Historical & Contemporary Realism

The War that Saved My Life 

 

Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker. The War that Saved My Life. 352p. 2016. Tr. $9.99. ISBN 9780147510488.

The War that Saved My Life tells the story of a young girl finding the strength, resilience, and hope to leave behind the pain and abuse of her past and embrace a new life, set against the backdrop of an anxious England heading into the second World War. Protagonist Ada lives in a small London flat with her brother, Jamie, and her abusive mother, Mam. Ada was born with a club foot, and because of this, Mam has deemed her unsuitable to leave the house. Being trapped in their small home all day, Ada become a constant target for Mam's physical and emotional abuse. As the attacks from the Germans begin to threaten London, many children, including Jamie, are sent to the countryside to wait out the danger. Refusing to stay behind, Ada takes her first step towards freedom, sneaking away with Jamie to the countryside village of Kent. While in Kent, Ada and Jamie are assigned to live with a woman named Susan. Susan's love and affection towards the children is a much needed change from their previous situation, and thanks to her support, Ada is able to stand up to Mam and advocate for her rights and needs.  

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley has done a fantastic job of meshing her fictional story with the sobering lives lived by those in England during WWII. In choosing this specific time period and setting, Bradley is able to include an underlying tension to her story that is felt by both the characters and the reader. This is especially felt when Ada and Jamie return to London with Mam against their wishes during the height of the Battle of Britain. We as the reader know that they are not out of the woods yet, and can expect or predict that the small family will soon find themselves at the mercy of a German attack. 

The characters also present as those living in this specific moment in history, especially based on their actions, reactions, and speech. Ada's physical disability is a perfect example of this. The way that those around Ada treat her because of foot makes sense in a time period where the average person was considerably less likely to be accepting of any aspect that make someone different. Especially during a time when the world was at war with their neighbors. 

The themes of hope and resilience are not only evident based on Ada's growth and actions witnessed towards the end of the novel, but these ideas and Ada's tone perfectly match that of people of England in the 1940s. This is clear thanks to Ada's recap of historical events that keep us up to speed on the timeline of the war and the situations going on throughout Europe. This choice by Bradley gives the reader additional information, provides us with Ada's interpretation of events, and shows us a parallel between Ada's life and the events happening around her.

Rez Dogs

Bruchac, Joseph. Rez Dogs. 192p. 2022. Tr. $7.99. ISBN 9780593326220.

Like the rest of the world, Malian's world is turned upside down by outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. As a shelter in place is issued while Malian is visiting her grandparents at their home on a Wabanaki reservation in the upper northeast, her short trip is turned into a multiple month stay. As Malian become a caretaker for her grandparents, a caretaker for her arrives in the form of a rez dog Malian names Malsum. While Malian is able to protect her grandparents from the fear of an unknown disease, Malsum becomes Malian's protector that she didn't realized she needed.

The novel is told in verse through a limited third-person narration. While the reader doesn't get an expansive look into Malian's life on the Wabanaki Reservation, especially since the characters are stuck inside their home, through Malian's interactions with Malsum and her grandparents we get a clear picture of the family's values and traditions. The novel's themes of family and embracing culture and traditions shines through every chapter.

While Malian's Native American culture is at the center of her story, instead of overloading the reader with a "culture parade," Malian's culture is integral to her story. Without her connection and openness to her culture and history, there would be no story to tell. Malian's exploration of her heritage also provides an opportunity to educate readers on aspect of Native America history, that like other characters from the story, they may not have learned.