Awards
2016 Newbery Honor book
2016 Schneider Family Book Award
From Powells.com
Our favorite books of the year.
Staff Pick
This book is amazing on so many levels. It is historical fiction that will tear at your heartstrings and make you cheer between tears. This is the book that should have won the Newbery Medal (it won the Newbery Honor instead). Recommended By Gloria M., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Nine-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada's twisted foot 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 of 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?
Review
"Involving, poignant, nuanced.... This is a feel-good story, but an earned one... distinct and powerful in its own right." The Horn Book (Starred Review)
Review
"Proving that her courage and compassion carry far more power than her disability, Ada earns self-respect, emerges a hero, and learns the meaning of home." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Review
"Ada’s voice is brisk and honest; her dawning realizations are made all the more poignant for their simplicity.... Things come to an explosive head, metaphorically and literally. Ignorance and abuse are brought to light, as are the healing powers of care, respect and love. Set against a backdrop of war and sacrifice, Ada’s personal fight for freedom and ultimate triumph are cause for celebration." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Review
"Achingly lovely... Nuanced and emotionally acute, this vivid tale from the wartime home front will have readers ages 10-14 wincing at Ada’s stumbles and rejoicing to the point of tears in her victories." The Wall Street Journal
About the Author
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley scored a hit with readers and reviewers with her first novel, Ruthie’s Gift, and its companion, One-of-a-Kind Mallie.
Reading Group Guide
"An astounding novel. Will you cry and rejoice and hold your breath? Absolutely. Will you find the book as exciting, wise, and profound as I did? Yes. This book is remarkable." Karen Cushman, author of Newbery Medal winner The Midwife’s Apprentice