I've read this before, but I remembered it being more coming-of-age than war narrative. Maybe that's Part 2, when she's at school in Europe. 
 As a story of the revolution, it's really good, which is why the 4-star rating. But for what I wanted it to be, it was a little boring and I don't feel like I got nearly as much out of it as I did when I first read it ten or so years ago.