The War I Finally Won

Like the classic heroines of literature, Ada wins our hearts as she continues her World War II adventures after the Newbery Honor–winning The War that Saved My Life.

When Ada’s clubfoot is surgically fixed at last, she knows for certain that she’s not what her mother said she was—crippled in her mind as well as in her body. But who is she, she wonders?

Ada and her brother, Jamie, are living with their guardian, Susan, in a cottage in the English countryside, on the estate of the formidable Lady Thorton and her daughter, Maggie, Ada’s dearest friend. Life in the crowded cottage is tense. Then Ruth, a Jewish girl from Germany, moves in. A German? Everyone is horrified. Ada must decide—where do her loyalties lie?

The War I Finally Won is the marvellous conclusion to Ada’s powerful, uplifting story.

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley has written several historical novels for children and young adults, including the bestselling Newbery Honor Book The War that Saved My Life. She lives on a farm in Tennessee with her family.

‘Brubaker Bradley is unsparing in her rendition of the human toll that wars incur. But it is a book, like its predecessor, that teems with beauty…Both books leave a profound afterglow and establish themselves firmly as classics to be loved and revisited.’ Magpies

‘A fitting sequel.’ NZ Listener, 50 Best Books for Kids

Ada’s voice is honest and authentic and true…A novel to curl up with on a rainy day; it took me back to the novels I read and loved as a child.’ Steph Bowe, author of Night Swimming

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. Wall Street Journal

‘Bradley sweeps us up in the story she’s telling and at the same time raises hard questions and makes us think—even as she moves us to tears.’ Starred Review, The Horn Book

‘Ada’s struggles with her trauma are portrayed with such incredible nuance and heart-wrenching realism that readers are sure to empathize deeply and revel in the joy of watching thoughtful, introspective Ada heal and grow.’ Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews

‘Bradley sensitively portrays Ada’s journey to accept selfless kindness and love after years of neglect in a poignant and satisfying story of found family that will stay with readers.’ Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

‘Fans of the first book will love the sequel even more.’ Starred Review, School Library Journal

‘This absorbing adventure, with its gentle humour and fearless characters, will captivate you. It is as exciting as it is poignant and wise and deserves to take its rightful place among the classics of children’s wartime literature.’ Reading Time

‘A deeply satisfying novel.’ Readings Best Middle Fiction 2017

‘Heart-wrenching and heartwarming at the same time…Ada’s story tells us that there is hope, there are people of goodwill, and perseverance is always worth the struggle.’ Good Reading