (Middle Grade Fiction — 2017)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Children's Books — 2017)
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member foggidawn
As World War II rages on, Ada, Jamie, and their guardian Susan face new challenges. I'd hate to spoil anything, so I think that's all I'll say in summary. Instead, let me kvell a bit: I didn't think that this book could possibly be as good as its predecessor (The War That Saved My Life), but it
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was! Bradley writes excellent characters with all their complicated emotions so very well. After I finished this book, I just hugged it for a while. So good! If you liked the first book, be sure to get your hands on this one! Show Less
LibraryThing member bemislibrary
Susan adopts orphans Ada and Jamie and their cat Bovil. Through the generosity of Lord and Lady Thorton, Susan is able to them from war torn London to a cottage in the Kent countryside. When the military takes control of the Thorton mansion, the Lord and Lady moved into the cottage with them. When
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Ruth, a young refugee joins the group, talk turns to religion, whether she is a German spy, and what being Jewish in Germany means. The complex relationships are appropriate to the age, gender, and environment. Although this book is a sequel to “The War That Saved My Life”, you do not need to read the first book.I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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LibraryThing member eduscapes
THE WAR I FINALLY WON by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is a sequel to the award-winning novel THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE.
This coming-of-age, historical fiction novel picks up shortly after the first book ends as Ada prepares for surgery on her club foot. While dealing with the ongoing stress of war,
Librarian will find both the original and the sequel to be a wonderful way to help children experience World War II. This sequel provides enough backstory that it can stand alone for class activities. Consider using both books along with other World War II novels in a literature circle exploring the war from different perspectives.
Published on October 3, 2017 by Dial. ARC courtesy of the publisher.
This coming-of-age, historical fiction novel picks up shortly after the first book ends as Ada prepares for surgery on her club foot. While dealing with the ongoing stress of war,
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Ada finds comfort in her horse, her brother, and her new family and friends. Lessons from her painful past help her deal with tragedy and also help others along the way.Librarian will find both the original and the sequel to be a wonderful way to help children experience World War II. This sequel provides enough backstory that it can stand alone for class activities. Consider using both books along with other World War II novels in a literature circle exploring the war from different perspectives.
Published on October 3, 2017 by Dial. ARC courtesy of the publisher.
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LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
I was so glad to see Ada return! Her troubles aren't ended, though she slowly learns to trust that Susan can be relied on. Ada also learns that people are still people even if they come from two different sides of the war. I loved the way her friendship with Ruth grows. This is a very accessible
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look at World War II from the view of a young English girl. Show Less
LibraryThing member mcorbink
Wonderfully told story (continuing story of "The War That Saved My Life" ) of a young girl struggling with her upbringing and problems with a club foot. She has many hurdles in life and overcomes them with all of the love and caring of the people surrounding her. Beautifully told.
LibraryThing member ashleytylerjohn
A lovely follow-up to the first. Many tears, but I don't want to warn any one off--it's still a fun, charming, gentle read, not a depressing angst-fest.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for
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myself so end up with a lot of 4s). Show Less
LibraryThing member fingerpost
This is a perfect follow-up to The War That Saved My Life, and do be sure to read that one first.
Ada, the narrator, was severely abused for most of her childhood by her cruel and unloving mother, known as Mam. In The War That Saved My Life, Ada and her brother Jamie escape from Mam smuggling
The War I Finally Won picks up where the first book left off. Ada gets surgery for her club foot, and can soon walk, albeit with a limp, and move about like other children. However, recovery from 10 years of abuse and neglect are much harder to recover from. Ada is different from most YA narrator protagonists, in that she is not wholly likeable. Her's is not a Harry Potteresque tale with a "see this poor abused child who we can all see is a perfectly lovely person who we would love to have for our best friend." No, Ada is far more realistic. A child who has been abused to the degree Ada was for so many years is not going to find it easy to trust or like anyone, and will herself be difficult to like. Kimberly Bradley does a magnificent job portraying Ada as realistic, and yet sympathetic to the reader, in spite of her difficulty loving and trusting anyone.
Ada makes great strides through the book, and so does the iron faced and iron willed Lady Thornton, who truly is a secondary main character in this volume.
Ada, the narrator, was severely abused for most of her childhood by her cruel and unloving mother, known as Mam. In The War That Saved My Life, Ada and her brother Jamie escape from Mam smuggling
Show More
themselves out of London with children being evacuated in anticipation of German bombing at the start of World War II.The War I Finally Won picks up where the first book left off. Ada gets surgery for her club foot, and can soon walk, albeit with a limp, and move about like other children. However, recovery from 10 years of abuse and neglect are much harder to recover from. Ada is different from most YA narrator protagonists, in that she is not wholly likeable. Her's is not a Harry Potteresque tale with a "see this poor abused child who we can all see is a perfectly lovely person who we would love to have for our best friend." No, Ada is far more realistic. A child who has been abused to the degree Ada was for so many years is not going to find it easy to trust or like anyone, and will herself be difficult to like. Kimberly Bradley does a magnificent job portraying Ada as realistic, and yet sympathetic to the reader, in spite of her difficulty loving and trusting anyone.
Ada makes great strides through the book, and so does the iron faced and iron willed Lady Thornton, who truly is a secondary main character in this volume.
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LibraryThing member bell7
Ada can finally get surgery to correct the club foot she's had all her life! But she's still dealing with all kinds of mixed-up emotions from her mother's abuse, and can't quite trust anyone but herself.
I don't know why, but while I liked this story and thought Ada's emotions were an accurate
I don't know why, but while I liked this story and thought Ada's emotions were an accurate
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portrayal of a kid who's gone through all sorts of trauma, it didn't have quite the charm of the first book for me. Maybe because I had expectations going in? We don't have the same arc of Ada learning how to ride and coming out of her shell. It's much more internal as she learns to deal with her feelings of anger and fear all the while with the war going on, and Lady Thorton and other guests coming to live with them while Lord Thorton is part of the war effort. Historical fiction set in World War 2 can be tricky in kids' books, but Bradley does a great job of referencing events that adults will understand the full implications of in a way that sensitive children could still handle. Show Less
LibraryThing member EllenH
Lovely, honest story of evacuation of children from London in WWII. This second novel was as good as the first. I couldn't put it down.
LibraryThing member Lisa2013
This sequel starts right up where book 1 left off; the 2 books make up 1 story. I think it keeps getting better and better. I do think it’s important to read book 1 before reading book 2.
I stayed up very late to finish reading. All the way through it was a hard book to put down. It’s a
I’m considering adding it to my favorites shelf. It’s definitely a solid 5 star book for me. How often is a sequel even better than the first book?! Here it is, and I also gave the first book 5 stars.
It’s a masterfully and beautifully told story.
It has an incredibly appealing voice in the main character narrator Ada and a writing style that I love.
All the characters are brought vividly to life. The plot and its pacing is perfection.
I loved the newly introduced character Ruth and enjoyed the increased depth to many other characters, particularly the adults.
I continue to love Susan, a nearly perfect natural therapist and mother and appreciate how she’s shown as flawed and not actually perfect. I loved how one thing about her past was resolved.
Ada is a great character to root for and I did. This account shows a healing from trauma that is realistically shown, optimistic but not at all unrealistic.
The single page author’s note at the back talks about two aspects of WWII that were a bit cryptically woven into the story and was a welcome addition. It’s a must read additional page.
This book is intense but always stays appropriate for middle grade readers (and young adult readers) despite the sometimes heavy subject matter, including WWII and its causalities and the realities of civilian life during the war, the Holocaust, child abuse and neglect, traumatic loss, adult sexual and romantic relationships (far off the page), and other such things. It might not sound like a children’s book but it is, though unlike the first one I think it is also a young adult book, although it’s one that I think can be enjoyed by all ages. Both books are all ages appropriate and I think will appeal to some adults who don’t normally read books for younger readers.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy any of the following: coming of age stories, stories about WWII especially as it impacted England and the Jews, horse lovers, cat lovers, family stories including atypical family stories, orphan stories, and stories where both child an adult characters grow and change in a realistic way.
I loved so many parts in this book. I found so many things meaningful. One fun and creative thing I thoroughly enjoyed (bottom half of page 294/second page in chapter 47 in the U.S. hardcover edition) was I loved how Ada realized the black outs did not have to be gloomy black on the inside and how the kids painted the insides to match how the outside of the house(s) looked without the black outs on, bringing nature/the outside/light back into the house and making the rooms look much more cheerful.
I’ve added some other books by this author to my to read shelf and hope to get to them. I’m a fan.
I stayed up very late to finish reading. All the way through it was a hard book to put down. It’s a
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page-turner.I’m considering adding it to my favorites shelf. It’s definitely a solid 5 star book for me. How often is a sequel even better than the first book?! Here it is, and I also gave the first book 5 stars.
It’s a masterfully and beautifully told story.
It has an incredibly appealing voice in the main character narrator Ada and a writing style that I love.
All the characters are brought vividly to life. The plot and its pacing is perfection.
I loved the newly introduced character Ruth and enjoyed the increased depth to many other characters, particularly the adults.
I continue to love Susan, a nearly perfect natural therapist and mother and appreciate how she’s shown as flawed and not actually perfect. I loved how one thing about her past was resolved.
Ada is a great character to root for and I did. This account shows a healing from trauma that is realistically shown, optimistic but not at all unrealistic.
The single page author’s note at the back talks about two aspects of WWII that were a bit cryptically woven into the story and was a welcome addition. It’s a must read additional page.
This book is intense but always stays appropriate for middle grade readers (and young adult readers) despite the sometimes heavy subject matter, including WWII and its causalities and the realities of civilian life during the war, the Holocaust, child abuse and neglect, traumatic loss, adult sexual and romantic relationships (far off the page), and other such things. It might not sound like a children’s book but it is, though unlike the first one I think it is also a young adult book, although it’s one that I think can be enjoyed by all ages. Both books are all ages appropriate and I think will appeal to some adults who don’t normally read books for younger readers.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy any of the following: coming of age stories, stories about WWII especially as it impacted England and the Jews, horse lovers, cat lovers, family stories including atypical family stories, orphan stories, and stories where both child an adult characters grow and change in a realistic way.
I loved so many parts in this book. I found so many things meaningful. One fun and creative thing I thoroughly enjoyed (bottom half of page 294/second page in chapter 47 in the U.S. hardcover edition) was
I’ve added some other books by this author to my to read shelf and hope to get to them. I’m a fan.
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LibraryThing member Herenya
I loved this. The war continues. Ada, Jamie and Susan wind up living with Lady Thorton, the mother of Ada’s friend Maggie, and Ruth, a Jewish teenager being tutored by Susan, whose mother is in an internment camp. Lady Thorton won’t let Maggie leave boarding school or Ruth ride their horses,
I liked the way the pieces of this story fitted together thematically. It’s a story about found-family and mothers. It’s about healing, and the things people need, and Ada learning about what she can do for the people she loves.
Moving. Made me tear up.
“Right,” I said. “So why not dragons?” I’d been thinking it through. “The kind that can fly. If we took them out of the zoos and we trained them, maybe they could attack German planes without even needing pilots on board.” It would be much safer for Jonathan.
A grin spread slowly across Susan’s face. “Ada,” she said, “you do understand that dragons are mythical creatures?”
As If I knew what she meant by mythical. I stared at her.
“Imaginary,” said Susan. “Made-up. Pretend. The stuff of fairy tales.” She coughed, then started to laugh. “My dear -- oh, I’m sorry -- it’s wonderful -- Why don’t we train dragons?” She laughed harder. “That’d serve Hitler right. A couple of ranks of dragons, and the ghost of St. George --”
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and Ada is frustrated that Lady Thorton doesn’t understand what her friends need. Meanwhile, Ada is resistant to anyone mistaking Susan for, or pretending that Susan is, her mother.I liked the way the pieces of this story fitted together thematically. It’s a story about found-family and mothers. It’s about healing, and the things people need, and Ada learning about what she can do for the people she loves.
Moving. Made me tear up.
“Right,” I said. “So why not dragons?” I’d been thinking it through. “The kind that can fly. If we took them out of the zoos and we trained them, maybe they could attack German planes without even needing pilots on board.” It would be much safer for Jonathan.
A grin spread slowly across Susan’s face. “Ada,” she said, “you do understand that dragons are mythical creatures?”
As If I knew what she meant by mythical. I stared at her.
“Imaginary,” said Susan. “Made-up. Pretend. The stuff of fairy tales.” She coughed, then started to laugh. “My dear -- oh, I’m sorry -- it’s wonderful -- Why don’t we train dragons?” She laughed harder. “That’d serve Hitler right. A couple of ranks of dragons, and the ghost of St. George --”
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LibraryThing member Robinsonstef
Loved it! Review to come.
LibraryThing member SamMusher
Still very good, but felt more like an extension of The War That Saved My Life than its own story. I was happy to spend more time with the characters. The book does them justice. Kids who loved the first book will want to read the sequel and won't be disappointed by it, but I'm not sure it's a
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necessary part of the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lisa_Francine
Once again, I became immersed in Ada’s life, and did not want the story to end!
LibraryThing member mutantpudding
Appreciated that this book realistically showed the aftermath of trauma and abuse and showed the protagonist using different coping mechanisms to deal with her issues. Mixed feelings on how the book deals with disability. The protagonists disability is still present in her life even after her
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surgery and she herself obviously has complex feelings about that but I wish she didn't have so much negative self talk about it. Show Less
LibraryThing member jennybeast
The first book blew me away, and this one does, too, but for completely different reasons. It is a delight to hear Ada's acerbic, forthright questions again, and to continue to see the world through her eyes. The war becomes more immediate, and we start to see the larger picture of WWII. At the
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same time this book is all about negotiating relationships, about truth, about healing, and about how bald-faced bravery turns into trust. It's not an easy story, and it's not an easy road. I think I value it all the more knowing how many children in this world are experiencing trauma or are trying to find their way back from it. This book is a little bit of a road map for that -- it doesn't pretend the rough parts don't exist, it doesn't stick with happily ever after. Great sequel to an astounding first book. Show Less
ISBN
0525429204 / 9780525429203