Saplings

Saplings follows the Wiltshire family - parents Alex and Lena and their four children - as they navigate life in London during World War II. The story centers on the children's experiences and perspectives while also exploring their mother Lena's point of view. The family begins the tale living a comfortable middle-class existence in Regent's Park before the war disrupts their lives. As bombing threats force evacuations and separations, the family must adapt to new living arrangements and changing dynamics. The narrative tracks how wartime pressures and social upheaval impact both the children's development and the family's relationships with each other. The story unfolds through both adult and child perspectives, creating a multi-layered view of how war affects domestic life. Through its dual focus on children's and adult experiences, Saplings examines themes of innocence, resilience, and the true cost of war on family structures. The novel stands as a unique blend of children's literature elements and serious psychological examination of wartime trauma.

Readers describe Saplings as a realistic portrayal of how WWII affected middle-class British children psychologically. The book maintains a 4.1/5 rating on Goodreads from over 800 ratings. Readers praise: - Detailed observation of children's thoughts and behaviors - Complex portrayal of adult characters' flaws and struggles - Authentic depiction of wartime family disruption - Clear, unsentimental writing style Common criticisms: - Slow pacing in middle sections - Too many peripheral characters - Some find the ending abrupt Multiple reviewers note the book's darker tone compared to Streatfeild's Ballet Shoes series. One Goodreads reviewer called it "devastating in its quiet way," while another described it as "psychologically sophisticated but sometimes difficult to read due to the children's suffering." Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (824 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (89 ratings) LibraryThing: 4.2/5 (51 ratings)

Carrie's War by Nina Bawden This World War II evacuation story follows children adjusting to life away from London while living with a Welsh mining family.

Back Home by Michelle Magorian The story tracks a young girl's struggle to reconnect with her family after spending five years as an evacuee in America during WWII.

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian A London evacuee finds a new life with a reclusive man in the countryside during World War II, showing the impact of war on children's emotional development.

The Children of Green Knowe by Lucy M. Boston The tale centers on a boy sent to live with his grandmother in an ancient manor house, capturing themes of childhood displacement and family bonds.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis Four siblings evacuated to the countryside during World War II discover a magical world, paralleling the displacement themes in Saplings.

★ First published in 1945, Saplings was one of Noel Streatfeild's few novels written specifically for adults, marking a departure from her famous children's books like "Ballet Shoes." ★ The book's portrayal of wartime evacuation reflects Streatfeild's real-life experiences working with evacuated children during WWII through the Citizens' Advice Bureau. ★ Regent's Park, where much of the story is set, served as a barrage balloon site during WWII and suffered significant bomb damage, including the destruction of the Open Air Theatre in 1940. ★ The author's surname was frequently misspelled as "Streatfield," so much so that C.S. Lewis once wrote "It is the book you are looking for" on a note to a child searching for a Noel Streatfield book. ★ Though out of print for decades, Saplings was revived in 2000 by Persephone Books, a publisher dedicated to neglected works by 20th-century women writers.