Status Updates From The War That Saved My Life ...

"I was bad." I wondered if the presents were all for Jamie. Could any possibly be for me?/ "Not bad," Susan said. (...) "Not bad, Ada. Sad. Angry. Frightened. Not bad."/ Sad, angry, frightened were bad. It was not okay to be any of those. I couldn't say so, though, not on that gentle morning."

"Somehow Christmas was making me feel jumpy inside. All this talk about being together and being happy and celebrating-it felt threatening. Like I shouldn't be part of it. Like I wasn't allowed. And Susan wanted me to be happy, which was scarier still."