The war is over. Joey is back home. Everyone's happy. Right? Not quite. There's something unusual about the final line of War Horse:
Try as I might, I never got to eat any of [Maisie's] pastries, and do you know, she never even offered me one. (21.20)
What gives, Maisie?
War Horse is a book about honoring war veterans, and Joey is a war veteran just like the human soldiers he served alongside. We have no idea why Maisie is stingy with her scones, or why Morpurgo decides to close the novel with this bittersweet moment. Maybe he's trying to tell us, hey, don't be like Maisie; honor your veterans, even if it's just a cinnamon bun or two.
What do you think?