A. Bibliographic Data:
How I Live Now, by Meg Rosoff, published by Wendy Lamb Books in 2004; ISBN: 0385746776
B. Plot Summary:
Daisy has spent the first 15 years of her life in New York. When she can no longer handle living with her father and now pregnant stepmother, Daisy heads off to England to live with her aunt and cousins. She bonds with them immediately, especially Edmond, who is a year younger than her, and Piper, who is nine years old. Edmond’s twin, Isaac, and Osbert, the eldest brother, do not quite make the same connection with Daisy that their siblings do. And Aunt Penn works a lot, keeping her away from home. Daisy has only been in England a few days when Aunt Penn heads off to Oslo, and then a bomb goes off in a train station in London, and everything changes. With Aunt Penn stuck in Oslo, the children fend for themselves and get used to living without adult supervision. Edmond and Daisy soon realize that their connection goes beyond that of cousinly love, and they give in to their hormones and fall into teenage infatuation. Before they know it, though, the war really has begun and spread to even their small village. A British Army unit sequesters their house and sends Piper and Daisy off to one house and Edmond and Isaac to another, while Osbert gets to stay behind and help with the military efforts. Things spiral from bad to worse as the war intensifies. Daisy and Piper, having gathered what bits of information they could from their hosts, escape after tragic events cause chaos and head off to find the rest of their family. After weeks of hard travel with little nourishment and even less rest or comfort, Piper and Daisy finally reach home. Having been first to the place where Isaac and Edmond should have been and finding only the remains of a tragic massacre, they have no choice but to wait for their loved ones to return. While they are waiting, simply surviving day by day, phone service returns, and Daisy’s father calls from New York. He has her sent home immediately, in spite of Daisy’s resistance, and she is not able to return for six more years. When she can finally go back to the place she feels she belongs, Daisy finds it very much changed. Piper has grown up and fallen in love, and Edmond has shut down. They have become self-sufficient at the farm, because it is easier and makes more sense. Daisy works each day to reconnect with Edmond, and she lives where she belongs, in the peace of the English countryside with her family around her.
C. Critical Analysis:
For several reasons, this was a very difficult book to read. First, it is written in an awkward style. Minimal punctuation is used, with run-on sentences abounding and no quotation marks to indicate dialogue. Incest is also generally an uncomfortable topic, although I found myself understanding and supporting Daisy nonetheless. Having my own connections to England as well, it was hard to imagine the country torn apart by war. As I began to read, I thought it might be future historical fiction, mentioning the bombing that did occur in London a few years ago. Thankfully, though, our reality diverges there from that of the book, which enters into a drawn-out horror of a war. Rosoff does an excellent job depicting the harsh realities faced by citizens of a country torn apart by conflict. Daisy and Piper are caught in a whirlwind of military activity, shunted from place to place without being consulted. They escape and take their lives into their own hands, only to face new obstacles and dangers each day. Daisy’s fierce love and protectiveness keep them both going as they face the unimaginable on their journey home. And then she is rewarded by being dragged away from the people she loves. Even when Daisy is finally able to return, the war has reshaped the place she once new. Through it all, though, her own growth as a person shines through. Daisy matures as she fights for her own life and Piper’s, and as she realizes how small her problems are in the scheme of things. The characters in this story are well-developed and endearing, immediately finding a place in readers’ hearts. Dialogue, although not clearly distinguished from the narrative, is realistic and reflective of the characters’ continued growth. Rosoff’s style is certainly unique, but the characters and themes she presents resonate with a truth that will endure.
D. Review Excerpts:
~ "Provocative." – The New York Times Book Review
~ "She is able to bring the future and the war alive through the story of children who weren't directly involved in the action. Written for middle and high school, the book is a page-turner and truly enjoyable." – Laura McAndrews, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy
~ “Waves of global terrorism and a tough, contemporary 15-year-old protagonist are the defining elements in this startlingly original first novel, which tenderly interweaves a deeply felt first romance with the main character's transition from sardonic, self-absorbed teen to resourceful survivor.” - Booklist
~ “A captivating and deeply satisfying first novel.” – The Horn Book Magazine
~ Winner, 2005 Michael L. Printz Award
~ Winner, 2005 Branford Boase Award
E. Connections:
~ Discuss the realities of war and its effect on people and countries.
~ Talk about what readers would have done in the place of Daisy – or Piper, Edmond, Isaac, Osbert, Aunt Penn, or Daisy’s father.
~ Have students write alternate endings for the book.
~ Compile character collages for a character of the reader’s choice.
~ Create ‘survival packs’ with what participants would like to bring if they had to do what Daisy & Piper did.
How I Live Now, by Meg Rosoff, published by Wendy Lamb Books in 2004; ISBN: 0385746776
B. Plot Summary:
Daisy has spent the first 15 years of her life in New York. When she can no longer handle living with her father and now pregnant stepmother, Daisy heads off to England to live with her aunt and cousins. She bonds with them immediately, especially Edmond, who is a year younger than her, and Piper, who is nine years old. Edmond’s twin, Isaac, and Osbert, the eldest brother, do not quite make the same connection with Daisy that their siblings do. And Aunt Penn works a lot, keeping her away from home. Daisy has only been in England a few days when Aunt Penn heads off to Oslo, and then a bomb goes off in a train station in London, and everything changes. With Aunt Penn stuck in Oslo, the children fend for themselves and get used to living without adult supervision. Edmond and Daisy soon realize that their connection goes beyond that of cousinly love, and they give in to their hormones and fall into teenage infatuation. Before they know it, though, the war really has begun and spread to even their small village. A British Army unit sequesters their house and sends Piper and Daisy off to one house and Edmond and Isaac to another, while Osbert gets to stay behind and help with the military efforts. Things spiral from bad to worse as the war intensifies. Daisy and Piper, having gathered what bits of information they could from their hosts, escape after tragic events cause chaos and head off to find the rest of their family. After weeks of hard travel with little nourishment and even less rest or comfort, Piper and Daisy finally reach home. Having been first to the place where Isaac and Edmond should have been and finding only the remains of a tragic massacre, they have no choice but to wait for their loved ones to return. While they are waiting, simply surviving day by day, phone service returns, and Daisy’s father calls from New York. He has her sent home immediately, in spite of Daisy’s resistance, and she is not able to return for six more years. When she can finally go back to the place she feels she belongs, Daisy finds it very much changed. Piper has grown up and fallen in love, and Edmond has shut down. They have become self-sufficient at the farm, because it is easier and makes more sense. Daisy works each day to reconnect with Edmond, and she lives where she belongs, in the peace of the English countryside with her family around her.
C. Critical Analysis:
For several reasons, this was a very difficult book to read. First, it is written in an awkward style. Minimal punctuation is used, with run-on sentences abounding and no quotation marks to indicate dialogue. Incest is also generally an uncomfortable topic, although I found myself understanding and supporting Daisy nonetheless. Having my own connections to England as well, it was hard to imagine the country torn apart by war. As I began to read, I thought it might be future historical fiction, mentioning the bombing that did occur in London a few years ago. Thankfully, though, our reality diverges there from that of the book, which enters into a drawn-out horror of a war. Rosoff does an excellent job depicting the harsh realities faced by citizens of a country torn apart by conflict. Daisy and Piper are caught in a whirlwind of military activity, shunted from place to place without being consulted. They escape and take their lives into their own hands, only to face new obstacles and dangers each day. Daisy’s fierce love and protectiveness keep them both going as they face the unimaginable on their journey home. And then she is rewarded by being dragged away from the people she loves. Even when Daisy is finally able to return, the war has reshaped the place she once new. Through it all, though, her own growth as a person shines through. Daisy matures as she fights for her own life and Piper’s, and as she realizes how small her problems are in the scheme of things. The characters in this story are well-developed and endearing, immediately finding a place in readers’ hearts. Dialogue, although not clearly distinguished from the narrative, is realistic and reflective of the characters’ continued growth. Rosoff’s style is certainly unique, but the characters and themes she presents resonate with a truth that will endure.
D. Review Excerpts:
~ "Provocative." – The New York Times Book Review
~ "She is able to bring the future and the war alive through the story of children who weren't directly involved in the action. Written for middle and high school, the book is a page-turner and truly enjoyable." – Laura McAndrews, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy
~ “Waves of global terrorism and a tough, contemporary 15-year-old protagonist are the defining elements in this startlingly original first novel, which tenderly interweaves a deeply felt first romance with the main character's transition from sardonic, self-absorbed teen to resourceful survivor.” - Booklist
~ “A captivating and deeply satisfying first novel.” – The Horn Book Magazine
~ Winner, 2005 Michael L. Printz Award
~ Winner, 2005 Branford Boase Award
E. Connections:
~ Discuss the realities of war and its effect on people and countries.
~ Talk about what readers would have done in the place of Daisy – or Piper, Edmond, Isaac, Osbert, Aunt Penn, or Daisy’s father.
~ Have students write alternate endings for the book.
~ Compile character collages for a character of the reader’s choice.
~ Create ‘survival packs’ with what participants would like to bring if they had to do what Daisy & Piper did.
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