A Place to Hang the Moon

William, Edmund, and Anna aren’t terribly upset by the death of their not-so-grandmotherly grandmother. But the children do need a guardian, and in the dark days of World War II London, those are in short supply. Could the mass wartime evacuation of children from London to the countryside be the answer? It’s a preposterous plan, but off they go—keeping their predicament a secret and hoping to be placed in a temporary home that ends up lasting forever.

Moving from one billet to another, the children suffer the cruel trickery of foster brothers, the cold realities of outdoor toilets, and the hollowness of empty stomachs. They find comfort in the village lending library, whose kind librarian, Nora Müller, seems an excellent choice of billet—except that her German husband’s whereabouts are currently unknown, and some of the villagers consider her unsuitable.

Set against the backdrop of World War II England, A Place to Hang the Moon is a story about the dire importance of family: the one you’re given, and the one you choose.