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Plot Summary of Back Home
"The story begins in 1945 when twelve-year-old Rusty Dickinson returns to Devon near the end of the Second World War. Five years ago she had been living away from the bombs in America, where she had grown up with a large, almost Bohemian family. She arrives to a war-torn England, where she suddenly feels alone and does not know even her mother very well. Rusty struggles to settle down to her new life, finding the differences between England and America unnerving.
Rusty's inner turmoil heightens when her family moves to Guildford and she is sent to boarding school for the first time. Her grandmother is hostile and anti-American, and her teachers and peers at school think that she is a complete tearaway. After having received good grades in America, she finds herself behind in her work at school. One day she meets a boy who was also evacuated to America, and risks expulsion to talk to him. They meet in the woods at night almost every night, but Rusty is concerned that her new friend (Lance) is settling in too quickly.
Almost out of the blue Rusty's father arrives at home from fighting in the War, and almost immediately follows constant conflict between the two of them. His ideas are relatively old fashioned to the point that her mother cannot talk to him anymore. Eventually Rusty decides to run away back to America, but is she prepared to leave her family behind? "

Liza Rosette, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Back Home
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's
Kids growing up/acting up? Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians Yes
Age group of kid(s) in story: - grade school
Parents/lack of parents problem? - boarding school! (wack wack!)
Conflict: - War, WW II

Main Character
Gender - Female
Age: - a kid
Ethnicity/Nationality - British
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - none

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 6 ()
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Back Home
Harry's War by D. Edward Bradley
The Keeper's Son by Homer Hickam, Jr.
Piece of Cake by Derek Robinson
Homeward My Heart by Judith Pella
Trouble in Paradise by Pip Granger


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Michelle Magorian Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Liza Rosette  

SCHOLARS:


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