内容简介
*Winner of the 2016 Schneider Family Book Award?
*2016 Newbery Honor book
An exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War 2, from the acclaimed author of Jefferson’s Sons and for fans of Number the Stars. ?
Nine-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.
?
So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?
作者简介
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley lives on a forty-two-acre farm in Bristol, Tennessee. She is the author of several books for children, including
Leap of Faith, and
Jefferson's Sons.,,
精彩书评
A Newbery Honor Book
Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award (Middle School)
Winner of the Josette Frank Award
Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of 2015
New York Public Library's 100 Books for Reading and Sharing
Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books 2015
Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2015
Kirkus Best Books of 2015
Horn Book?Fanfare Book 2015
"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."—
The Wall Street Journal * “Ada's voice is brisk and honest; her dawning realizations are made all the more poignant for their simplicity. . . . Things come to an explosive head, metaphorically and literally. Ignorance and abuse are brought to light, as are the healing powers of care, respect and love. Set against a backdrop of war and sacrifice, Ada's personal fight for freedom and ultimate triumph are cause for celebration.”—
Kirkus, starred review
* "Proving that her courage and compassion carry far more power than her disability, Ada earns self-respect, emerges a hero, and learns the meaning of home."—
Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "Involving, poignant, nuanced . . . This is a feel-good story, but an earned one . . . distinct and powerful in its own right."—
The Horn Book, starred review
"There is much to like here—Ada's engaging voice, the vivid setting, the humor, the heartbreak, but most of all the tenacious will to survive."—
School Library Journal "The home-front realities of WWII, as well as Ada’s realistic anger and fear, come to life in Bradley’s affecting and austerely told story, and readers will cheer for steadfast Ada as she triumphs over despair."—
Booklist"Skillful, smooth . . . Ada's tough journey from brokenness to healing is poignantly credible in its development and emotionally satisfying outcome. . . . The feel-good appeal of the rescue fantasy combines with the increasingly tense World War II backdrop to make this an effective page-turner."—
BCCB "An astounding novel. Will you cry and rejoice and hold your breath? Absolutely. Will you find the book as exciting, wise, and profound as I did? Yes. This book is remarkable."—Karen Cushman, author of Newbery Medal winner
The Midwife's Apprentice "A moving story with an authentic voice. Beautifully told."—Patricia MacLachlan, author of Newbery Medal winner
Sarah, Plain and Tall "I love Ada's bold heart, keen wit, and amazingly fresh point of view. Her story's riveting. I was with her every step of the way."—Sheila Turnage, author of Newbery Honor book
Three Times Lucky "In Ada's small war lies our large hope that love cannot, will not, be overcome. I read this novel in two big gulps."—Gary D. Schmidt, author of National Book Award finalist
Okay for NowFrom the Hardcover edition. 前言/序言
好的,这是一本关于二战时期英国儿童疏散的故事,与您提到的《The War That Saved My Life》内容无关的图书简介,力求详实且富有感染力: --- 书名:萤火之光下的秘密(The Secret Under the Firefly Glow) 作者:伊丽莎白·哈珀(Elizabeth Harper) 出版年份:[假设为1998年] 页数:[假设为480页] 装帧:精装 适合年龄段:[假设为14岁以上青少年及成人] --- 内容梗概: 《萤火之光下的秘密》的故事背景设定在1940年的英格兰,一个被德军空袭阴影笼罩的夏末。这不是一个关于战场厮杀的宏大叙事,而是一部深入人心、探究如何在极端环境下维护人性尊严与守护家庭秘密的细腻小说。它通过一对身份迥异的姐妹,揭示了二战时期英国乡村社会隐藏的复杂肌理与个人命运的脆弱性。 故事的主人公是十岁的莉迪亚·布莱克伍德和她十六岁的姐姐维奥莱特。在伦敦遭受“闪电战”的猛烈轰炸后,她们的母亲决定将她们送往相对安全的德文郡(Devon)乡下,投奔一位素未谋面的远房亲戚——古怪、沉默寡言的艾尔斯沃思夫人。 莉迪亚天性活泼,对即将到来的“乡下生活”充满了浪漫的憧憬,她想象着田园牧歌般的宁静。然而,现实远比想象残酷。她们到达的“枫树庄园”(Maplewood Manor)与其说是庄园,不如说是一座摇摇欲坠、被时间遗忘的石屋。艾尔斯沃思夫人,一个终日沉浸在往昔悲痛中的女人,对突如其来的“城里来的麻烦”表现出明显的抗拒。 初到庄园,姐妹俩便感到了格格不入。莉迪亚努力想融入当地的乡村学校,但她略带伦敦腔的口音和对城市生活的留恋,使她成为了其他孩子眼中格格不入的“入侵者”。她试图用自己带来的小玩意——一个老旧的手风琴和一本关于天文学的书——来赢得友谊,但收效甚微。 而维奥莱特,这个早熟且极富责任感的少女,面临着更深层次的挑战。她不仅要照顾心智尚未完全成熟的妹妹,还要应对艾尔斯沃思夫人那充满猜疑的眼神。更重要的是,维奥莱特随身携带了一个沉重的秘密:她们的父亲并非如母亲所说是光荣地在皇家海军服役,而是因为参与了反法西斯地下运动而被捕入狱。母亲在信中严厉嘱咐,无论如何,这个事实绝不能泄露给任何人,否则不仅会危及她们的安全,更可能将父亲置于更大的危险之中。 随着秋季的到来,空袭的警报声偶尔会打破乡村的宁静,提醒着所有人战争从未远去。莉迪亚发现,在庄园后方那片茂密的灌木丛中,藏着一个被铁丝网围起来的秘密区域。出于孩子强烈的好奇心,她开始秘密地探索这个地方,并结识了当地一个名叫汤姆的男孩。汤姆是当地一个虔诚的家庭的儿子,他对莉迪亚的到来保持着审慎的观察,却又对她的求知欲感到好奇。 莉迪亚的探索揭示了一个令人震惊的真相:那片区域并非废弃的农场,而是英国政府设立的一个秘密观察站,用于监测德军无线电信号,并对一批特殊的“战时难民”进行隔离和审查。这些难民身份复杂,其中包括逃亡的德裔反纳粹人士、被怀疑是间谍的外国人,以及一些携带敏感信息的战俘。 维奥莱特在一次去镇上采购时,无意中听到了关于“可疑外国分子”的传言,这让她更加恐慌。她发现自己与艾尔斯沃思夫人之间的隔阂并非仅仅源于性格不合,而是因为艾尔斯沃思夫人的儿子在多年前的第一次世界大战中阵亡,她对任何与“异乡人”有关的事物都怀有一种根深蒂固的恐惧和排斥。 小说的高潮发生在一次突如其来的暴风雨之夜。一个身份不明的人试图潜入庄园,目的是窃取一份藏在艾尔斯沃思夫人书房壁炉后的旧文件。莉迪亚和汤姆在灌木丛中发现了这个潜入者,而维奥莱特则不得不勇敢地面对来者。在紧张的对峙中,维奥莱特为了保护妹妹,最终暴露了自己父亲的真实处境,这让她无比脆弱。 当真相大白时,艾尔斯沃思夫人目睹了维奥莱特的勇气和对家庭的忠诚。她终于放下了长久以来被战争创伤扭曲的偏见,想起了自己年轻时也曾为信念而奋斗的经历。她不再将疏散来的姐妹视为负担,而是视为需要保护的生命。 主题探讨: 《萤火之光下的秘密》深入探讨了以下几个核心主题: 1. 身份的建构与接纳: 战争时期,人们被迫离开熟悉的环境,面临着被贴标签的风险(“城里来的”、“可疑的”)。小说细致描绘了莉迪亚和维奥莱特如何在陌生的环境中努力证明自己的价值,并最终在当地社区中找到了属于自己的位置。 2. 信任与谎言的代价: 维奥莱特背负的保密压力几乎摧毁了她的内心世界。小说探讨了为了更大的安全而维持谎言的伦理困境,以及真相最终揭露时所带来的痛苦与释放。 3. 创伤的代际传递: 艾尔斯沃思夫人对世界的疏离感,是第一次世界大战遗留创伤在家庭中不断重复的缩影。小说展示了即使是和平年代,个人未愈合的伤口也能深刻影响到下一代的命运。 4. 乡村的复杂性: 德文郡的田园风光并非田园牧歌的象征,它同样是政治波澜和秘密活动的前线。那些看似宁静的乡间生活下,隐藏着政府的监控、间谍的活动以及对“异类”的恐惧。 写作风格: 作者伊丽莎白·哈珀以其细腻的观察力和对时代背景的精确把握而闻名。本书的笔触兼具童真和历史的厚重感。莉迪亚的视角带来了对周围世界旺盛的好奇心和对冒险的渴望,这为紧张的剧情增添了必要的活力。而维奥莱特的内心独白则充满了对责任、恐惧和青春期迷茫的深刻反思。叙事节奏张弛有度,既有乡村生活慢节奏下的温馨片段,也有揭示秘密时的惊心动魄。 本书价值: 《萤火之光下的秘密》不仅是一部引人入胜的二战背景小说,更是一部关于在逆境中寻找勇气、理解他人并最终实现自我救赎的成长故事。它提醒着读者,即使在最黑暗的时刻,人与人之间微弱的联系和坚守的道德准则,也如同夜空中最微弱的萤火之光,足以照亮前行的道路。本书对历史细节的考究,尤其是对英国乡村在战时社会结构变化中的描绘,使其成为历史小说爱好者的必读之作。