SuitabookThe war that Saved my Life
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
- Reading
- Pause after Ada reaches Susan’s home to discuss what safety and trust might mean for her. Because the ending may be emotionally significant, revisit it together and discuss how the relationships are resolved.
- Themes
- Belonging and trust: Ada begins to trust Susan, while Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie after taking them in. The book presents this favourably.
- Disability and social treatment: Ada has a twisted foot, and her mother’s humiliation leads to Ada being kept inside. The book takes a critical view of this.
- War and displacement: Jamie is sent out of London to escape the war; Ada follows, and later watches for German spies. War functions as the circumstance that separates children from home and creates danger in their new surroundings.
- Worth knowing
- The book may suit a child who can engage with family cruelty, separation, disability-related shame and wartime danger. Consider reading alongside them if these subjects could feel personal or unsettling.