Ada Ruth's mom needed to find work during the war to support their family. She left Ada Ruth with her grandmother and headed to Chicago to find a job. The story follows Ada through the time her mom was away and the sadness that she tried so hard to deal with as a big girl. She tried to hide her tears from her grandmother. Ada Ruth and her mom would write letters and she heard about her mom working on the railroad, for the time period this was written it was pretty remarkable for a colored woman to work on the railroad. This story inspires hope and perseverance for this sweet family to be reunited.

Ada's mom leaves to work in Chicago during WWII. As Ada stays with her Grandmother, she writes many letters to her mother with no response. The book is a great representation of loneliness and the book brightens as the mother comes home at the end of the book.

Coming on Home Soon tells the heartfelt story of a young girl who is waiting for her mom to come home. The story takes place in the midst of WWII, when the Chicago railroad allows colored women to work for wage while the men are at war. Ada Ruth, the young girl, waits patiently with her grandmother and her cat for her mother to write back and return from Chicago. Woodson depicts the story honestly with hints of comfort. Ada Ruth is comforted by her grandmother's cooking, hot chocolate, and even the warmness of her cat sitting on her lap. While the story takes place during a hard time of history, Woodson does a great job of inspiring hope in young Ada Ruth. ( )

Ada Ruth's mom had to go up north to Chicago because she heard that they were hiring colored women up there. With little food and very little money, it was the only way that she could ensure her family's survival. Ada Ruth had grandma. But she missed mama. Everyday the mailman just passed on by. Ada Ruth found a friend in a stray kitten. Not enough. She still missed mama. And then, the mailman arrived. Grandma was so happy to hear a word from Ada's mama. And Ada was especially happy that on the letter it read, "Tell Ada Ruth that I am coming on home soon." ( )

Ada Ruth's mother obtained a job in Chicago which means she will be able to make money to support her family. This also means that Ada's mother has to leave her for an extended period of time. "Coming on Home Soon" shows a side of WWII that I had never considered before. The patience and love of the grandmother, the mother, and Ada through these trying times gave me warmth even through the cold wintry illustrations of the book. ( )