Synopsis
'A poignant and realistic picture of what the second world war was like for a child' – Shirley Hughes, The Guardian
‘A touching, utterly convincing book’ – Jacqueline Wilson, author of The Story of Tracy Beaker
Carrie's War offers a window into the life of evacuees during World War Two, full of Nina Bawden's award-winning humour and heart. Perfect for ages 9+.
Carrie and her little brother Nick are evacuated from wartime London to the Welsh hills. Their new home with strict Mr Evans and his kind but timid sister, Auntie Lou, offers little comfort.
But then Carrie and Nick visit Albert, another evacuee, and Hepzibah Green welcomes them into her warm kitchen. People say that she is a witch, but Hepzibah’s delicious cooking and enthralling stories are impossible to resist.
With the help of Albert, Hepzibah, and even Auntie Lou, Carrie and Nick begin to settle in. But before long, Carrie’s loyalty is tested. Will she be persuaded to betray her new friends?
Details
08 January 2026
9781035082780Reviews
A poignant and realistic picture of what the second world war was like for a child . . . Carrie's War captures the true reality of war for a child, and it doesn't sentimentalise war
Delicately done, full of accurate and unsentimental understanding
Perhaps the best of Nina Bawden's excellent novels
Always an important book, but even more so now with the refugee and asylum seeker crisis that brings the book new relevance
