Recently, I read the book “The Tunnel” by Anna Woltz and I thought it was very well-written. It describes the everyday life in London at the time of World War 2. A 14-year-old girl called Ella tells us about her life during the war and the nightly bombings.
The main character Ella is a polio survivor and still suffers a lot because of her paralyzed leg. She narrates the story and tells us about her life in September 1940. London is bombed every night and Ella, her younger brother Robbie, her family and many other people seek protection in the underground tunnels. London is bombed so often that Ella’s father must go out on the street at night and look after things every second night. Ella makes two new friends in the book. One is called Quinn, who ran away from home convinced that she could become a nurse and help England win the war. But when she was sent away from the hospital because of her age she started spending her time with Ella. Quinn is very adventurous and often advocates for equality. Throughout the book, Ella learns to understand why Quinn ran away and tries to help her.
Jay is a boy whom Ella doesn't like at all at the beginning. He teases her about her leg and imitates her. Ella is convinced that he is an evil pickpocket, but she soon finds out about Jay's past and they become better friends.
The four kids (including Ella’s brother Robbie) experience many adventures, despite the war and the obvious danger. Only three of them survive the war.
I thought the book is very empathetic and the life during war is vividly described. I loved that the book is written from the point of view of a 14-year-old; it was pretty easy to dip into the book. The emotions varied and it had a little bit of everything.
The book immediately caught my interest and I strongly recommend it.