Quotes from The War that Saved My Life

“It had been awful, but I hadn't quit. I had persisted. In battle I had won.”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“I wanted to say a lot of things, but, as usual, I didn't have the words for the thoughts inside my head.”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“I don't know what to say," she said, after a pause. "I don't want to tell you a lie, and I don't know the truth."
It was maybe the most honest thing anyone had ever said to me.”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“It was us, I thought. Jamie and me. We had fallen down a rabbit hole, fallen into Susan’s house, and nothing made sense, not at all, not anymore.”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“But what do I do with them?" Miss Smith said "I've never been around children." "Feed them, bathe them, make sure they get plenty of sleep," the doctor said. "They're no more diffi cult than puppies, really." He grinned”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“Sourpuss,” she said, laughing. “Would it kill you to be grateful?” Maybe. Who knew?”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“And even if it felt like Mam hated me, she had to love me, didn’t she? She had to love me, because she was my mam, and Susan was just somebody who got stuck taking care of Jamie and me because of the war.”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“You feel safer in your bedroom, but you’re actually much safer in the shelter.” It didn’t matter how I felt. She made me go into the shelter every time the sirens wailed. Men came and removed all the signposts from the roads around the village, so that when Hitler invaded he wouldn’t know where he was. When he invaded, we were to bury our radio. Jamie had already dug a hole for it in the garden. When Hitler invaded we were to say nothing, do nothing to help the enemy. If he invaded while I was out riding, I was to return home at once, as fast as possible by the shortest route. I’d know it was an invasion, not an air raid, because all the church bells would ring. “What if the Germans take Butter?” I asked Susan. “They won’t,” she said, but I was sure she was lying. “Bloody huns,” Fred muttered, when I went to help with chores. “They come here, I’ll stab ’em with a pitchfork, I will.” Fred was not happy. The riding horses, the Thortons’ fine hunters, were all out to grass, and the grass was good, but the hayfields had been turned over to wheat and Fred didn’t know how he’d feed the horses through the winter. Plus the Land Girls staying in the loft annoyed him. “Work twelve hours a day, then go out dancing,” he said. “Bunch of lightfoots. In my day girls didn’t act like that.” I thought the Land Girls seemed friendly, but I knew better than to say so to Fred. You could get used to anything. After a few weeks, I didn’t panic when I went into the shelter. I quit worrying about the invasion. I put Jamie up behind me on Butter”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“I stared at the paper. I said, “This isn’t reading. This is drawing.” “Writing,” she corrected. “It’s like buttons and hems. You’ve got to learn those before you can sew on the machine. You’ve got to know your letters before you can read.” I supposed so, but it was boring. When I said so she got up again and wrote something along the bottom of the paper. “What’s that?” I asked. “‘Ada is a curmudgeon,’” she replied. “Ada is a curmudgeon,” I copied at the end of my alphabet. It pleased me. After”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“Then I did what I should have done to start with. I taught myself to walk.”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“After that it was easy. It was the most impossible thing I’d ever done, but it was also easy. I held on to Jamie, and I kept moving forward.”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“Maggie ignored this. “I’ll be glad to come to the party. Home’s dreadful, you can’t imagine. I’ve never liked school, but now home’s worse. Mum’s in a funk all the time.” Every”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“After that, with help from Jamie, I left Susan little notes every day. Susan is a big frog. (That one made Jamie giggle.)”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“crippled. He’d been better as soon as his hooves were trimmed.”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“expression, of mingled anger and disinterest, didn’t change. “Hello,” I said. She scowled. “Who’re you?” She didn’t recognize me. I dismounted Butter, landing carefully on my good left foot. I untied my crutches from the back of the saddle and swung myself forward, over the garden wall. “I’m Ada,” I said. Her expression turned to outrage as she realized who I was. “What the ’ell’s this?” she said. “Just who do you think”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“When Jamie had to use the toilet, soldiers passed him over their heads to the one at the end of the car, and back again when he was done.”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“I didn’t know what to do. Susan was temporary. My foot was permanent.”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

“Somehow Christmas was making me feel jumpy inside. All this talk about being together and being happy and celebrating - it felt threatening. Like I shouldn't be part of it. Like I wasn't allowed. And Susan wanted me to be happy, which was scarier still.”
― Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, quote from The War that Saved My Life

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“Scott still stares at Sid, then turns to Alice and hands her the Scotch. “We’re going to go see Joanie today,” he says.

Alice grins. “And Chachi?” she asks.

Sid bursts out laughing and Scott turns back to him, then places a hand on his shoulder, which makes me fear for his life. “You be quiet, son,” Scott says. “I could kill you with this hand. This hand has been places.”

I shake my head and look at both Sid and Alex.

Scott lifts his hand off Sid’s shoulder and turns again to his wife. “No, Alice. Our Joanie. Our daughter. We’re going to give her anything she wants.” He glares at me. “Think about what she would want, Alice. We’re going to get it for her and bring it to her. Bring it right to her bed.”

“Joanie and Chachi,” Alice chants. “Joanie and Chachi!”

“Shut up, Alice!” Scott yells.

Alice looks at Scott as though he just said “Cheese.” She clasps her hands together and smiles, staying in the pose for a few seconds. He looks at her face and squints. “Sorry, old gal,” he says. “You go ahead and say whatever you want.”

“It was funny,” Sid says. “All I was doing was laughing. She has a good sense of humor. That’s all. Maybe she knows she’s being funny. I think she does.”

“I’m going to hit you,” Scott says. His arms hang alongside him, the muscles flexed, veins big like milk-shake straws. I know he’s going to hit Sid because that’s what he does. I’ve seen him hit Barry. I, too, have been hit by Scott after I beat him and his buddies at a game of poker. His hands are in fists, and I can see his knobby old-man knuckles, the many liver spots almost joining to become one big discoloration, like a burn. Then he pops his fist up toward Sid, a movement like a snake rearing its head and lunging forth. I see Sid start to bring his arm up to block his face, but then he brings it down and clutches his thigh. It’s almost as if he decided not to protect himself. The end result is a punch in his right eye, a screaming older daughter, a frightened younger daughter, a father trying to calm many people at once, and a mother-in-law cheering wildly as though we have all done something truly amazing.”
― Kaui Hart Hemmings, quote from The Descendants

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