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Carrie's War
Albert, Carrie and young Nick are war-time evacuees whose lives get so tangled up with the people they've come to live among that the war and their real families seem to belong to another world. Carrie and Nick are billeted in Wales with old Mr Evans, who is so mean and cold, and his timid mouse of a sister, Lou, who suddenly starts having secrets.
Their friend Albert is luckier, living in Druid's Bottom with warm-hearted Hepzibah Green and the strange Mister Johnny, who can talk to animals but not to human beings. Carrie and Nick visit him there whenever they can for Hepzibah makes life exciting and enticing with her stories and delicious cooking. Gradually they begin to feel more at ease in their war-time home, but then, in trying to heal the rift between Mr Evans and his estranged sister, and save Druid's Bottom, Carrie does a terrible thing which is to haunt her for years to come.
Carrie revisits Wales as an adult and tells the story to her own children.
Their friend Albert is luckier, living in Druid's Bottom with warm-hearted Hepzibah Green and the strange Mister Johnny, who can talk to animals but not to human beings. Carrie and Nick visit him there whenever they can for Hepzibah makes life exciting and enticing with her stories and delicious cooking. Gradually they begin to feel more at ease in their war-time home, but then, in trying to heal the rift between Mr Evans and his estranged sister, and save Druid's Bottom, Carrie does a terrible thing which is to haunt her for years to come.
Carrie revisits Wales as an adult and tells the story to her own children.
173 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1973
175 people are currently reading
3856 people want to read
About the author
Nina Bawden
64 books91 followersNina Bawden was a popular British novelist and children's writer. Her mother was a teacher and her father a marine.
When World War II broke out she spent the school holidays at a farm in Shropshire along with her mother and her brothers, but lived in Aberdare, Wales, during term time.
Bawden attended Somerville College, Oxford, where she gained a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
Her novels include Carrie's War, Peppermint Pig, and The Witch's Daughter.
A number of her works have been dramatised by BBC Children's television, and many have been translated into various languages. In 2002 she was badly injured in the Potters Bar rail crash, and her husband Austen Kark was killed.
Bawden passed away at her home in London on 22 August 2012.
When World War II broke out she spent the school holidays at a farm in Shropshire along with her mother and her brothers, but lived in Aberdare, Wales, during term time.
Bawden attended Somerville College, Oxford, where she gained a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
Her novels include Carrie's War, Peppermint Pig, and The Witch's Daughter.
A number of her works have been dramatised by BBC Children's television, and many have been translated into various languages. In 2002 she was badly injured in the Potters Bar rail crash, and her husband Austen Kark was killed.
Bawden passed away at her home in London on 22 August 2012.
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September 19, 2019
As soon as I finished Carrie's War I instantly felt a little silly for enjoying it. I'm not entirely sure why, but it is a pure and simple tale that would take a lot of overthinking and analysis to not enjoy.
We follow Carrie and Nick, two children of London who are evacuated with little labels like parcels to a small mining village in Wales, away from the bombings and the terrors of the war. Immediately they are thrown from the comfort of a family life to a strangers house, where the war might be miles away but they are still living their own kind of war.
I was reminded a little of Swallows and Amazons , for both the innocence of the world and the simplicity of the story telling. We are living in a child's world and seeing it through their eyes, and they are not selfish and boring and self-righteous like a lot of YA protagonists seem to be, but are from a different kind when childhood meant childhood and growing up was done a little bit slower.
Much like Swallows and Amazons (and probably a lot of other books from that time), the plot and writing style are simple yet extremely effective. It is written well as the text flows seamlessly and we follow the lives of these children, not a story. It won't challenge your opinions or make you think too much, but it is a joy to read. Carrie and her brother Nick are wonderful little characters, as are all the other people that create the atmosphere of this book.
The nicest thing of this novel is how we see the world through Carrie's eyes, and the way she must navigate her life away from her parents. Although she is being looked after by two very respectable (if not a little meek or stern) adults, she still must live almost by her own wits. She must think her own thoughts and work things out for herself, which is conveyed very well throughout the story. We also see Carrie being very much an imperfect protagonist: she gets things wrong, and often lets her feelings get in the way of logic, or sees things through a child's eyes rather than the way they should be seen.
I can't say for certain why I felt a little foolish for enjoying this book so much. It was a simple read, but an enjoyable one. Perhaps because I feel there are other books that have greater literary merit that I've never quite been convinced to like. Perhaps because it is a children's tale, but then some of my favourites were written for children but are enjoyed more by adults. Perhaps there is no reason, and it was just a small, little spark of a feeling that passed quickly but felt larger because I was then going to share my feelings with the world. Enjoying a book is one thing, but telling other people about that enjoyment is another, and takes a certain kind of bravery.
We follow Carrie and Nick, two children of London who are evacuated with little labels like parcels to a small mining village in Wales, away from the bombings and the terrors of the war. Immediately they are thrown from the comfort of a family life to a strangers house, where the war might be miles away but they are still living their own kind of war.
I was reminded a little of Swallows and Amazons , for both the innocence of the world and the simplicity of the story telling. We are living in a child's world and seeing it through their eyes, and they are not selfish and boring and self-righteous like a lot of YA protagonists seem to be, but are from a different kind when childhood meant childhood and growing up was done a little bit slower.
Much like Swallows and Amazons (and probably a lot of other books from that time), the plot and writing style are simple yet extremely effective. It is written well as the text flows seamlessly and we follow the lives of these children, not a story. It won't challenge your opinions or make you think too much, but it is a joy to read. Carrie and her brother Nick are wonderful little characters, as are all the other people that create the atmosphere of this book.
The nicest thing of this novel is how we see the world through Carrie's eyes, and the way she must navigate her life away from her parents. Although she is being looked after by two very respectable (if not a little meek or stern) adults, she still must live almost by her own wits. She must think her own thoughts and work things out for herself, which is conveyed very well throughout the story. We also see Carrie being very much an imperfect protagonist: she gets things wrong, and often lets her feelings get in the way of logic, or sees things through a child's eyes rather than the way they should be seen.
I can't say for certain why I felt a little foolish for enjoying this book so much. It was a simple read, but an enjoyable one. Perhaps because I feel there are other books that have greater literary merit that I've never quite been convinced to like. Perhaps because it is a children's tale, but then some of my favourites were written for children but are enjoyed more by adults. Perhaps there is no reason, and it was just a small, little spark of a feeling that passed quickly but felt larger because I was then going to share my feelings with the world. Enjoying a book is one thing, but telling other people about that enjoyment is another, and takes a certain kind of bravery.
March 31, 2017
Like the four Pevensie children in The Chronicles of Narnia, Carrie and Nick Willow were evacuated from London to the countryside during the German bombing blitz at the beginning of WWII. The Willow's end up in a small town in Wales staying with Mr. Evans, a strict shopkeeper/preacher, and his sister "Auntie Lou". But the story is mostly set in a neighboring farm, Druid's Bottom. There Carrie and Nick will meet Albert Sandwich, Hepzibah Green, and Mr. Johnny, and their lives will be forever changed.
There were well over a million people, mostly children and mothers, evacuated during the Blitz in 1940 and 41. This had to have had a tremendous affect on these people. I'm surprised there aren't more novels and stories written about their experiences. Carrie's War is a children's book published in 1973, and later made into a BBC movie.
There were well over a million people, mostly children and mothers, evacuated during the Blitz in 1940 and 41. This had to have had a tremendous affect on these people. I'm surprised there aren't more novels and stories written about their experiences. Carrie's War is a children's book published in 1973, and later made into a BBC movie.
February 8, 2016
This book was a trip down memory lane for me - it was one of my favourites growing up.
If Carrie's War does nothing else, it teaches you a few lessons and it makes you happy and thankful for your lot. And if you have siblings, it makes you appreciate them more.
Carrie and Nick are children, and the story is told from Carrie's perspective. It was never going to be amazing and insightful in an adult way, but reading it as an adult has helped me better understand it.
A great read and a modern classic.
If Carrie's War does nothing else, it teaches you a few lessons and it makes you happy and thankful for your lot. And if you have siblings, it makes you appreciate them more.
Carrie and Nick are children, and the story is told from Carrie's perspective. It was never going to be amazing and insightful in an adult way, but reading it as an adult has helped me better understand it.
A great read and a modern classic.
January 8, 2023
A wonderful read. This is young adult fiction, and although I am not in that category anymore by a long shot, I loved it. 🙂 🙃 It had an interesting twist near the end of the book I didn’t expect . And then there was the ending and I had been expecting something bad to happen because I dimly remember reading a review of the book several weeks earlier (I remember very positive reviews of the book and so I ordered it from Abebooks) and remember reading something about that. Thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end!
Synopsis from back cover of the Virago Modern Classic re-issue:
• It is wartime. Carrie and her little brother Nick have been evacuated from London to the Welsh hills. In an unfamiliar place, among strangers, the children find little comfort in their new home with strict Mr. Evans and Auntie Lou, his kind but timid sister.
• When Carrie and Nick visit Albert, another evacuee, they are welcomed into Hepzibah’s Green’s warm kitchen. Although Hepzibah is rumored to be a witch, her cooking is delicious, her stories are enthralling and the children cannot keep away. With Auntie Lou, Albert, Hepzibah, and Mister Johnny, they begin to settle into their new surroundings. But before long, their loyalties are tested: will they be persuaded to betray their new friends?
Reviews:
• https://yakbooks.com/book.php?id=73
• https://www.theguardian.com/commentis...
• https://bagfullofbooks.com/2021/02/19...
Synopsis from back cover of the Virago Modern Classic re-issue:
• It is wartime. Carrie and her little brother Nick have been evacuated from London to the Welsh hills. In an unfamiliar place, among strangers, the children find little comfort in their new home with strict Mr. Evans and Auntie Lou, his kind but timid sister.
• When Carrie and Nick visit Albert, another evacuee, they are welcomed into Hepzibah’s Green’s warm kitchen. Although Hepzibah is rumored to be a witch, her cooking is delicious, her stories are enthralling and the children cannot keep away. With Auntie Lou, Albert, Hepzibah, and Mister Johnny, they begin to settle into their new surroundings. But before long, their loyalties are tested: will they be persuaded to betray their new friends?
Reviews:
• https://yakbooks.com/book.php?id=73
• https://www.theguardian.com/commentis...
• https://bagfullofbooks.com/2021/02/19...
January 28, 2022
It may well be that I, or my soul at least, need/s more "children's" books. Again, Bawden has reminded me that innocence exists, and perhaps the most frightening thing of all is being able to imagine the end of joy.
A story of young Londoners sent to a wee mining town in Wales during WWII to be safe from the Blitz. And despite Yeats' brilliance (and a new world war) some of the best are full of passionate intensity, not yet drowned. Carrie is 12, honestly baffled when folks act from arbitrary cruelty and dense selfishness. Can you remember learning about the existence of evil, not the fire and brimstone type, rather the evil of intolerance, prejudice, power? She and her brother still carry the magical communication skills we are born with but all too rapidly learn to ignore.
Like other Bawden books this one has the usual bevy of British-isms:
A new Samhain tradition (for me) -> the carved and creepy Turnip Head (a Celtic classic, apparently). A palpably warm woman healer being accused of being a witch. Phrases like "talking nineteen to the dozen". I love that stuff. Even Boris Johnson can't slay my Anglophilia. But I digress.
Just the facts: “Grown-ups don’t mind being nasty to children but they don’t like other grown-ups to know they’ve been nasty.”
re 'Druid’s Bottom' - an ancient valley full of gnarled Yew trees:
“It’s as silly to laugh as it is to be scared. There’s nothing to be scared of, anymore than in an old church. I think it’s just that places where people have believed things have an odd feel to them.”
A place where people believed things...
Imagine.
A story of young Londoners sent to a wee mining town in Wales during WWII to be safe from the Blitz. And despite Yeats' brilliance (and a new world war) some of the best are full of passionate intensity, not yet drowned. Carrie is 12, honestly baffled when folks act from arbitrary cruelty and dense selfishness. Can you remember learning about the existence of evil, not the fire and brimstone type, rather the evil of intolerance, prejudice, power? She and her brother still carry the magical communication skills we are born with but all too rapidly learn to ignore.
Like other Bawden books this one has the usual bevy of British-isms:
A new Samhain tradition (for me) -> the carved and creepy Turnip Head (a Celtic classic, apparently). A palpably warm woman healer being accused of being a witch. Phrases like "talking nineteen to the dozen". I love that stuff. Even Boris Johnson can't slay my Anglophilia. But I digress.
Just the facts: “Grown-ups don’t mind being nasty to children but they don’t like other grown-ups to know they’ve been nasty.”
re 'Druid’s Bottom' - an ancient valley full of gnarled Yew trees:
“It’s as silly to laugh as it is to be scared. There’s nothing to be scared of, anymore than in an old church. I think it’s just that places where people have believed things have an odd feel to them.”
A place where people believed things...
Imagine.
October 2, 2018
3.5 Stars.
September 30, 2009
Reading this book was rather distracting, since some other English Lit student had helpfully annotated it before me. Comments like "she takes refuge in household tasks" and "here gender roles are reasserted" are rather irritating when you're trying to read a book as a child. Carrie's War is set during the World War, and contains little details that place it well in that time -- the gas masks, the trains, the rationing -- in a way that's pretty matter-of-fact. Not "ooh look at me I'm historical fiction", but "this is a story that happens to be set in the World War". I liked the way it was framed by the adult Carrie and her children -- there's realism in the sense of continuity.
It's also very obviously a more modern children's story, since there isn't some big moral front and centre. There's some subtlety in the characters -- you feel a little sorry for Mr Evans, even if he doesn't come across as a very nice man.
And even though it's quite matter-of-fact and realistic, there is magic in it -- in Hepzibah, and in the strange names, and in the Grove and the fragment of skull. Enough that children can find something slightly otherworldly in it, if they want to. I always found magic everywhere like that when I was Carrie and Nick's age.
It's also very obviously a more modern children's story, since there isn't some big moral front and centre. There's some subtlety in the characters -- you feel a little sorry for Mr Evans, even if he doesn't come across as a very nice man.
And even though it's quite matter-of-fact and realistic, there is magic in it -- in Hepzibah, and in the strange names, and in the Grove and the fragment of skull. Enough that children can find something slightly otherworldly in it, if they want to. I always found magic everywhere like that when I was Carrie and Nick's age.
December 22, 2019
This book had a different twist to it that I liked. It begins 30 years after WW2, with an evacuee bringing her children back to the Welsh town she was sent to at age 12. She then relates to them in flashback what life was like for her and her brother as war refugees. It’s more of a story of children just being children, and learning to adjust to different circumstances, than it is just a war story.
January 15, 2025
2025
Loved Katherine Parkinson's narration!
2018
What a lovely story!
Loved Katherine Parkinson's narration!
2018
What a lovely story!
December 12, 2022
Rating: 3.5
I've been wanting to read this book for at least 17 years now, and finally managed to get my hands on a copy at the local library.
It was a smooth read, and I can see why its a classic in the genre.
Nina Bawden does a terrific job of simply yet elegantly portraying the nuances of human character, and the zigzagged line of though that a child's mind takes.
I expected another "Goodnight Mister Tom" from this book, however, this one doesn't hit that exact mark for me.
The biggest place where it fell short for me was that the story cuts off at the climax. Admittedly, the cliffhanger is a short-lived one, but I feel like the book had more potential that wasn't explored to its full capacity.
Either way, it was an enjoyable read, and one that I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys this type of fiction.
I've been wanting to read this book for at least 17 years now, and finally managed to get my hands on a copy at the local library.
It was a smooth read, and I can see why its a classic in the genre.
Nina Bawden does a terrific job of simply yet elegantly portraying the nuances of human character, and the zigzagged line of though that a child's mind takes.
I expected another "Goodnight Mister Tom" from this book, however, this one doesn't hit that exact mark for me.
The biggest place where it fell short for me was that the story cuts off at the climax. Admittedly, the cliffhanger is a short-lived one, but I feel like the book had more potential that wasn't explored to its full capacity.
Either way, it was an enjoyable read, and one that I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys this type of fiction.
September 27, 2018
Good, an interesting tale of life in wartime England, interwoven lives, the drama of families
Read
February 21, 2024for school; giving narnia vibes but without the special fantasy world. and let me ask u a question. what’s the best part of narnia? yeahhhhhhhhhh…..
January 20, 2012
This book is set within the Second World War and centres on Carrie and her brother Nick being evacuated to Wales from London.
We are told of Mr. Evans and his sister who own a shop and Carrie and Nick are sent to live with them, Mr. Evans is very strict and even his sister - Auntie Lou as she is referred to is fearful of him!
The book tells us of the adventures Carrie, Nick and another evacuee- Albert sandwich get up to in Druid's bottom, the curse of the skull which is locked in the library and what will happen if it is removed from the house and what it was like for them growing up so far away from home with a war going on.
As an adult Carrie returns with her children to Druid's bottom and it is then she realises she is not the one responsible for what happened to her friends all those years ago.
I was first introduced to this book when I was 11 and we were learning/studying about World War 2 in year 6, I thoroughly enjoyed the book then and still do now as an adult. It allows the reader to become 'Carrie' and imagine what it must have been like to leave your home as a 12 year old girl to go and live with strangers and not have any choice.
Nina Baldwin evokes emotion from her readers through the use of language and the story itself.
You will want to read this book again and again and I would definitely recommend it when introducing children to the topic of World War 2 as it encourages them to imagine what children of their age must have gone through during that time, it makes it easier for children to relate too.
We are told of Mr. Evans and his sister who own a shop and Carrie and Nick are sent to live with them, Mr. Evans is very strict and even his sister - Auntie Lou as she is referred to is fearful of him!
The book tells us of the adventures Carrie, Nick and another evacuee- Albert sandwich get up to in Druid's bottom, the curse of the skull which is locked in the library and what will happen if it is removed from the house and what it was like for them growing up so far away from home with a war going on.
As an adult Carrie returns with her children to Druid's bottom and it is then she realises she is not the one responsible for what happened to her friends all those years ago.
I was first introduced to this book when I was 11 and we were learning/studying about World War 2 in year 6, I thoroughly enjoyed the book then and still do now as an adult. It allows the reader to become 'Carrie' and imagine what it must have been like to leave your home as a 12 year old girl to go and live with strangers and not have any choice.
Nina Baldwin evokes emotion from her readers through the use of language and the story itself.
You will want to read this book again and again and I would definitely recommend it when introducing children to the topic of World War 2 as it encourages them to imagine what children of their age must have gone through during that time, it makes it easier for children to relate too.
June 18, 2018
Read this when I was a kid and read it again a couple of years ago, because I found a copy in a second-hand shop. I really liked it. The setting in the Welsh valley, I believe, the description of how the kids find the house on the side of the valley, away from the village is so real.
May 2, 2017
I read this in bits and chunks when I was at school (when you go to school in Wales, it's a book that's very difficult to escape) but didn't really have much of a coherent memory of it in my head. It's been a loose end in my reading history, one I've meant to go back and tie for a while.
Now I have and... well, I wish I'd paid a bit more attention at the time. I was surprised how clear my memories were of big chunks of the book, particularly the early parts, but often I was remembering the effect of them at the time, rather than feeling it anew.
Little things like Nick's strop about getting a Bible for his birthday rather than one of the knives Mr Evans knew he wanted felt much closer then than they do as an adult; now, it's behaviour I recognise in children but it isn't something I recognise in me.
The plot also feels a lot less substantial. It's interesting how much longer books seem as a child – I guess because your reading is so much slower – but I'm always surprised to go back and find books I remember spending weeks on were only a couple of hundred pages long.
I think Carrie's War suffers from that foreshortening; the name itself suggests a story covering years, but it's hard to sink into the world and lives of the characters when you can rattle through them in a few hours. That's not necessarily a problem of the book, just evidence I'm not the target audience.
Some books you can catch up with years after you first (or should have) read them. Others will remain in the past. Given the story it tells, maybe it's fitting that Carrie's War is the latter.
Now I have and... well, I wish I'd paid a bit more attention at the time. I was surprised how clear my memories were of big chunks of the book, particularly the early parts, but often I was remembering the effect of them at the time, rather than feeling it anew.
Little things like Nick's strop about getting a Bible for his birthday rather than one of the knives Mr Evans knew he wanted felt much closer then than they do as an adult; now, it's behaviour I recognise in children but it isn't something I recognise in me.
The plot also feels a lot less substantial. It's interesting how much longer books seem as a child – I guess because your reading is so much slower – but I'm always surprised to go back and find books I remember spending weeks on were only a couple of hundred pages long.
I think Carrie's War suffers from that foreshortening; the name itself suggests a story covering years, but it's hard to sink into the world and lives of the characters when you can rattle through them in a few hours. That's not necessarily a problem of the book, just evidence I'm not the target audience.
Some books you can catch up with years after you first (or should have) read them. Others will remain in the past. Given the story it tells, maybe it's fitting that Carrie's War is the latter.
November 29, 2016
From BBC School Radio:
Episode 1:
Carrie returns, as a grown up, to the Welsh town where she and her brother Nick were evacuated in World War 2. She takes her children along the old railway line, but everything is overgrown and looks different. Carrie tells the story of her time there, starting with the train journey from London to Wales…
Episode 2:
Carrie and Nick go to live at the grocers shop with Mr Evans and his sister, who they call Auntie Lou. Auntie Lou is kind, but tells them lots of house rules and how they should behave to in front of Mr Evans. When Carrie and Nick meet Mr Evans they see he’s a bully, but they manage to get along with him. That is, until Nick steals some biscuits…..
Episode 3:
The episode starts with a visit from Carrie and Nick’s mother. Carrie is worried that Nick will say he hates Mr Evans, but he doesn’t. Winter arrives and Carrie and Nick are sent to the old house in the valley - Druid’s Bottom – to collect the Christmas goose. They walk through the yew trees and hear scary noises. They run down towards the lights of the old house….
Episode 4:
Carrie and Nick arrive at Druid’s Bottom and meet the housekeeper Hepzibah Green, who looks after Mr Evans’ sister Mrs Gotobed. They meet Mr Johnny and realise there’s nothing to be afraid of, and their friend Albert Sandwich is living there too. Hepzibah is warm and kind and gives Carrie and Nick delicious food. Hepzibah tells them a magical story about the curse of the screaming skull.
Episode 5:
Carrie and Nick return to the town with the goose and Mr Evans asks about Hepzibah, and about his sister Mrs Gotobed. Carrie overhears Mr Evans saying he’s going to get her to spy on them! Carrie and Nick become regular visitors to Druid’s Bottom, they help Mr Johnny with the milking and Carrie meets old Mrs Gotobed. Mrs Gotobed gives Carrie an important message for Mr Evans, a message only to be passed on when she dies….
Episode 6:
It’s Carrie’s birthday, and after a party at Druid’s Bottom, Albert Sandwich kisses her! Mr Evans is cross when they get back because they’re late, but then he turns on Auntie Lou, who is all dressed up and wearing lipstick. Hepzibah explains to Carrie why there is such tension between Mr Evans, Auntie Lou and Mrs Gotobed. An American soldier comes looking for Auntie Lou to take her out. Carrie tells him to go away but Nick says she’s wrong and they run to fetch her.
Episode 7:
Carrie and Nick find Auntie Lou in the chapel. They tell her that Major Harper is in the pub, and she rushes to meet him. Mr Evans’ son Frederick visits, on leave from the army. He helps with the harvest but he’s mean to Mr Johnny. He tells Mrs Gotobed that he doesn’t want to inherit the shop from his father. Shortly after, Mrs Gotobed dies, and Carrie passes on her message to Mr Evans. He gets very angry….
Episode 8:
Carrie tries to warn Hepzibah, but Mr Evans has already been to Druid’s Bottom and given them a month to get out of the house. No-one can find Mrs Gotobed’s will, which would have allowed Hepzibah and Mr Johnny to stay. Mr Johnny says Mr Evans went into Mrs Gotobed’s jewel box, and Albert thinks he took an envelope. Carrie and Nick’s mother writes saying they can go and live with her in Scotland. Carrie’s not sure she wants to leave.
Episode 9:
Mr Evans gives Carrie a ring as a leaving present. Carrie and Nick go to Druid’s Bottom for a farewell tea, and Carrie shows the ring to off, but then they realise it belonged to Mrs Gotobed. Albert thinks Mr Evans stole it, and could also have stolen the will. Carrie throws the screaming skull into the bottomless horse pond to curse the house. Meanwhile Auntie Lou has gone away with the American soldier. Mr Evans tells Carrie that the ring was left to him by Mrs Gotobed, in an envelope. Carrie realises he didn’t steal it, and that there was no will.
Episode 10:
Carrie and Nick are on the train when Carrie sees Druid’s Bottom on fire. Carrie can’t stop crying, she thinks she caused the fire by throwing the skull in the pond. The story then goes back to Carrie as a grown-up, visiting the town with her own children. The children are exploring the valley where Druid’s Bottom would have been. They are stunned when they realise Hepzibah and Mr Johnny are still there, living in an outbuilding. Hepzibah invites them in for breakfast.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p041yhx3
Episode 1:
Carrie returns, as a grown up, to the Welsh town where she and her brother Nick were evacuated in World War 2. She takes her children along the old railway line, but everything is overgrown and looks different. Carrie tells the story of her time there, starting with the train journey from London to Wales…
Episode 2:
Carrie and Nick go to live at the grocers shop with Mr Evans and his sister, who they call Auntie Lou. Auntie Lou is kind, but tells them lots of house rules and how they should behave to in front of Mr Evans. When Carrie and Nick meet Mr Evans they see he’s a bully, but they manage to get along with him. That is, until Nick steals some biscuits…..
Episode 3:
The episode starts with a visit from Carrie and Nick’s mother. Carrie is worried that Nick will say he hates Mr Evans, but he doesn’t. Winter arrives and Carrie and Nick are sent to the old house in the valley - Druid’s Bottom – to collect the Christmas goose. They walk through the yew trees and hear scary noises. They run down towards the lights of the old house….
Episode 4:
Carrie and Nick arrive at Druid’s Bottom and meet the housekeeper Hepzibah Green, who looks after Mr Evans’ sister Mrs Gotobed. They meet Mr Johnny and realise there’s nothing to be afraid of, and their friend Albert Sandwich is living there too. Hepzibah is warm and kind and gives Carrie and Nick delicious food. Hepzibah tells them a magical story about the curse of the screaming skull.
Episode 5:
Carrie and Nick return to the town with the goose and Mr Evans asks about Hepzibah, and about his sister Mrs Gotobed. Carrie overhears Mr Evans saying he’s going to get her to spy on them! Carrie and Nick become regular visitors to Druid’s Bottom, they help Mr Johnny with the milking and Carrie meets old Mrs Gotobed. Mrs Gotobed gives Carrie an important message for Mr Evans, a message only to be passed on when she dies….
Episode 6:
It’s Carrie’s birthday, and after a party at Druid’s Bottom, Albert Sandwich kisses her! Mr Evans is cross when they get back because they’re late, but then he turns on Auntie Lou, who is all dressed up and wearing lipstick. Hepzibah explains to Carrie why there is such tension between Mr Evans, Auntie Lou and Mrs Gotobed. An American soldier comes looking for Auntie Lou to take her out. Carrie tells him to go away but Nick says she’s wrong and they run to fetch her.
Episode 7:
Carrie and Nick find Auntie Lou in the chapel. They tell her that Major Harper is in the pub, and she rushes to meet him. Mr Evans’ son Frederick visits, on leave from the army. He helps with the harvest but he’s mean to Mr Johnny. He tells Mrs Gotobed that he doesn’t want to inherit the shop from his father. Shortly after, Mrs Gotobed dies, and Carrie passes on her message to Mr Evans. He gets very angry….
Episode 8:
Carrie tries to warn Hepzibah, but Mr Evans has already been to Druid’s Bottom and given them a month to get out of the house. No-one can find Mrs Gotobed’s will, which would have allowed Hepzibah and Mr Johnny to stay. Mr Johnny says Mr Evans went into Mrs Gotobed’s jewel box, and Albert thinks he took an envelope. Carrie and Nick’s mother writes saying they can go and live with her in Scotland. Carrie’s not sure she wants to leave.
Episode 9:
Mr Evans gives Carrie a ring as a leaving present. Carrie and Nick go to Druid’s Bottom for a farewell tea, and Carrie shows the ring to off, but then they realise it belonged to Mrs Gotobed. Albert thinks Mr Evans stole it, and could also have stolen the will. Carrie throws the screaming skull into the bottomless horse pond to curse the house. Meanwhile Auntie Lou has gone away with the American soldier. Mr Evans tells Carrie that the ring was left to him by Mrs Gotobed, in an envelope. Carrie realises he didn’t steal it, and that there was no will.
Episode 10:
Carrie and Nick are on the train when Carrie sees Druid’s Bottom on fire. Carrie can’t stop crying, she thinks she caused the fire by throwing the skull in the pond. The story then goes back to Carrie as a grown-up, visiting the town with her own children. The children are exploring the valley where Druid’s Bottom would have been. They are stunned when they realise Hepzibah and Mr Johnny are still there, living in an outbuilding. Hepzibah invites them in for breakfast.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p041yhx3
December 7, 2012
I read this book when I was very young, probably about eight years old. Then in Year Five in primary school the teacher read it to us. I was obsessed with this book, renting the audiobook from the library (even though I could read the book no problem) and watching the film nearly every weekend.
In secondary school we had to read it again and the teacher was so impressed about how much I knew about the novel. We used to have English on a Friday afternoon and my teacher would read the book aloud to us - even putting on half-decent Welsh accents where necessary.
Carrie's War is a classic children's book that fills one with memories of coming-of-age, forgotten happiness and much-looked-forward-to visits to Grandma's house for tea.
A timeless good read for all ages.
In secondary school we had to read it again and the teacher was so impressed about how much I knew about the novel. We used to have English on a Friday afternoon and my teacher would read the book aloud to us - even putting on half-decent Welsh accents where necessary.
Carrie's War is a classic children's book that fills one with memories of coming-of-age, forgotten happiness and much-looked-forward-to visits to Grandma's house for tea.
A timeless good read for all ages.
May 27, 2012
Really loved this old children's book which, reading as an adult, has not lost its charm. Short and sweet. Give it a go!
December 27, 2022
I’ve not read this book before or seen the tv series (which I’d like to watch now). The story is about Carrie and her brother, Nick, and their time spent in Wales as evacuees. Can’t imagine standing in a hall full of strangers, waiting to be picked by someone who you have to go and live with. The story is based on the authors own experience as an evacuee. I loved Hepzibah and could imagine her warm, cosy kitchen and the mouth watering food she served.
A 4⭐️ read for me.
A 4⭐️ read for me.
February 18, 2023
My first purchase of the year 2023! I am quite proud that I held out so long (today is the 15th of January). And I only paid 80 pence for this in my local charity bookstore. To be read for #the52bookclub2023 reading challenge. Prompt: Author with my name.
And now I've read it! It started out as one of those pleasantly old-fashioned British children's books (how children's literature has changed since the Potter books!), with darkly hatched vignette illustrations by Faith Jacques, their outlines bleeding into the pages. I have the whole Narnia series in that grainy Puffin format: illustrators seem to have persisted in furnishing incredibly detailed, hatched and shaded drawings, and printers persisted in using course paper that removed all the detail and blurred the images into strangely melancholy blob pics.
The story, in that British children's book way of the 1930s to the 1970s (so late! so recent!), has main characters away from their parents, relatives in the army (previous generations had them in colonial postings), a set of quirky and sharply drawn adults, a 'verwunschene' cottage in a magical grove, people saying "beastly" and lots of descriptions of food. Those descriptions of meal times have always had the effect on me of grounding British children's stories, and yet the food is so very bland and pre-curry but, to a foreigner like me, oddly compelling and homey (though we never ate things like that when I was a child).
"Cold chicken and salad, a cheese and onion pie, a big plate of drop scones, thickly buttered." (p.143) "Sausage rolls, cheese sandwiches and firm, greenish tomatoes." (p.140) "There was a huge plate of mince pies, golden brown and dusted with sugar, a tall jug of milk, a pink ham, and slices of bread thickly spread with the lovely, pale, sweaty butter Carrie had seen in the dairy." (p.57)
Then, towards the end, the story shifts gear into something more than an interesting children's story. It brings us back to the framing story (the bulk of the novel is an analeptic return to a time 30 years before the first few pages), and then tips a lot of the things we had thought on their head. It stops before any sort of resolution and left me, the reader, with a wonderful sense of possibility and closure and opening at the same time. Very cleverly structured. And also lovely glimpses of adult truths behind the goings-on that are all focalised through the experiences, thoughts and feelings of children.
And now I've read it! It started out as one of those pleasantly old-fashioned British children's books (how children's literature has changed since the Potter books!), with darkly hatched vignette illustrations by Faith Jacques, their outlines bleeding into the pages. I have the whole Narnia series in that grainy Puffin format: illustrators seem to have persisted in furnishing incredibly detailed, hatched and shaded drawings, and printers persisted in using course paper that removed all the detail and blurred the images into strangely melancholy blob pics.
The story, in that British children's book way of the 1930s to the 1970s (so late! so recent!), has main characters away from their parents, relatives in the army (previous generations had them in colonial postings), a set of quirky and sharply drawn adults, a 'verwunschene' cottage in a magical grove, people saying "beastly" and lots of descriptions of food. Those descriptions of meal times have always had the effect on me of grounding British children's stories, and yet the food is so very bland and pre-curry but, to a foreigner like me, oddly compelling and homey (though we never ate things like that when I was a child).
"Cold chicken and salad, a cheese and onion pie, a big plate of drop scones, thickly buttered." (p.143) "Sausage rolls, cheese sandwiches and firm, greenish tomatoes." (p.140) "There was a huge plate of mince pies, golden brown and dusted with sugar, a tall jug of milk, a pink ham, and slices of bread thickly spread with the lovely, pale, sweaty butter Carrie had seen in the dairy." (p.57)
Then, towards the end, the story shifts gear into something more than an interesting children's story. It brings us back to the framing story (the bulk of the novel is an analeptic return to a time 30 years before the first few pages), and then tips a lot of the things we had thought on their head. It stops before any sort of resolution and left me, the reader, with a wonderful sense of possibility and closure and opening at the same time. Very cleverly structured. And also lovely glimpses of adult truths behind the goings-on that are all focalised through the experiences, thoughts and feelings of children.
December 18, 2022
So lovely to revisit this childhood favourite. I’ve simultaneously re-watched the original BBC TV series form 1974 too. I’d forgotten how lovely Nina Bawden’s writing is. My favourite children’s classic of the year.
May 15, 2016
The magic names of characters and places in this book
- Mrs Gotobed, Albert Sandwich, Hepzibah Green, Mister Johnny, Druid's Bottom, Druid's Grove,
remain magic, even when you realise this is no Harry Potter.
Then there is mean Mr Evans, a bully and referred to as an Ogre, and his bullied younger sister, the mousey Auntie Lou, to whose Welsh home Carrie Willow and her younger brother Nick are evacuated to escape the German bombardment of London.
No magic here - dislocation,an unhappy household.
Nick sees wickedness.
And learns of more at Druid's Bottom, a much happier place, where he and Carrie learn of Mr Evans' long estrangement from his now invalid older and wealthier sister Mrs Gotobed, Hepzibah's tale of the screaming skull and the curse it bears.
But nothing is quite what it seems.
People behave in unexpected ways giving the lie to opinions one has formed. Suspicions multiply. And so do surprises.
And finally Carrie leaves thinking she has brought down the curse on Druid's Bottom and on those she has come to care for.
Only 30 years later will her haunting memories be laid to rest.
This is the type of children's book one hopes Harry Potter readers may come across, where the magic is subtle and only gets fully expressed to open up a world of lost happiness in the very last line.
- Mrs Gotobed, Albert Sandwich, Hepzibah Green, Mister Johnny, Druid's Bottom, Druid's Grove,
remain magic, even when you realise this is no Harry Potter.
Then there is mean Mr Evans, a bully and referred to as an Ogre, and his bullied younger sister, the mousey Auntie Lou, to whose Welsh home Carrie Willow and her younger brother Nick are evacuated to escape the German bombardment of London.
No magic here - dislocation,an unhappy household.
Nick sees wickedness.
And learns of more at Druid's Bottom, a much happier place, where he and Carrie learn of Mr Evans' long estrangement from his now invalid older and wealthier sister Mrs Gotobed, Hepzibah's tale of the screaming skull and the curse it bears.
But nothing is quite what it seems.
People behave in unexpected ways giving the lie to opinions one has formed. Suspicions multiply. And so do surprises.
And finally Carrie leaves thinking she has brought down the curse on Druid's Bottom and on those she has come to care for.
Only 30 years later will her haunting memories be laid to rest.
This is the type of children's book one hopes Harry Potter readers may come across, where the magic is subtle and only gets fully expressed to open up a world of lost happiness in the very last line.
March 6, 2014
On to Wanda in GA
---
This has just opened in the West End and you can watch a snippet about it here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wa...
Condition: Used - Good
Sold by: World of Books Ltd £0.01
My cover:
There are lovely little drawings at the beginning of each chapter.
---
This has just opened in the West End and you can watch a snippet about it here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wa...
Condition: Used - Good
Sold by: World of Books Ltd £0.01
My cover:
There are lovely little drawings at the beginning of each chapter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2016
Boring book
May 20, 2021
Удивительные ощущения после прочтения.
Мне всегда сложно даже для самой себя провести черту между детской и недетской книгой, потому что я давно ловила себя на том, что очень люблю читать детскую литературу, даже будучи взрослой, и всегда нахожу в ней что-то очень важное для себя. Так и тут, не знаю, детская ли это книга в полной мере, но прочиталась она легко, буквально на одном дыхании.
В чём-то она неуловимо напоминала мне другие книги с сеттингом в Уэльсе - в процессе чтения в памяти всплывали то "Совы на тарелках", то "Среди других", но в целом это совершенно самостоятельная и своеобразная история. Персонажей немного, и перед читателем они предстают скорее сквозь призму восприятия главной героини, Кэрри, - но тем интереснее пытаться отделить собственный взгляд от её и составить своё мнение о каждом из них. И что мне здесь нравится - герои реалистичны, среди них нет свойственных для некоторых детских книг однозначно "плохих" и однозначно "хороших". Мистер Эванс, допустим, по сюжету явно претендует на роль главного отрицательного персонажа, но чем глубже копаешь, тем больше понимаешь, что это просто несчастный усталый человек с непростой судьбой. Да, он может быть жадным, нудным и непримиримым, но он не воплощение зла, а недостатки есть у всех. Так же, как и у его сестры Лу, которая вроде бы всем хороша - добрая, милосердная, трудолюбивая, только при всём при этом слабохарактерная, из-за чего даже детям кажется не очень умной. И ещё никто из них не статичен, каждый развивается по-своему - дети, естественно, взрослеют, а старшие просто что-то со временем осознают, что отчасти меняет их восприятие. Это правдиво и потому хорошо.
Ну и да, для меня определённо особое значение имеют книги, в которых я нахожу для себя что-то личное, и тут оно есть. Момент, когда про Кэрри и Альберта говорят, что они как живое воплощение сердца (в её случае) и ума (в его) - человек эмоциональный и человек рациональный, вроде бы противоположности, но упорно тянущиеся друг к другу. Читала и понимала, что Альберт чертовски похож на моего друга, вплоть до отдельных деталей во внешности. А Кэрри местами определённо немного я, только, наверно, более оптимистичная. Это странно - читать и узнавать в персонажах знакомые черты, и понимать, что на деле действительно сердце и ум не такие уж и несочетаемые.
Ещё здесь интересная кольцевая композиция, где обрамление представляет собой более позднее время, а в центре находится этакий флэшбэк, воспоминания Кэрри собственно о времени войны и жизни в эвакуации в Уэльсе. Концовку в каком-то смысле, наверно, можно назвать открытой, но общий настрой таков, что волей-неволей думаешь о счастливом завершении истории. Хотя этот счастливый конец для каждого человека в его личном представлении будет свой, но, во всяком случае, моя версия мне нравится, и это тот случай, когда я рада, что могу додумать её сама и не разочаровываться тем, что в конце всё повернулось не так, как ожидалось.
Мне всегда сложно даже для самой себя провести черту между детской и недетской книгой, потому что я давно ловила себя на том, что очень люблю читать детскую литературу, даже будучи взрослой, и всегда нахожу в ней что-то очень важное для себя. Так и тут, не знаю, детская ли это книга в полной мере, но прочиталась она легко, буквально на одном дыхании.
В чём-то она неуловимо напоминала мне другие книги с сеттингом в Уэльсе - в процессе чтения в памяти всплывали то "Совы на тарелках", то "Среди других", но в целом это совершенно самостоятельная и своеобразная история. Персонажей немного, и перед читателем они предстают скорее сквозь призму восприятия главной героини, Кэрри, - но тем интереснее пытаться отделить собственный взгляд от её и составить своё мнение о каждом из них. И что мне здесь нравится - герои реалистичны, среди них нет свойственных для некоторых детских книг однозначно "плохих" и однозначно "хороших". Мистер Эванс, допустим, по сюжету явно претендует на роль главного отрицательного персонажа, но чем глубже копаешь, тем больше понимаешь, что это просто несчастный усталый человек с непростой судьбой. Да, он может быть жадным, нудным и непримиримым, но он не воплощение зла, а недостатки есть у всех. Так же, как и у его сестры Лу, которая вроде бы всем хороша - добрая, милосердная, трудолюбивая, только при всём при этом слабохарактерная, из-за чего даже детям кажется не очень умной. И ещё никто из них не статичен, каждый развивается по-своему - дети, естественно, взрослеют, а старшие просто что-то со временем осознают, что отчасти меняет их восприятие. Это правдиво и потому хорошо.
Ну и да, для меня определённо особое значение имеют книги, в которых я нахожу для себя что-то личное, и тут оно есть. Момент, когда про Кэрри и Альберта говорят, что они как живое воплощение сердца (в её случае) и ума (в его) - человек эмоциональный и человек рациональный, вроде бы противоположности, но упорно тянущиеся друг к другу. Читала и понимала, что Альберт чертовски похож на моего друга, вплоть до отдельных деталей во внешности. А Кэрри местами определённо немного я, только, наверно, более оптимистичная. Это странно - читать и узнавать в персонажах знакомые черты, и понимать, что на деле действительно сердце и ум не такие уж и несочетаемые.
Ещё здесь интересная кольцевая композиция, где обрамление представляет собой более позднее время, а в центре находится этакий флэшбэк, воспоминания Кэрри собственно о времени войны и жизни в эвакуации в Уэльсе. Концовку в каком-то смысле, наверно, можно назвать открытой, но общий настрой таков, что волей-неволей думаешь о счастливом завершении истории. Хотя этот счастливый конец для каждого человека в его личном представлении будет свой, но, во всяком случае, моя версия мне нравится, и это тот случай, когда я рада, что могу додумать её сама и не разочаровываться тем, что в конце всё повернулось не так, как ожидалось.
June 17, 2024
Like a 2.5
Cute!
Cute!
May 13, 2018
Whilst I would like to award this story more than 2 stars, I feel I cannot, sadly. Whilst I like this story, I felt that something was distinctly lacking and at first, I wasn't sure what that was.
Written many moons before I was even born and based in the war you can definitely distinguish the difference between today's children and war children, though I do believe a modern type of child shone through in this story.
The main characters, Carrie and Nick Willow, like many children their age were evacuated from London to the countryside where they were considered safe. How lush to be billeted to Wales. Less fortunate to be billeted to Mr Evans, though I believe Mr Evans was fairly underestimated. Yes, he was a obsessive religious and strict man, however, he had had a difficult life, his father passing young and having to take care of his baby sister etc etc, his harsh, controlling ways managed to keep her safe but it made him appear and take up the actions of a bully. Really all he needed was some young minds to make him listen and see that really he needed to let go a little. He had always put his family first and made a name for himself in the community, but he needed to be less uptight.
Mr Johnny was the most interesting character I felt in the whole book and yet, we learnt nothing about him apart from that he could understand more than he could express, and he was really rather clever just there was no sympathy or support for the "invalid" generation. I would have liked to have known more about him and who he was but there wasn't much development for him in this story.
Hephzibah Green was a curious character but she was mostly a holistic practitioner to me and Mrs Gotobed was too extravagant for me to gain any interest from. I didn't really care much for Albert either if I'm honest, I thought him a bit of a loner and I can relate to that. He just liked his own company and freedom to be, to read, I get that.
Carrie and Nick to me, seemed to be very privileged as The Willow Children came from a household who had a maid and so I feel going to a small house in the country must have been a bit of a culture shock for both Carrie and young Nick who were clearly wealthy enough for slippers!
I have no real opinion of Carrie, I liked her sometimes and other times, I found her a bit of a snob. She was quite uncultured and un-inquisitive especially with Mr Johnny, she was always quite reserved regarding things she didn't understand. Nick on the other hand, rather did annoy me. He came across as rather spoilt at times, expecting to get things he wanted such as the "knife" etc however, he always seemed very grateful with what he did receive and in many ways his hotheadedness was the main reason I found him quite irritating. In comparison to Carrie, who was always careful and cautious to other people's feelings, Nick could be quite a smug child.
The plot in this story wasn't necessarily relevant to "war" so to speak. Whilst Carrie was clearly carrying out her own private war with Mr Evans and the spooky happenings at Druid's Bottom, readers interesting in wartime evacuee stories may be left a little disappointed. Yes, it's set in the war time era of the Second World War but except the odd mention of rations and a gas mask at the very beginning. Ultimately, the main focus of this story is friendship and reunion after time has passed.
For me the book was a little slow, that I can remember from a child too, I found it quite difficult to get into even now. The characters definitely had potential to bring the story together, but it never seemed to come to light for me. The plot fell quite flat and it almost became a series of ramblings about two children who got evacuated, made a friend with another evacuee and met a with at Druids Bottom with a skull that was cursed, made a mistake and never went back . . .
I do really enjoy this era of wartime and 1930's - 1950's historical biographies and fiction, but I think even as a child, I made a connection of it being flat and tiresome and that's what it remained unfinished for sooooo long. I wouldn't count this book as a "wartime adventure". The evacuation just brought the Willow children to Wales but any number of factors could have also done that, such as the children being sent away to stay with family, boarding school, holiday etc.
Written many moons before I was even born and based in the war you can definitely distinguish the difference between today's children and war children, though I do believe a modern type of child shone through in this story.
The main characters, Carrie and Nick Willow, like many children their age were evacuated from London to the countryside where they were considered safe. How lush to be billeted to Wales. Less fortunate to be billeted to Mr Evans, though I believe Mr Evans was fairly underestimated. Yes, he was a obsessive religious and strict man, however, he had had a difficult life, his father passing young and having to take care of his baby sister etc etc, his harsh, controlling ways managed to keep her safe but it made him appear and take up the actions of a bully. Really all he needed was some young minds to make him listen and see that really he needed to let go a little. He had always put his family first and made a name for himself in the community, but he needed to be less uptight.
Mr Johnny was the most interesting character I felt in the whole book and yet, we learnt nothing about him apart from that he could understand more than he could express, and he was really rather clever just there was no sympathy or support for the "invalid" generation. I would have liked to have known more about him and who he was but there wasn't much development for him in this story.
Hephzibah Green was a curious character but she was mostly a holistic practitioner to me and Mrs Gotobed was too extravagant for me to gain any interest from. I didn't really care much for Albert either if I'm honest, I thought him a bit of a loner and I can relate to that. He just liked his own company and freedom to be, to read, I get that.
Carrie and Nick to me, seemed to be very privileged as The Willow Children came from a household who had a maid and so I feel going to a small house in the country must have been a bit of a culture shock for both Carrie and young Nick who were clearly wealthy enough for slippers!
I have no real opinion of Carrie, I liked her sometimes and other times, I found her a bit of a snob. She was quite uncultured and un-inquisitive especially with Mr Johnny, she was always quite reserved regarding things she didn't understand. Nick on the other hand, rather did annoy me. He came across as rather spoilt at times, expecting to get things he wanted such as the "knife" etc however, he always seemed very grateful with what he did receive and in many ways his hotheadedness was the main reason I found him quite irritating. In comparison to Carrie, who was always careful and cautious to other people's feelings, Nick could be quite a smug child.
The plot in this story wasn't necessarily relevant to "war" so to speak. Whilst Carrie was clearly carrying out her own private war with Mr Evans and the spooky happenings at Druid's Bottom, readers interesting in wartime evacuee stories may be left a little disappointed. Yes, it's set in the war time era of the Second World War but except the odd mention of rations and a gas mask at the very beginning. Ultimately, the main focus of this story is friendship and reunion after time has passed.
For me the book was a little slow, that I can remember from a child too, I found it quite difficult to get into even now. The characters definitely had potential to bring the story together, but it never seemed to come to light for me. The plot fell quite flat and it almost became a series of ramblings about two children who got evacuated, made a friend with another evacuee and met a with at Druids Bottom with a skull that was cursed, made a mistake and never went back . . .
I do really enjoy this era of wartime and 1930's - 1950's historical biographies and fiction, but I think even as a child, I made a connection of it being flat and tiresome and that's what it remained unfinished for sooooo long. I wouldn't count this book as a "wartime adventure". The evacuation just brought the Willow children to Wales but any number of factors could have also done that, such as the children being sent away to stay with family, boarding school, holiday etc.
January 9, 2023
Books about the war and evacuation always interest me and this was no exception. We join Carrie and her brother Nick as they journey to Wales from London during WW2 to live with Mr Evans and his sister Louise. There’s a lovely range of characters with a sprinkling of magic and with Bawden’s writing, made for a lovely read indeed.
March 25, 2019
Guilt is a terrible thing. And when it's brought about by such a tenuous belief as sympathetic magic, the sense of culpability can overwhelm---even when there may be no actual cause-and-effect involved between an act and what happens subsequently. Such is the case with Carrie when, as an adult, she revisits the South Wales mining community where she was evacuated during the Second World War and where she has to confront fears engendered thirty years before.
As with many child evacuees Carrie and her younger brother Nick are separated from her widowed mother, sent to the Valleys while their mother relocates to Scotland for the war's duration. They stay with the odious Mr Evans and his anxious sister Aunty Lou in a bleak mining village (based on Blaengarw, north of Bridgend, which is where the author was herself evacuated to). Nothing they do seems to ingratiate themselves with the self-righteous bullying Mr Evans, who rules his little domain with spite and parsimony.
Luckily there are altogether more friendly people to leaven their existence: Albert Sandwich, another evacuee who lodges with Norfolk-born Hepzibah Green and the child-like Mister Johnny, whom Nick instantly befriends. These all live outside the village at an old farmhouse called Druid's Bottom, just within sight of the railway line; it's the home of the now widowed Mrs Gotobed, estranged sister of Mr Evans.
And so the scene is set for the inevitable misunderstandings, conflicts and possible tragedy, as seen through the eyes of the twelve-year-old, and as remembered by her adult self.
Carrie's War is every bit as brilliant as its reputation suggests. It is a poignant reminder of how childhood can be blighted by the inconsiderate and incomprehensible actions of adults, and even more so in an age where children were suffered to be seen but not heard. When delights come her way -- a welcoming kitchen, a cuddle, an unexpected picnic -- she grabs and relishes them while she can, but the contrast between these and the treading-on-eggshells consequent on Mr Evans' constant negativity is sharp and terrible. Druid's Bottom, and the earby Druid's Grove, also hold contrary emotions for her -- sometimes comfort, other times fear -- for along with the motherly Hepzibah and innocent Mister Johnny is a woman very much like Miss Havisham, one with secrets of her own, plus an ancient relic which may or may not be cursed.
Carrie's instinct is to look for the best in human nature, to try and give people the benefit of the doubt (an instinct her brother refuses to yield to in the face of Mr Evans' hypocrisy), which all renders the unfolding drama so heartbreaking. When Carrie does commit an act of desperation, the subsequent disaster -- which she believes is her fault -- brings her to a nadir in her young life. Which makes the final denouement even more powerful, one that I have to confess resulted in the shedding a tear or two.
The war that is Carrie's is only partly related her experience of those terrible years when the outside world went mad; mostly it describes the conflict that she encounters in that valley. It's a fitting coincidence that the Blaengarw that Nina Bawden herself knew was where the words of the famous Welsh hymn Calon Lân were composed by Daniel James, for Calon Lân translates as 'a pure heart'. Love is the idée fixe that runs through this novel: love given, love taken away, love lost and love regained.
As with many child evacuees Carrie and her younger brother Nick are separated from her widowed mother, sent to the Valleys while their mother relocates to Scotland for the war's duration. They stay with the odious Mr Evans and his anxious sister Aunty Lou in a bleak mining village (based on Blaengarw, north of Bridgend, which is where the author was herself evacuated to). Nothing they do seems to ingratiate themselves with the self-righteous bullying Mr Evans, who rules his little domain with spite and parsimony.
Luckily there are altogether more friendly people to leaven their existence: Albert Sandwich, another evacuee who lodges with Norfolk-born Hepzibah Green and the child-like Mister Johnny, whom Nick instantly befriends. These all live outside the village at an old farmhouse called Druid's Bottom, just within sight of the railway line; it's the home of the now widowed Mrs Gotobed, estranged sister of Mr Evans.
And so the scene is set for the inevitable misunderstandings, conflicts and possible tragedy, as seen through the eyes of the twelve-year-old, and as remembered by her adult self.
Carrie's War is every bit as brilliant as its reputation suggests. It is a poignant reminder of how childhood can be blighted by the inconsiderate and incomprehensible actions of adults, and even more so in an age where children were suffered to be seen but not heard. When delights come her way -- a welcoming kitchen, a cuddle, an unexpected picnic -- she grabs and relishes them while she can, but the contrast between these and the treading-on-eggshells consequent on Mr Evans' constant negativity is sharp and terrible. Druid's Bottom, and the earby Druid's Grove, also hold contrary emotions for her -- sometimes comfort, other times fear -- for along with the motherly Hepzibah and innocent Mister Johnny is a woman very much like Miss Havisham, one with secrets of her own, plus an ancient relic which may or may not be cursed.
Carrie's instinct is to look for the best in human nature, to try and give people the benefit of the doubt (an instinct her brother refuses to yield to in the face of Mr Evans' hypocrisy), which all renders the unfolding drama so heartbreaking. When Carrie does commit an act of desperation, the subsequent disaster -- which she believes is her fault -- brings her to a nadir in her young life. Which makes the final denouement even more powerful, one that I have to confess resulted in the shedding a tear or two.
The war that is Carrie's is only partly related her experience of those terrible years when the outside world went mad; mostly it describes the conflict that she encounters in that valley. It's a fitting coincidence that the Blaengarw that Nina Bawden herself knew was where the words of the famous Welsh hymn Calon Lân were composed by Daniel James, for Calon Lân translates as 'a pure heart'. Love is the idée fixe that runs through this novel: love given, love taken away, love lost and love regained.
September 1, 2013
Carrie’s War tells the story of Carrie and her brother Nick who are evacuated to Wales from London during the Second World War. Despite Carrie anticipating life in Wales to be extremely boring and dull, she encounters many different characters and becomes involved in numerous adventures during her stay there.
Carrie and Nick stay with Mr Evans and his sister Louise, whom they call Auntie Lou. Whilst Lou tries to be a surrogate mother to the two, Mr Evans is not so fatherly and is very strict and stern. Carrie and Nick befriend another evacuee, Albert Sandwich, who is staying at Druid’s Bottom with Mr Evans’ other sister, Mrs Gotobed, her maid, Hepzibah, and Mr Johnny. Hepzibah is a witch and tells them the story of the cursed skull which is kept in the library. At the end of Carrie’s story, Carrie and Nick leave for Scotland to live with their mother. Carrie throws the skull out of the window into a pond and as their train is leaving Wales, she sees Druid’s Bottom in flames and thinks everyone has been killed and that it is her fault for throwing the skull away. The last chapter in the book is set in the present day again and we learn that everyone survived and Carrie is reunited with Hepzibah and Mr Johnny.
This story is a great introduction into the topic of the Second World War. I like the way Bawden uses the older Carrie to tell the story as we hear the events directly from the protagonist herself. You put yourself in Carrie’s shoes and think how you would feel if you were in her position. It also gives us a sense of closure at the end, as we find out what really happened after the ends of young Carrie’s story. The book teaches moral values, for example, treating everybody equally and being respectful and also has the aspect of magic which is successful in children’s literature.
This book can be used as a learning tool when teaching children about the Second World War. It would be suitable for children aged 8 and over and could either be read to the class as part of the lesson or it could be read individually.
Carrie and Nick stay with Mr Evans and his sister Louise, whom they call Auntie Lou. Whilst Lou tries to be a surrogate mother to the two, Mr Evans is not so fatherly and is very strict and stern. Carrie and Nick befriend another evacuee, Albert Sandwich, who is staying at Druid’s Bottom with Mr Evans’ other sister, Mrs Gotobed, her maid, Hepzibah, and Mr Johnny. Hepzibah is a witch and tells them the story of the cursed skull which is kept in the library. At the end of Carrie’s story, Carrie and Nick leave for Scotland to live with their mother. Carrie throws the skull out of the window into a pond and as their train is leaving Wales, she sees Druid’s Bottom in flames and thinks everyone has been killed and that it is her fault for throwing the skull away. The last chapter in the book is set in the present day again and we learn that everyone survived and Carrie is reunited with Hepzibah and Mr Johnny.
This story is a great introduction into the topic of the Second World War. I like the way Bawden uses the older Carrie to tell the story as we hear the events directly from the protagonist herself. You put yourself in Carrie’s shoes and think how you would feel if you were in her position. It also gives us a sense of closure at the end, as we find out what really happened after the ends of young Carrie’s story. The book teaches moral values, for example, treating everybody equally and being respectful and also has the aspect of magic which is successful in children’s literature.
This book can be used as a learning tool when teaching children about the Second World War. It would be suitable for children aged 8 and over and could either be read to the class as part of the lesson or it could be read individually.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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