A very detailed and authentic recreation of what life was like during WWII. There is a sadness and resignation that permeates much of this novel, and it certainly doesn’t end on a strictly happy note. However, the emotions within the novel do accurately reflect a period of uncertainty and insanity, and how those times affect a young girl. Kay is an intriguing protagonist that the reader cares about almost immediately. Few explicitly horrible happens to her, it’s mostly a series of unfair situations and simply growing up. The book referenced a lot of pop culture of the 1940s, especially the radio shows and radio heroes. This was done to show the fantasy world that Kay was living in, and how she finally had to face reality. I understand the motivations, but do think that there were too many mentions of radio shows. The author’s note that precedes the story gives valuable insight into the author’s point of view and how it affects the subsequent tale.