It received generally positive reviews and won the British Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the American Printz Award for young-adult literature.

Daisy and Piper are forced to put survival as their top priority and cannot look for the male members of their family.

Gradually finding their way back home, the two girls learn the harsh consequences of war and wait for their family in the barn house.

There were five parts of fifteen minutes each, which aired daily from 12 to 15 November as the Woman's Hour Drama on BBC Radio 4.

[7] The novel was adapted into a film directed by Kevin Macdonald that was released in 2013 and starred Irish actress Saoirse Ronan playing the role of Daisy, with George MacKay as Edmond (now written as the oldest cousin), Tom Holland as Isaac (now the younger cousin) and Harley Bird as Piper.