The War I Finally Won

A great sequel. Warning for SPOILERS if you haven’t read the first book!

The war continues, Ada and Jamie face even more privations and difficulties- yet through it all Ada continues to recognize how much better her life is now than it was before. She’s puzzled by people’s condolences on her losses (which to her seem like gains) and tries to pretend her foot has always been normal, that she doesn’t still limp. Susan looses her house, she moves with Jamie and Ada into a sevant’s cottage on the manor grounds, of the Lord and Lady Thornton. To Ada’s surprise and consternation, the house is requisitioned by the government and they are now living in close quarters with the stern Lady Thornton, who is upset at the smallness of this house which seems plenty grand to Ada. Different perspectives on everything. Ada continues to enjoy riding and improve her skills, and struggle with the emotional aftermath of having been abused and deprived by her own mother during her childhood. She’s often frustrated at not knowing everyday things- she’s never been in an elevator, never visited a zoo, never seen a piano. Things that other people around her take for granted. But she’s surprised to find there are skills she has which Lady Thornton lacks- practical things which are now more important, and she finds herself willing to share her abilities. But sometimes overstepping things, because she simply doesn’t know any better. Through all that tangle, Susan is patient and guides them well. But faces her own darkness with ongoing bouts of depression. Everyone has some kind of loss in this book, I had my dread about which of the introduced characters might die, and sadly I was right about one of them. More difficulties arise when a girl near Ada’s age is brought into the household- a Jewish refugee whose family fled Germany, but her mother is in an internment camp and her father doing secret work for the British government. Everyone is suspicious of the new girl, but when Ada finds out that she likes to ride and is good with horses, her attitude slowly thaws. She finds she has more in common with Ruth than she could have imagined, and even ends up supporting and comforting her in trials to come.

Again, so much going on in this book. Found family. Overcoming trauma and learning trust. Accepting people for how they are, and seeing past your first impressions of them. Living through the horrors of war. Adjusting and making do and moving on. I’m trying to write and give you a sense of what this book is about, without giving away any actual plot points- let’s just say the author takes you through a lot of ups and downs, you’re never sure who is going to make it through safely, and the reader comes to find some of these characters very dear. Ada continues to grow and overcome some of her past, but still struggles to trust others and accept love, though at the end she is getting much better at that. She and Jamie make a particularly kind gesture towards Susan, which brings their guardian some closure too, at last. I did not see that part coming (I thought they were planning something else) and it was really touching.