The War That Saved My Life

The War That Saved My Life
by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Penguin Group USA, 2015, Intermediate Fiction, 316 p.
How does a war save a life? Ada has never been outside, all she has ever seen of the world is what she views out the window of her family's flat in London. Because of her bad foot, her entire life has been within the four walls of her home.  Now the government says that all of London's children need to be evacuated because the German's are going to bomb London. When Ada and her brother Jamie are sent to live with a single woman named Susan in Kent, Ada discovers a whole world she never knew about and learns that she can be more then she ever expected.

This historical fiction book would be good for both youth and adults. It is as much about World War II on the British Home Front as it is about an abused girl coming of age. Themes of friendship, freedom, prejudice, and what makes people different are cleverly woven throughout the story in a way that adults will recognize, but younger readers may not immediately notice.