Deeply Human
Brigitta is a young Austrian teenager. She is strong and fierce, and quick witted, but she is also a Jewish war orphan with nothing left to lose.
When Brigitta arrives in England, she has only one thought in mind - get to Summerland estate and find out once and for all the truth about her past.
This book is both lightly whimsical and deeply impactful. The amount of orphans left after World War II isn't something I had ever thought about, but it was a very real issue. The times that Brigitta remembers from her time hiding during the war are intensely sad and painfully real.
Brigitta is a normal teenager, but also a traumatised young woman, and she tries to related to the others her own age, but ultimately gets on best with Sophie the house keeper and the young Lord of the manor who was a pilot during the war.
I really enjoyed the hints of romance throughout the book, as well as the realism, showing how "it couldn't happen here" is really a phrase that none of us can truthfully say. Where there are humans, there is suspicion, greed and betrayal. However, as Brigitta finds, there are also loyalty, adaptability, and kindness in the most unexpected places.
The big twist in this book was upsetting to me, mainly because of the repercussions and the sad circumstances that led to it. However, it was a realistic and believable surprise for the era.
Overall, I liked this book a lot more than I expected to. It was fun yet thoughtful, and deeply human. The characters were loveable and interesting, and the story was simple in the right ways but complex enough to keep you reading.
