Ada’s club foot has been fixed. She can finally wear shoes and walk almost like everybody else. But it will take more than surgery to heal her crippled mind and soul. That will take a lot of love and patience from Susan, her guardian, and their friends and neighbours. Thankfully she doesn’t have any trouble when she’s on the back of Butter the horse. When she’s riding, the mocking voice of her cruel mother fades away. When she’s on the ground, it’s another matter. The world is still at war and the peaceful haven she has found with Susan is under threat. The war takes away the people Ada cares about and sends the enemy into their home. What’s the point in loving people if they can’t stay in your life? And she wonders what she is supposed to do with a German Jewish girl who moves into her cottage.

This is the sequel to The War that Saved My Life, which was the Newbery Honor Book for 2016, and it’ s of the same high standard. It is heart-wrenching and heartwarming at the same time. It’s hard to believe the things that children are often forced to endure, but Ada’s story tells us that there is hope, there are still people of goodwill, and perseverance is always worth the struggle.

Reviewed by Wendy Noble
Age guide 10+