Genre 6 Fiction - How I Live Now

How I live Now
Written by Meg Rosoff
New York, N.Y.: Wendy Lamb Books
ISBN: 9780553376050

This novel is about a 15 year old girl that has issues with her stepmother and her father ships her off to visit her aunt, whom she has never met, in England. It is here that Elizabeth, which is her given name, begins to be known as Daisy, by her cousins and those whom she meets in England. After living there for so many months, war breaks out and they are left to deal with the horrors of war. Daisy if finally, rescued by her father, and is taken back to New York, where all she thinks about is returning to Edmond and the rest of the family. It is in England that Daisy learns love, survival, have lasting friendships and learns to accept herself. Events are recounted candidly and keeps you wondering what will happen next.


Analysis

The book opens with Daisy at the airport waiting to be picked up and be taken to her aunt’s rural English home. Living her whole life in New York, Daisy’s only measure of life is living in a big city. Edmond, her fourteen year old cousin picks her up at the airport, while smoking a cigarette, surprised that this behavior, she says “ I don’t say anything in case it’s a well-known fact that the smoking age in England is something like twelve and by making a big thing about it I’ll end up looking like an idiot when I’ve barely been here five minutes.” Her view of the world changes dramatically as the events of her stay at her British relatives begins to unfold. Her aunt lives in a farm with her family, three boys, Edmond, Isaac, Osbert and her daughter, Piper, who is 9 years old.

“The style of writing is called “skaz”, in which David Lodge in the Art of Fiction tells us is: a Russian word (suggesting “jazz and “scat”, as in “scat-singing”) used to designate a type of first person narration that has the characteristics of the spoken rather than the written word. In this kind of novel or story, the narrator is a character who refers to himself (herself) as “I” and addresses the reader as “you”. He or she uses vocabulary and syntax characteristic of colloquial speech, and appears to be relating the story spontaneously rather than delivering a carefully constructed and polished written account.” This style of writing is very young adult friendly and can be read as if reading a diary. Since the story is told by Daisy, her adventures in a country that is a stark contrast to her New York apartment living provides a place of refuge. Once there, Daisy settles in with her British relatives at the country farm and learns to enjoy life without any adults present. The happy and peaceful days are expressed by Daisy’s passionate and secret relationship with Edmond. Her aunt leaves them alone to attend a peace conference, war breaks loose and while she is gone, the invasion of England by an unknown enemy becomes real. The structure of the story is two fold, first part tells about, the farm, the war and about each family member, which will all be life changing moments, while the second part tells about the many years of war, after the war, and when Daisy returns to England.
Living at the farms becomes like a utopia way of living, with all different kinds of animals running around, no regulations or rules and life without adult intervention, living in their own little world away from city life only, an illusion that their home is the only safe place, and they continue to enjoy their summer. The utopia feeling is when Daisy awakes one morning to “everything was perfectly still and beautiful and I stared and stared expecting to see a deer or maybe a unicorn trotting home…” It is not until war comes to them via the army taking over their farmhouse, than they realize the severity of the situation, and as they are separated from each other, the fear of not seeing each other again. Daisy questions: How is anyone ever prepared for war” “ I didn’t really understand The Occupation because it didn’t seem like the kind of war we all knew and loved from your average made-for-TV miniseries.” The plot and setting intertwined as author describes the events of the war with vivid description of what was going on. The effects the war had on people like Mrs. McEvoy the military wife, who lost her husband and son, as she tell Daisy and Piper: “If you haven’t been in a war and are wondering how long it takes to get used to losing everything you think you need or love, I can tell you the answer is no time at all.” The effects the war had on Daisy and Piper as they struggled to find Edmond, Isaac and Osbert, as Daisy becomes Piper’s caretaker trying to find their way to get back home to the farm. Once finding the farm, the devastation of seeing all different kinds of flesh eating animals devouring the aftermath of the war changed Daisy to care for someone else other than oneself, finding herself and her role in the life with Edmond.

Reviews
This is a very relatable contemporary story, told in honest, raw first-person and filled with humor, love, pathos, and carnage. War, as it will, changes these young people irrevocably, not necessarily for the worse. They and readers know that no one will ever be the same.
Kirkus Reviews


Central to the potency of Rosoff's debut....is the ominous prognostication of what a third world war might look like, and the opportunity it provides for teens to imagine themselves, like Daisy, exhibiting courage and resilience in roles traditionally occupied by earlier generations.
Booklist


This riveting first novel paints a frighteningly realistic picture of a world war breaking out in the 21st century. . . Readers will emerge from the rubble much shaken, a little wiser, and with perhaps a greater sense of humanity.
Publishers Weekly


This first novel is intelligent, funny, serious, and sweet; a winning combination of acerbic commentary, innocence, and sober vision... Hilarious, lyrical, and compassionate, this is, literarily and emotionally, deeply satisfying.
The Horn Book


Rosoff’s narrative poise makes this a book for all ages.....A daring, wise, and sensitive look at the complexities of being young in a world teetering on chaos, Rosoff’s poignant exploration of perseverance in the face of the unknown is a timely lesson for us all.
People Magazine


Connection

Have students have book discussion about the following topics.
· Cultural difference
· Taboos about relationships
· Wars in England

Have students draw, make a model of design on computer or animate the utopic farm.

Fill the gap about what happened to Edmond.

Learn about English life during World War II.