Author: Kate Albus
This story is set in 1940’s London. We meet William, Edmund and Anna at their Grandmother’s funeral. But they are not sad because none of them really knew Grandmother although they lived in her house. And now that Grandmother is no longer there, a problem arises for the children. Where will they go now that they have no parents or guardian? The country is at war and many families are distrupted. The children are financially well off but need someone to adopt them. Their solicitor is concerned about potential guardians only wanting access to the money so he hatches an ingenious plan. Why not send them to the country with many other evacuated children on the chance that the family that hosts them might decide to adopt them? However, the children are instructed to never mention the fact that they have financial resources. So the three children join a train of other evacuees and set off to the country. They soon find the plan has many difficulties, but they find refuge in a library, a kind librarian, and books familiar and new.
This story was inspired by the Pevensie children in the Narnia books and one of the characters is named Edmund after a character in the Narnia series. This historical fiction story gives the reader a unique glimpse of life in wartime Britain and the experience of evacuated children. It is a sweet story mixed with wit and humor suitable for a family read aloud or middle grade and older readers.
Is the story well written? Yes, moves quickly, great plot and character development. Sentence structure is easy yet appealing. Descriptions and conversations seemed authentic and realistic.
Are the characters well developed, realistic and relatable? Yes
Does the book present positive role models? Yes. The children encounter kindness from most adults in their lives. When the children do wrong, they are appropriately remorseful.
Is the theme of the book in line with Christian morals and values? Yes, although this is not Christian Fiction, the themes of empathy, kindness, loving your neighbor are prominent. Several characters show willingness to sacrifice their own time and resources to help others.
Is there any language or other concerns? One nasty character exclaims “For God’s sake”, the children encounter some bullying, there is a rat hunt that is not graphically described but it disturbs the characters a good deal. These are appropriate to the story and the intended audience but may be an issue for sensitive readers.
Recommended age? Publisher recommendation is 8-12. I would place this at a 5th grade and older. I enjoyed it as an adult, some content may be scary or intense for younger readers.
