Secrets of a Charmed Life

Throughout the novel, war greatly affects the characters’ futures and makes them realize that they have little power over their circumstances. Emmy’s dreams of becoming a dressmaker are disrupted when the Blitz occurs right after she promises to bring her sketches to Graham. After Julia disappears, Emmy forgets about and ultimately abandons her bridal shop dream to search for Julia and help other children affected by the Blitz. She explains that she “began to forget her old dreams” (219) so she could focus on finding and taking care of Julia. Likewise, Emmy’s, Julia’s, and Annie’s hopes to remain connected as a family and for them to build a prosperous life together were thwarted by the war. The chaos of the Blitz and the lack of communication prevented them from finding each other.

While guilt and grief plague both Emmy and Julia following the Blitz, they both gain peace and forgive themselves by discovering that they only have so much control over the world, and that while they made mistakes, circumstances beyond their control also caused their problems. After sharing much of her story, Isabel tells Kendra, “[W]hen you make a choice, even if it’s a bad one, you’ve played your hand.