The War I Finally Won

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2017

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-7

Chapters 8-13

Chapters 14-19

Chapters 20-26

Chapters 27-34

Chapters 35-43

Chapters 44-50

Chapters 51-57

Chapters 58-63

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Chapters 20-26Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 20 Summary

Lord and Lady Thorton return from their walk, but there is still tension between them. The conflict makes Ada anxious. She looks up the words “Christianity,” “Judaism,” “Jew,” and “monotheistic” in her dictionary, but she is still confused. People in the village distrust Ruth and behave coldly toward Susan and Ada when they shop for groceries.

One day when Ruth is out on a walk, Jamie looks through her possessions to make sure she’s not a German spy. Susan is angry, but Ada is relieved. Ruth asks to accompany Ada to the stables, where she goes every day to ride Butter and do chores, but Lady Thorton does not want a German near her home or at her stables.

Jamie’s cast is removed. Ruth is interested in Ada’s limp and asks about her clubfoot, but Ada refuses to discuss it with her.

Chapter 21 Summary

Ada is partnered with Lady Thorton to fire-watch. She reluctantly attends the shift with her and is once again terrified ascending the stairs and ladder to the steeple. Ada and Lady Thorton do not spot any planes. Ada is terrified of being so high up, and she is also very cold.

Lady Thorton shares a thermos of hot tea with Ada, and they discuss the joy they both feel in being useful. Lady Thorton admits that she would do anything for the war effort if it helped to bring Jonathan home safely.

Chapter 22 Summary

Lady Thorton volunteers to do the shopping. She takes everyone’s ration books and spends two weeks’ worth of meat rations on one pound of lamb, which is only enough for only one night’s meal for the five members of the household. Susan is irate, wondering what they will eat for the next two weeks. Ada resents that Lady Thorton never helps with the cooking or cleaning.

When Ruth receives a letter in the mail, Lady Thorton takes it and opens it. The exercise is pointless because Lady Thorton cannot read German, but it increases the tension in the household. Ruth storms upstairs, and Ada and Jamie are so upset that they cannot eat their dinner. Lady Thorton tries to force them to eat, but Susan overrules her.

Chapter 23 Summary

Ada and Ruth share a rare moment of camaraderie when Susan serves Ada, Ruth, and Jamie leftover lamb but gives none to Lady Thorton. The children did not eat their (very expensive) portion of lamb the night before, and Susan is strict with ensuring that everyone gets their fair share. Ada feels guilty upon noticing how sad and longing Ruth looks when Ada goes to the stables.

Ada wonders aloud why they can’t train dragons to fight Hitler. Susan finds this hilarious, and Ada is upset and feels stupid. Susan makes Ada write out 100 times: “I will not continue to conflate lack of knowledge with lack of intelligence” (161).

Chapter 24 Summary

Lord Thorton comes to stay for the weekend. He brings gifts for the household: perfume for Lady Thorton; a plant for the kitchen; soap for Lady Thorton, Susan, Ada, and Ruth; and chocolate for Jamie.

Ruth again asks Ada about her foot, but Ada is embarrassed and evades the question, responding that nothing is wrong with it.

Chapter 25 Summary

Maggie comes home from boarding school for a half-term break. She is surprised to see that Ada’s half of their shared bedroom is bare while her half is frilly and decorated. Ada explains that Lady Thorton made changes to the space without consulting her, so Ada removed decorations from her half of the room. They compromise and decide to have matching coverlets on their beds.

The girls enjoy each other’s company, discussing the events at school and at home and riding horses together.

Chapter 26 Summary

When Maggie returns to boarding school, Ada misses her greatly. Ada asks Fred Grimes, the stable hand, if Ruth can come to the stables to ride with her. He is reluctant to have a German in the stables, though he concedes that her being a Jewish German makes her slightly more acceptable.

Ada, Jamie, and Susan discuss heaven and hell. Ada thinks that their mother must be in hell, but Jamie hopes she is in heaven. Susan suggests that God might be merciful, as their mother clearly was not well.

Chapters 20-26 Analysis

Class differences cause tension in the household. Lady Thorton has always lived an aristocratic life and is not adjusting to living without servants. She expects the other household members to complete the chores, and Ada resents the fact that Lady Thorton never helps with the cooking or cleaning yet still expects to be fed and to live in a clean house. Lady Thorton’s decision to use two weeks’ worth of ration tickets to buy overpriced lamb, which will only provide one meal, illustrates how out of touch she is. She favors decadence and luxury over practicality, but this is an attitude that does not suit wartime living. Susan favors cheaper cuts of meat that go further for the household, a prudent decision when rationing is in effect.

Lady Thorton’s continued hostility toward Ruth reveals the extent of anti-German sentiment during the war. The idea of having Ruth—a German—near her stables is unthinkable to Lady Thorton. Though it is unlikely that a child, especially one who has been in Britain since the outbreak of the war, could be exchanging sensitive information to hinder the British war effort, Ruth is viewed as an enemy, and her movements are closely monitored. Lady Thorton even snatches Ruth’s letter away, considering it her duty to do so. Though this devastates Ruth, Lady Thorton is unrepentant, further demonstrating just how narrow her worldview is. She only sees Ruth as a German, not as a Jew or even as child separated from her parents and her home. This creates a contrast with Ada, who is beginning to recognize Ruth’s humanity and her loneliness, evident in her pleas to Fred to allow Ruth to come to the stable, and in Ada and Ruth’s moments of shared amusement at Lady Thorton’s expense.

Susan continues to embody all that a loving and fair mother should be. On the night that Lady Thorton opens Ruth’s letter, Lady Thorton tries to force Ada and Jamie to finish their dinner. Susan is uncharacteristically short with Lady Thorton, pointing out that the children are her responsibility. Susan understands that Jamie and Ada were too upset by the argument to finish their meal. She is perceptive of the children’s moods and understands that their past trauma means they find conflict extremely distressing.

Maggie is a kind and considerate friend to Ada. Unlike Lady Thorton, who made changes in Ada’s bedroom without consulting her, Maggie respects Ada’s preferences for the shared space. She sympathizes with Ada when Ada explains that she was upset that Lady Thorton did not consult her. They come to a compromise about their shared space, which makes Ada feel better.