A Place to Hang the Moon - Book Review

Reviewed by: Shanea Rinn

Author: Kate Albus

Readability Age Range: 9 and up

Book Summary

"It is 1940 and Anna, 9, Edmund, 11, and William, 12, have just lost their grandmother.

Unfortunately, she left no provision for their guardianship in her will. Her solicitor comes up with a preposterous plan: he will arrange for the children to join a group of schoolchildren who are being evacuated to a village in the country, where they will live with families for the duration of the war.

He also hopes that whoever takes the children on might end up willing to adopt them and become their new family--providing, of course, that the children can agree on the choice.

Moving from one family to another, the children suffer the cruel trickery of foster brothers, the cold realities of outdoor toilets, and the hollowness of empty tummies. They seek comfort in the village lending library, whose kind librarian, Nora Muller, seems an excellent candidate--except that she has a German husband whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Nevertheless, Nora's cottage is a place of bedtime stories and fireplaces, of vegetable gardens and hot, milky tea. Most important, it's a place where someone thinks they all three hung the moon. Which is really all you need in a mom, if you think about it."

My Review

I was recommended this book off of Instagram, and I must say, was highly satisfied. It reminded me very much of books like "Little Princess" or "Secret Garden." And it's quality is just that - a timeless classic.

Christian / Religious theme / Moral

This story is not written with a Biblical world view or aimed at presenting any part of the Gospel message. Thus I would not categorize it as "Christian Fiction."

As a secular book, I find it to be very clean, innocent, and good morals are upheld. As stated before, it is very comparable to classics like, "Little Princess", "Secret Garden," "Little Woman."

Character/s Quality

The three children in the story are admirable, lovable, innocent, have childish quirks and flaws, but generally good natured and loyal to each-other. As the story goes on, you see them grow closer together, as well as in character as they search for their forever home.

Violence / Fear / Gore / Horror

There is no violence in this book. There are bullies, neglectful foster parents, but nothing bloody, gory, horrific, or terrifying is portrayed.

Fantasy / Magic

There is no fantasy or magic in this series. It is a historical fiction, very accurate to history and believable life.

Romance

Romance is not present in this story unless you count the crush a young girl has on the young man who is desperately trying to avoid her. It goes no further than that and is quite hilarious in nature.

If there is one scene I did not care for, it had to do with a conversation between teachers telling the students a story about a woman who rode through her village naked as a protest. In the story, it affects the young man who becomes embarrassed about it because of the young girl who has a crush on him. I personally didn't think that was necessary and could have done without that scene, as it seemed to step too close to losing the feeling of innocence the book maintained throughout.

Some may differ on opinion. But I feel it my responsibility to give an honest review, especially for parents who are sensitive on certain issues. Other than that one small part of the book, I really have nothing negative to say.

Language

There are no swear words, or cuss words in the novel.

Final Thoughts

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the sweetness of it. The struggle of the three children is very touching and the ending so satisfying. With the exception of that one small scene mentioned above, I have nothing negative to say about it and would definitely recommend it as a sweet little family read aloud. It is a true classic.

Where can I find these books?

This series is available individually across many different book stores. It is available as a softcover, hardcover, kindle edition, e-book, and audiobook. A few of the book stores include Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Penguin Random House Publishing

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