As the threat of war looms over London, Ada's mother prepares to send her child to the country for safety. Jamie, Ada's brother. Ada can't go: her club foot means she can't walk, and she certainly can't be seen out of the house. Ada finds a way to sneak out anyway, and they're forced on an unmarried woman who never wanted children. slowly the all learn to trust and lean on each other, and figure out what family really is. 
 Somehow this manages to feel new and original, even though this kind of plot--overcoming disability, accepting oneself, recovering from a shitty parent --isn't all that unusual. Ada's pain and frustration is palpable; their guardian's eventual love is imperfect and real. 
 For all the references to the late Becky, there's never an explicit acknowledgement of the issues of same sex relationships in 1939 England. I don't know how I feel about that. There are a few oblique remarks about living together, living each other, and Susan's falling out with her pastor father because of her "sinning," but nothing more than that. I like the normalization, and that it's not a big deal to the story. Just having it there is huge and great, and I like that it's nbd, but I'd love to have a story with all the context and nuance about that relationship.