Chapter 9

Summary

• Hazel and the other exiled children arrive in Oxford, filled with beautiful architecture and supportive locals.
• Hazel experiences hope as the townspeople cheer for the children, perhaps signifying a positive turn in her journey.
• A local boy welcomes the children, and Hazel’s knapsack breaks, spilling her belongings on the street.
• Despite initially resisting help, Hazel accepts assistance from the boy who helps collect her items.
• While Hazel is upset over the disarray of her belongings, the boy offers comfort and kindness.
• Hazel and her sister, Flora, arrive at the town hall, where families select evacuee children to take home.
• A man chooses a defiant older boy, indicating that families have preferences for certain types of children.
• When a strange woman shows interest in Flora, Hazel is protective but reminded that Flora’s attractive features are a draw for potential foster families.
• Children, viewed as commodities by the locals, show signs of fear and desperation as they wait to be chosen.
• Hazel and Flora are called "evacuees" in official terms, and they face the reality that they might not be chosen and left behind.
• A distressing poster highlights the grim circumstances and encourages local families to take in evacuees.
• A woman in a blue skirt provides the children with milk and biscuits, a small comfort in the tension-filled room.
• Flora wishes to escape to a "land" story, but Hazel can't retreat into fantasy in the heavy reality of their situation.
• As families continue to pick children, Hazel silently urges a well-dressed woman to choose them.
• The boy from the street, Harry, recognizes Hazel and introduces her to his mother.
• Harry's mother, initially reluctant due to needing a boy to help, is swayed by the children's background and Harry’s insistence.
• Flora offers that she and Hazel can share a bed, convincing Bridgette Aberdeen to take them both in.
• Mrs. Aberdeen expresses an interest in Bloomsbury, reflecting her cultural inclinations and perhaps signaling a suitable match for the girls.
• Bridgette Aberdeen agrees to take Hazel and Flora home with her, providing a moment of unexpected happiness and relief.
• The chapter concludes with the confirmation that Hazel and Flora will stay with the Aberdeens, a beam of hope amongst the uncertainty.