The War That Saved My Life
A disabled girl escapes her abusive mother in the London evacuation and discovers, in wartime Kent, what care feels like.
The Verdict
The home-front war through its smallest refugees, and one of the finest children's novels the period has produced. Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's Newbery Honor book follows Ada, a disabled girl who escapes an abusive London mother in the great evacuation and discovers, billeted in the Kent countryside, what care and freedom feel like for the first time. The war is the backdrop; the real story is a child learning she is worth something. It is gentle and tough at once, and it does not condescend to its young readers.
Who Should Read It
Read it if you want
- The evacuation through a child's eyes
- A book for younger readers and families
- A moving story of healing and self-worth
- Award-winning historical fiction for children
Look elsewhere if you want
- Complexity over warmth
- Military or combat content
- A grim or graphic treatment of the war
Why We Rated It 4.6
Historical Context
During the Blitz, large numbers of British children were evacuated from cities to the countryside. The novel, set against that evacuation, follows Ada and her brother as they leave wartime London for rural Kent. Published in 2015, it was named a Newbery Honor book.
Events Covered
Read It Alongside
Where to Buy
ISBN: 978-0147510488
Read This Against
The same events seen from a different vantage point. The fullest understanding often lives in the space between accounts that don't agree.
Other Books About the Same Events
Frequently Asked Questions
- What age is The War That Saved My Life for?
- It is written for middle-grade readers, roughly ages 9-12, though many adults read it too.
- Is it based on real history?
- The characters are fictional, but the wartime evacuation of British children that frames the story is real.