Life is one battle after another, Heddy heard more than once from her dad. In 1943, when The Gift of Peace takes place, this statement was very true. Soldiers fought battles in World War II, while loved ones fought many battles of their own back on the home front. Heddy learns through secondhand sources, such as The Elwood Call-Leader, news reels, and radio, the tragedy of combat; she learns through experience the everyday battles of growing up in time of war and wonders if she will ever experience the gift of peace. War and peace are timeless and universal themes, but how we deal with them, especially as children, is unique. The Gift of Peace portrays two children, Heddy and Ritchie, experiencing battles as they grow up in Indiana during World War II, specifically 1943.