The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

“No—well, yes,” Miss Smith said. “But in this case, it means strength.
Force. Defend it with everything you’ve got.”
“Freedom is in peril,” Jamie shouted, running ahead. He waved his arms
wildly. “Freedom is in peril, defend it with everything you’ve got!”
“What’s ‘freedom’?” I asked as Miss Smith and I followed.
“It’s—hmmm. I’d say it’s the right to make decisions about yourself,” Miss
Smith said. “About your life.”
“Like, this morning we decided to come into town?”
“More like deciding that you want to be a—I don’t know—a solicitor.
When you grow up. Or, perhaps, a teacher. Or deciding that you’d like to live
in Wales. Big decisions. If Germany invades, we’ll probably still be able to go
shopping, but we might not get to decide much else.”
As usual, I mostly didn’t understand her, but I was tired of trying. “Stephen
White has to live with a grumpy old man,” I said.
“I noticed,” Miss Smith said. “I’m sorry to see the colonel looking so frail.
He was one of Becky’s foxhunting friends—one of the huntin’, shootin’, and
fishin’ sort. I didn’t realize he was so old.”
“He made me touch his hand.” I shuddered.
“That’s just manners,” Miss Smith said.
“So he said.”
Miss Smith grinned. I didn’t know why. “Skeptical child,” she said,
making me frown even harder. She grabbed the end of my plait and swung it.
“Your courage, your cheerfulness, your resolution”—she was saying it wrong.
I scowled—“will bring you victory, my dear.”
We’d reached the greengrocer’s. Jamie waited for us, holding open the
shop door. I flicked my plait away from Miss Smith. I wasn’t going to ask
what any more words meant, I was so tired of words, but Miss Smith looked
at me and answered my question anyway. “Victory,” she said, “means peace.”