The Smoke Jumper

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

New York born and bred, Julia Bishop has no warning that spending the summer counseling troubled teens in Montana will change her life forever. Happily in love with smoke jumper and musician Ed Tully, she looks forward to spending the summer weekends with him in Missoula and is stunned and disturbed by the instant connection she feels to his best friend, Connor Ford. Connor, a Montana rancher and smoke jumper, loves fighting fires almost as much as he loves photography, and before the summer is barely started, he loves Julia Bishop just as deeply. The bond between the three is strong but the work of a smoke jumper is fraught with danger and the trio soon face death by fire. Survival changes their lives forever and places them on paths that divide Julia, Ed, and Connor just as surely as their individual journeys bind them irrevocably together. The Smoke Jumper is a tale of loyalty and guilt, honor and selfless love, and the human cost of choices made. --Lois Faye Dyer

Book Description

The fire that was to change so many lives so utterly started with a single shaft of lightning. It struck a mountain ridge on a still and moonless night and nestled like a pupa of death in the desiccated heart of an ancient pine. There were witnesses no doubt to this sudden splintering of air and wood, but none that was human. The woman, camped nearby with her group of troubled teenagers, slept on and heard nothing.

She has brought them here by court order on a youth program to help them find themselves. But one among them will be lost forever. For soon the cocoon of fire will hatch to engulf the entire mountain and exact its deadly toll. And into this inferno will come ... The Smoke Jumper.

His name is Connor Ford and he falls like an angel of mercy from the sky, braving the flames to save the woman he loves but knows he cannot have. For Julia Bishop is the partner of his closest friend, Ed Tully, an ambitious young musician. Julia loves them both but the tragedy on Snake Mountain forces her to choose between them and burns a brand on all their hearts.

With his blond, blue-eyed looks and laconic cowboy charm, Connor is the only child of a Montana rancher and a rodeo queen. Until that fateful day, he has been happy to spend his winters nurturing a career as a photographer and his summer vacations with Ed, “smoke jumping” — being dropped by parachute to fight remote forest fires.

In the wake of the fire, he embarks on a journey to the dark heart of human suffering, traveling the world’s worst wars and disasters to take photographs that find him fame but never happiness. Reckless of a life he no longer wants, again and again he dares death to take him, until another fateful day on another continent, he must walk through fire once more....

After his two international bestsellers, The Horse Whisperer and The Loop, Nicholas Evans returns with an epic novel of love and loyalty, of guilt and honor. Moving from the towering wilds of the American West to the killing fields of Africa, The Smoke Jumper is the story of three people’s quest for happiness and self-fulfillment, played out against the heroism of fire fighting in the wilderness and photojournalism at the edge of human experience — a mesmerizing adventure for the spirit, told in the grandest tradition.

Customer Reviews:

really like Nicholas Evans.......2007-04-02

The Smoke Jumper is another one by this author that keeps you on the edge of your chair, wondering how it will end. Its another stay up until 2 a.m. to finish it-type book. I have read 2 of his other books and really liked them as well.

Compelled to write a review A +.......2006-05-23

I read this book over 2 years ago. It is by far the best book I have ever read. I can still think back on the book as if it was a movie. If anyone is considering reading this book, I urge you to do so.

This is the kind of book that you will never forget!

Awesome Book! Nicholas Evans Can Write! A++++.......2006-04-15

I enjoyed this book from the first page until the last of it. Ed, Connor, and Julia were the three musketeers that made up the story. Ed met Julia early on in the book, and the two fell in love and planned to marry. Julia was a child psychologist, and Ed a musician. Ed always had serious diabetes problems, and throughout this book events will change their lives. Connor was a photographer, and interestingly, when he and Julia meet after she and Ed travel to Missoula Montana, Connor and Julia find an instant attraction to one another.

One of the saddest events of this book was about a child, Skye McReedie, who is lost, and her stepdad is very abusive to her. So she is a runaway, and gets into trouble with the law. Skye is then placed into a program called the WAY, for disturbed youngsters, or those that have been in trouble. Julia runs this group and does wonders with these kids. Skye is a bitter angry person, but Julia is finally able to reach out to her. Then something happens with one of the boys there on the campsite and Skye, and this frightens Skye and makes her run away again. But not without danger. A big fire starts there on a hot day in the campsite, and Julia tries to run after Skye and rescue her, knowing she is in danger with the fire. And unfortunately, as she tried to rescue her, or herself, Skye burns away. This was about the saddest part of the story, and Julia carries the guilt forever.

Life goes on though of course with the three of them, and Ed is sadly blinded after this horrible fire takes place. But that is not all coincidental; his diabetes played a big role in this. In spite of his blindness though, Ed is a happy man. He and Julia want a child of theirs after this happens with Ed, but of course, he is unable to biologically be a father. This is where Connor steps in, and after much careful thought, they have him be the sperm donor for their child. Julia finds herself pregnant shortly, and 9 months later she has Amy, a beautiful girl.

Amy is a delightful child who brings them a lot of joy, and loves Ed dearly. Ed's health continues declining as he goes into kidney failure and needs dialysis. This continues through the story.

Connor withdraws more and more, especially after making Amy possible, as he feels like he doesn't want to interfere and is not comfortable. So the friendship with he and Ed falls apart there. Connor goes over to Africa to be a smoke jumper there, mainly rescuing kids that were injured and held hostage there.

Sadly, Ed has a major heart attack, and he dies later in the story. Julia has an ambition to travel to Africa, so after she finds work there as a teacher for underprivleged children, she and Amy leave. They know Connor is there, and he doesn't even realize that Ed has passed on. her real motive is to try and find him there, which she does. And it is in the middle of a huge fire that they cross paths again. Connor rescues many people there, but unfortunately many die.

Julia and Amy along with Connor return to the states. Amy is traumatized for many months. Julia and Connor try to pick up the pieces and move on, which in time they do, and have the romance that was so meant to be.

This book would make a great movie no doubt. It is one of the best books I have read to date.

Hearts of Fire.......2006-02-18

Connor Ford is a beautiful loner with an enchanting talent for photography.

Ed Tully is an exburent musician with dreams of fame and fortune.

They're best friends and every summer they smoke jump with an elite group from Missoula,Montana. This one summer shall be one that either of them won't forget.

I loved the book so much. I felt like I was really seeing Montana,Bosnia,and the many reaches of Africa. Nicholas Evans used so much imagery that I actually felt like I was seeing the suffering that Connor photographed. All of the characters were well written and I felt that I was friends with them as well. I could almost hear Ed's laughter and bad jokes,see into Connor's pale blue eyes,and see the determination across Julia's face. The one thing that bothered me was the death of Ed. Why did he have to die? Every scene he was in almost made me laugh out loud. I loved him so much but I had a huge crush on Connor. I loved this book and I highly recommend it.

The most absorbing novel I have ever read.......2005-10-27

I have read this book several times and i have to say I dont ever get bored by it. One of the many things I find appealing about this book is the way you can relate to the characters on a personal level. The emotions are so vivid that when you read the book, you find feeling what the charcters feel. The stories depth holds no boundries. The author is not afraid to get a little sappy at times, most authors I find try to avoid this and I think it robs the characters of personality and even the readers sympathy towards the characters.
My favorite aspect about the book is that it is extremely easy to follow and read. I hate it when authors try to impress you by using uselessly big words and complex structure. Not that this makes the story uninteresting, but that I find them exhausting to read. You find yourself stopping on a regular basis to figure out what the hell is going on, but not in this book. Evans is able to draw a picture with crystal clear detail, so much so that you could believe your are there. At the same time, he is able to say what he needs to say without wasting time with complex language.
The first time I read the book I got so absorbed that I read it in two days. The book is filled with twists and turns that leave you itching for more. Ranging in settings that take you from the mountains of Montana to the jungles of Africa, this story will leave no reader disapointed.

Average customer rating:

Best one in the series!
Great book, especially if you love historical fiction!
Fabulous Book!
EXCELLENT ENJOYABLE READ
An Amazing Book

Fire by Night (Refiners Fire Series #2)
Lynn Austin
Manufacturer: Bethany House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1556614438
Release Date: 2003-11-01

Book Description

Book 2 of Refiner's Fire. The drama of the Civil War unfolds through the eyes of two very different Northern girls. Lovely Julia Hoffman has always enjoyed the carefree life of her well-to-do family, but when she fails to attract the attention of Rev. Nathaniel Greene, a fierce abolitionist, she determines to bring meaning to her empty and shallow existence. When she becomes a Union nurse, her eyes are opened to the realities of war and suffering. She also meets Phoebe, who has entered the army under false pretenses--and whose journey to understanding herself, as well as the tumultuous world about her, is revealed with sensitivity and drama.

Customer Reviews:

Best one in the series!.......2007-07-20

If you only have money for one book from this series, I would recommend this one. It is definitely the better of the three stories.

Great book, especially if you love historical fiction!.......2007-05-03

I never had read historical fiction regarding the civil war before this book. This was such an interesting book, and so full of information. I loved the characters. It was really neat to see how some of the women of the time helped in the war. Men made many sacrifices during this war, but so did the women. You will not be disappointed in this book if you love the civil war era. I accidentally got this one first over the first book in the series (Candle in the Darkness), I liked this one much better.

Fabulous Book!.......2006-11-22

I couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days! I recommend this book for anyone who wants to read a great book.

EXCELLENT ENJOYABLE READ.......2006-07-26

This book was better than the first one, I enjoyed reading it very much! I really liked how Julia's character developed and Phoebe was such a likeable character. Lynn Austin is a great writer, she really knows how to keep your interest. Highly recommend this book!

An Amazing Book.......2006-06-29

This is the best book I have read in a long time. The two women and their struggles and triumphs are so very interesting. Every page is full of suspense, and I found myself reading faster and faster not being able to wait to read what was next. I recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone who loves a historical romance, and even to those who don't.

Average customer rating:

Bookmom's Review - Shiva's Fire
Great Book!
Could have been great...
Shiva
this book is AWESOME

Shiva's Fire
Suzanne Fisher Staples
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064409791
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Amazon.com

Born during the worst storm ever seen by her small village in India, Parvati is both blessed and cursed with mysterious powers that confound her people. Wild animals flock to her; she is able to charm fish, birds, even deadly cobras. But Parvati's truly exceptional talent is her ability to dance like the Hindu god Shiva himself. At age 6, she hurls herself into a cooking fire and dances safely through the flames, emerging without a single burn. Naturally, these powers scare the other villagers. Only her mother Meenakshi loves and believes in her, protecting her from the their curious and hostile stares. The guru Pillai, a famous Indian dance teacher, hears of Parvati's talent and comes to offer her a position in his dance school, or "gurukulam," in the large city of Madras. Once there, she questions her destiny, or "dharma," as she experiences both a devastating loss and a blossoming romance; "...she thought about the mystery of dharma--how some things were very difficult to accept, while others opened as simply and as naturally as a flower." But through it all, the fire of Shiva burns within her, and Parvati knows that, despite all other callings, she was born to dance.

Suzanne Fisher Staples, renowned author of the award-winning Shabanu and Dangerous Skies, has woven together a magical tapestry of a tale that is a mystical hybrid of history and legend. At a time when teenage girls have more options than ever when choosing their own destinies, Parvati's story will inspire readers to set high goals and settle for nothing less than their true heart's desire. An instant classic. (Ages 12 to 14) --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

Newbery Honor author Suzanne Fisher Staples turns to India for her newest novel, published to starred reviews, about a young girl whose destiny calls her to dance.

Customer Reviews:

Bookmom's Review - Shiva's Fire.......2007-09-26

[Fun: 4/5] [Learning: 5/5] [Suitable: 4/5]

Suzanne Fisher Staples is an excellent resource for books on India and a culture very different from our own Western civilization. Shiva's Fire is another excellent book that this author has written, describing a very talented girl whose gifts are seen rather as curses and oddities by those around her, until her talents are recognized and she trains to be a dancer in the Hindu religion. Part story, part fairy tale, this is an excellent book to discuss with your children, as it introduces some complexities of Hindu religion and talks about Shiva, the god of dance, as well as many pieces of Indian culture that may be unfamiliar to readers. Shiva's Fire does an excellent job of immersing the reader in a very different life, and exposing those of us stuck in our familiar surroundings to the lives of others halfway around the world. As this is a much more lighthearted book than some of her others, I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Audience:
* Middle Readers (Grades 4-7)

Positive Themes:
* Encourages living your dreams
* Reaping the benefits of hard work
* An introduction to Indian culture

Objectionable Content:
* Tragedies in the beginning--a cyclone that kills many, including Parvati's father
* Threat of bandits and outlaws

My Recommendations:
* Though it is a bit darker, I would recommend Shabanu. Also, books by Linda Sue Park, such as A Single Shard, may interest readers with their insights on Korean culture.

Bookmom - Get involved in your child's reading!

Great Book!.......2006-12-04

This book is about a girl called Parvati and she is unusual from her birth. She has the ability to remember everything since her birth, she can talk to animals and most of all she has a very good talent in dancing.

Using her talent in dancing, she changes her very poor family into a rich family with their own stone house, before they were living in a mud hut next to their uncle's house. Parvati's brother also gets married and that is very expensive to organize.

I didn't like the ending because it didn't explain what happens next and some parts were confusing, but other than that the story was very good. The author explains her thinking really well and it I can imagine what a person she is describing looks like. The book also teaches you a little about the Hindu culture and their gods. Over all this is a really good book.

Could have been great..........2005-05-25

Shiva's Fire could have been a compeltely spell-binding and gorgeous story. It could have had me sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting to find out what happened next. Indeed, the plot could have been gorgeously crafted.

But for one thing. Ms. Staples writes like a newspaper reporter! Her writing style was so detatched, like she had no connection at all with the characters SHE created. It was fairly gross. It was like she was writing an essay on a devadsi who died millions of years ago who she never met. You know, like she got an assignment: "write a some-odd word essay on someone you admire."

Never once does the reader get a glimpse into Parvati's mind. I mean sure, occassionaly you get a "Parvati thought..." but, without any substance or feeling to the writing, it's hopeless.

And with a plot like this, this could have been a heart-wrenching, exotic tale. It could have made the reader laugh and cry and love along with Parvati. It could have been so many things, but instead it was just another book. Read it once from the library, put it aside, be glad you didn't buy it.

I am so dissapointed. The cover is so exotic, the summary on the first flap is so intriguing. I thought it would kill me when Parvati had to choose between dance and the love of her life, and instead it was just like, "Oh. Whatever." This is not a book to avoid at all costs. It might even be worth one read, although I'm not convinced. Try it, sure, but don't just go ahead and buy it.

Shiva.......2005-04-04

Staples created an unbelievably wonderful novel when she wrote Shiva's Fire. The book is amazing, and gives the reader a sense of confidence that someday Parvati WILL achieve her dream, with all of her family and her friends by her side. This book is recommended for people who dream persistnently and who love to dance

this book is AWESOME.......2005-01-18

I like the storyline of this book very much, but the thing that astounded me the most was the accuracy. I, like Parvati, am Indian, and I take Bharatanatyam classical dance as well. Everything in the book was completely accurate, and my dance teacher read it as well. If you like learning about other cultures, buy this book TODAY.

Average customer rating:

repetition of her first book
Overwrought Fluff
Another keeper!!
Exceptional Read and An Outstanding Newer Author
deep character study

Where the River Runs
Patti Callahan Henry
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451215052

Book Description

Meridy Dresden was once a free-spirited, fun-loving girl. All that changed when the boy she loved was killed in a tragic fire. Now, years later, Meridy must return to the South Carolina Low Country and summon the courage to make a decision that may destroy everything she's worked so hard to protect-including her heart.

Customer Reviews:

repetition of her first book.......2007-10-05

I enjoyed the author's debut novel "Losing the Moonn" but this one disappointed me. It was very similar to her first novel....and I am frankly getting a little tired of the women "remaining true to themselves" and "first love" themes that seem to dominate every book of hers..to the point that it is getting repetetive. We get it, Patti. We women should always remain true to ourselves, and never sell ourselves short, but also never adapt, change, accomodate etc. etc. and when we "recover what we have lost"--and in many of her novels it is not quite clear what exactly these women have lost--we always need to flirt with our former lovers to do so. So please do us a favor..you write beautifully.. so why dont tackle something different for a change? There are already enough Oprah-backed authors who churn out such rediscovery stuff for women with middle-aged angst.

Overwrought Fluff.......2007-08-22

This book has a very promising start. Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to that promise. Henry's writing quickly descends into overwrought, at times maudlin, prose. In some of the reviews of her books Henry has been compared to Pat Conroy. While her writing is evocative of the South, it doesn't have the substance and control that Conroy's does. Some of the sentences in this book that were meant to convey a sense of melancholy, a regret for things lost, actually made me laugh because they were just too overdone. We're meant to feel sympathy and empathy for the main character, Meridy, but the author managed to make her seem spoiled and selfish instead of sympathetic. If you want to read truly lyrical, evocative, well written prose about the South, stick with Pat Conroy or Lee Smith.

Another keeper!!.......2005-10-11

I will be the first to admit that I just love these Fiction For the Way We Live series ~~ and this one is definitely one of the best books of this fall!! I have been in a reading slump for a long time ~~ and this book really took me out of it and into a different world. I just love it!!

This book is set in the Lowcountry region between Georgia and South Carolina. The Gullah proverb: "If you don't know where you are going, you should know where you came from" is the basis of this book. Meridy Dresden finds herself at loose ends when her son, BJ, is off at college and her husband, Beau, is immersed in a trial that he has been working on for over two years. Meridy takes a trip home to Seaboro and not only was it a trip home, it was a journey to rediscover that young vibrant girl that she feared had died along with her best friend who died tragically the night they graduated from high school.

Tulu, her former housekeeper and part nanny, shared with Meridy proverbs about the Gullah culture and shared with her some stories to help Meridy find her way back to having peace within her heart. Meridy embarks on that journey with fear and trepidation after all, it could ruin everything she has worked very hard for.

This book is written with lyrical prose and lovely scene-writing ~~ it makes me keep coming back for more. It was a soothing read too ~~ in today's frantic world, this book set a slower pace and made me sit and relax. It is about a woman embarking on self-discovery, her relationship with her mother and sister, best friend and husband. It is enlightening read and very emotional in spots. It is a book that I would recommend to everyone who loves reading this kind of book. It's perfect for those long dark winter nights ahead ~~ the book is set in summer and the warmth of the novel will linger long after the last page has been turned.

10-10-05

Exceptional Read and An Outstanding Newer Author.......2005-05-07

When she was growing up Meridy McFadden Dresden was a free-spirited, dare devil, fun-loving tomboy. Meridy and her two best friends grew up enjoying and living in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and all through school were inseparable busily charting out a life after college - it was all perfectly planned out. In one terrible moment all those fanciful dreams dissolved and her idyllic existence was changed in a matter of minutes with the death of her best friend killed in a tragic fire the night of their high school graduation. It was a night that changed Meridy's life.

Years later, Meridy is older, wiser and leads what appears to be a charmed life. Married to a handsome successful lawyer, she has a beautiful son with an athletic scholarship to Vanderbilt, the perfect house, and a perfectly scandal free life. Troubled, and looking for answers a trip back home would reopen wounds that had never healed as she discovered that the tragic events of that fateful night and the memories she buried along with her heart and who she was, have come back. With the help of her old Gullah housekeeper Meridy rediscovers pieces of her past and a friend who forces her to confront the pain in order to deal with the challenges she faces in her future as she summons the courage to make a decision that may destroy a life she's worked so hard to protect - including her heart.

*** As I write this review I question whether I can adequately put together the words ample enough to describe just how really great this book was. The beautiful images evoked by this authors lyrical prose and the emotional intensity of feelings she invoked are what separates writers from passable to simply outstanding and it is in this latter category that this relatively new author stands. This is simply an outstanding honest look at one woman's journey of rediscovering who she truly was as she discovered that you can return home again, especially if it means finding the most important things you seem to have lost along the way - like yourself. This is definitely recommended reading for intelligent readers who want to bask themselves in a splendidly lyrical and heart tugging read!

--- Marilyn, for www.allromancewriters.com ----

deep character study.......2005-05-04

Meridy Dresden is married to her college sweetheart and lives in an upscale home in Atlanta. She experience empty nest syndrome because their only child is at college while her spouse is busy on a case that will make him a partner in a prestigious law firm. She loves her husband, but feels disconnected from him as if their relationship is a façade.

Meridy learns from her mother that her childhood friend Tim is being asked to pay for the reconstruction of Keeper's Cottage; the townsfolk blame him for destroying it on graduation night. She returns to her hometown of Seaboro in the Low Country to set the record straight. While at home, she feels reborn as she opens up for the first since her high school boyfriend died. Now Meridy believes she owes her husband the truth about her life before him and prays he accepts and loves the real Meridy.

WHERE THE RIVER RUNS stars a beautiful woman who seems to have it all, but feels empty and only going through the motion of living. In returning to her home town, Meridy concludes that she must face all the aspects of her past that she buried even from herself if she is to become a whole person again. Fans of Anne River Siddens will want to read Patti Callahan Henry's deep character study.

Harriet Klausner

Average customer rating:

But this attempt is still worth a read

Girl, Going on 17: Pants on Fire
Sue Limb
Manufacturer: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 038573218X
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Book Description

It's never fun when a great summer comes to an end.

Particularly when one argues with one’s adorable, but grossly insensitive, boyfriend the night before school starts. It’s such a terrible fight, Jess doesn’t know—are they broken up? Should she apologize? Too bad Jess is spending all her time in detention and can’t talk to Fred to figure it out. A sadistic new English teacher has decided Jess needs an attitude adjustment, and Jess can’t seem to stop making terrible mistakes. When she ends up pantless in her own backyard, Jess is left to ask herself: Where did she go wrong? And what can be done to make it up to Fred and salvage this horrible, horrible year?

Customer Reviews:

But this attempt is still worth a read.......2006-02-20

The third in this series. Limb still delivers a funny and insightful book about teen angst and identity. But Jess's dilemmas are getting rather stale by this third retelling. It seems that variations of the same plot keep coming to fruitarian. Fans of this series will enjoy Jess and Fred's antics but Limb has failed again to capture the same level of freshness, humor and brilliance of Girl, 15, Charming but Insane. But this attempt is still worth a read.

Average customer rating:

On Call Back Mountain
Eve Bunting
Manufacturer: Scholastic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0590259466

New Truck On The Block (Firehouse Tales)

Average customer rating:

Cant get enough Fire House Tales

New Truck On The Block (Firehouse Tales)
Jo Hurley
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0439842964

Book Description

In this 8x8 storybook based on the episode of the same name Red, a spunky young fire truck has his first day at fire truck school. He wants to learn to be the best truck he can be, but the other trucks think he's a showoff. In the end, a little bit of teamwork saves the day!

Customer Reviews:

Cant get enough Fire House Tales.......2007-04-10

"CLANG CLANG CLANG HERE WE GO..." Great book for firetruck loving kids but especially for fans of the FireHouse tales show! Stories right from the show - only modified slightly. We are enjoying this book and others in the series very much. Easy read for tired parents at the end of the day. Colorful art for young child. Lessons about team work and friendship.

Average customer rating:

charming but plotless
A Glorious, Heady Plunge Into Childhood
remembrance of things past
Less is more
Childhood revisited

Orchard On Fire: A Novel
Shena MacKay
Manufacturer: Harvest/HBJ Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Night Watch

ASIN: 0156005328

Amazon.com

This intimate, intensely seen novel was shortlisted for the 1996 Booker Prize. Shena Mackay's six previous novels have won her critical admiration and a popular audience in England, but her work has not received due recognition in the United States yet. The Orchard on Fire is a concise, domestic novel set in the village of Stonebridge, where the parents of April Harlency have come in 1953 to run the local tea shop. April's private reveries and her entanglement with the grim family life of her best friend, Ruby Richards, fill up a vivid and dramatic year in the wonderfully distinctive life of Stonebridge.

Book Description

When April Harlency and her parents move from Streatham to The Copper Kettle Tearoom in Kent April's whole life changes. Through her eyes we witness her rite of passage from childhood to adolescence. With her best friend, the wonderfully exciting but dangerous Ruby, they discover an idyllic secret world in the orchard. However, their lives are permeated with a sense of menace which is mainly centred on Mr Greenidge who befriends April and involves her in a sinister and uncomfortable relationship that will eventually lead to trouble for all her family.

Customer Reviews:

charming but plotless.......2001-03-04

Memories of a year of childhood, told in the first person but presented as a novel. The incidents forming the bulk of the book are framed by a narrative in which the adult author goes back to the village where she was raised. These incidents are often dramatic or amusing but they are separate stories and do not cohere to form a conventional plot. The book would have been better as a straight non-fiction memoir. The writing is often graceful but sometimes tends to the seed catalog school of fancy prose e.g. " a sky as pale blue as the scabious that grows with fragile poppies and the scarlet pimpernel sprawling over the marled furrows." I enjoyed it, but I had recently read Trezza Azzopardi's "The Hiding Place" and after the impact of that masterpiece of remembered childhood this suffered by comparison.

A Glorious, Heady Plunge Into Childhood.......2000-11-17

In my opinion, this is Shena MacKay's best novel. In Coronation Year, Betty and Percy Harlency, with their small daughter, April, move from London to a small village in Kent called Stonebridge, to take over The Copper Kettle Tearoom. The Copper Kettle is a charming, but not financially prosperous, establishment.

When April meets the tomboyish, fiery, ginger-haired Ruby, their friendship is instantly sealed. The girls are staunch allies who conspire together in every way possible. Their secret signal is the "lone cry of the peewit;" their hideaway is a railway carriage where they are continually up to mischief. When the two girls finally manage to pry open the door of the carriage they stand and gaze "in the smell of trapped time."

It is this smell of trapped time, this nostalgia for the emotions of the past, that The Orchard on Fire conjures so expertly. MacKay is reminiscent of Proust in this extraordinarily evocative novel and we feel intimately connected to April and to her emotional life. MacKay, usually a brilliant writer, excels in The Orchard on Fire and we can hear the buzz of the insects and the bluebottles, smell the overgrown weeds and the lush summer grass and picture the family's new home at The Copper Kettle.

The small English village where April lives is a bit unconventional as are April's parents; the duo are unlikely political radicals and MacKay manages to introduce a Bohemian element into the story in the gentle, pretentious artist characters of Bobs Rix and Dittany Codrington, who is "like the Willow Fairy in Fairies of the Trees by Cicely Mary Barker."

One of the best sections of this wonderfully-written book comes when The Copper Kettle is chosen to host a weekend party for Bobs and Dittany and their artist friends. For a time, Stonebridge is awash in fairy lights and the pink glow of nostalgia.

Although some may dismiss The Orchard on Fire as overly-sentimental, it is nothing but. Child abuse plays a part is this masterfully-written story as does sexual perversion, bringing to mind scenes of Pip in Great Expectations. We become deeply immersed in April's world, and in her fears and expectations, most particularly her horror at losing a cherished Christmas present.

Although this novel tells us more of April then just her childhood, it is childhood that is most strongly evoked in all of its trouble and all of its glory. The adult April is but a shadow of the child April and we, who grew up with her, know why.

The Orchard on Fire is Shena MacKay at her finest and one of the most wonderful and atmospheric books I have ever read. It is a glorious, heady plunge into the world of childhood that will never be forgotten.

remembrance of things past.......2000-06-21

If you are a female child born in the late 50's in South London, as I was, and if you also spent your young life in Kent, as I did, you will understand the mastery of this novel. I have never read anything which recalls this time and place in such a way that can only be described as 'Proustian'. The novel, 'The Orchard On Fire'has a particular 'smell' and 'truth' I have only experienced before in the novel, 'Wise Children' by Angela Carter. Fantastic and wonderful. Bless you Shena Mackay and thank you.

Less is more.......1998-10-07

The power of this story is all in the telling; behind the ingenuous narrator, twelve-year-old April, the implied author stands in the beautifully realized shadows, and so orders the narrative that the reader is offered the ultimate compliment of creating his/her own perception of ultimate meaning. The characterizations, like the threads of experience, are rendered all the more powerfully convincing through economy; selective detail allows the reader's imagination full rein. I found myself deeply moved by the plight of all children under threat, whatever form the abuse may take, and comforted by the compassion of the creator. She writes like other well-loved novelists of mine, such as Penelope Lively and Anita Brookner;like them she engages me in enlightening reflection.

Childhood revisited.......1998-07-13

The characters in this story are what makes it so successful, especially April and Ruby two eight year old girls who are a perfect match for each other. The innocence of April and Ruby's daring wildness remind me of what a childhood experience is all about. I had wished that April revealed Mr. Greenidge's advances but was relieved that he wasn't cruel, unlike Ruby's parents however, who should have been reported long before they were. The reminiscences in the last chapter were a powerful reminder of how tied we are to our pasts. It is true that we "...purchase pieces of our lives..." at rummage sales but how else do we hang on to the past and share the dreams of others?

Little Secrets #1: Playing With Fire (Little Secrets)

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truly dramatic!
Little Secrets Playing with Fire
LET THE DRAMA BEGIN
Little Secrets #1: Playing With Fire

Little Secrets #1: Playing With Fire (Little Secrets)
Emily Blake
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0439810531

Book Description

Hidden Pasts. Unexpected Betrayals. Twisted Friendships. Sweet Revenge.

Her mother's in jail. Her best friend betrayed her. Who can Alison trust? Backstabber Kelly has the world at her feet. Who will she step on next? Sweet, handsome Chad seems like the perfect boyfriend...so what is he hiding? Tough-as-nails Zoey is out for revenge. Is she more vulnerable than she thinks? Loyal friend. Bitter rival. Which is the real Tom?

Let the drama begin...

Customer Reviews:

truly dramatic!.......2007-02-01

awesome awesome book! alison's was a normal rich girl until her mother got put into jail. now thanks to kelly, her cousin the backstabber, she is cosidered the outcast. the pitiful outcast. she can trust no one, not even her boyfriend chad, who unexpectedly turned on her. meanwhile her exfriend zoey gets expelled from boarding school and moves back to alison's school. can alison trust her friend? or is she just another rival?

i typed up the first sentence just for you!

there were two things alison rose could count on:her best friend and cousin, kelly,and the fact that everyone in her family would stop at nothing to destoy one another.

please buy this book. what are you waiting for? go!

Little Secrets Playing with Fire.......2006-12-02

The book Playing with Fire is an amazing book! I can't wait to read the second book becaus at the end of the book (Playing with fire) THe grandmother is in the pool house and a bomb goes off. but, Alison is by the pool and she sees that happen and yells "Grandmother!"

LET THE DRAMA BEGIN.......2006-11-22

Alison Diamond was a regular rich girl, until her mother helen got arressted.Her cousin Kelly betrayed her with her own boyfriend. Kelly has the whole school at her feet. Will she ever trust anybody again. Is CHAD regreating getting together with Kelly.Can he get over Alison.Is Kell's mom her birth mom.Is zoey really Alison's friend, or is she trying to get revenge. Can zoey keep her cool without anybody knowing what happened in her old boarding school. Who is the real tom. will her mother win, or her grandmother.

Little Secrets #1: Playing With Fire.......2006-11-06

This book is about a rich girl named Alison whose life has gone wrong. Both of her parents never have time for her. She can not trust anyone. Her mother, Helen, was arrested for embezzlement (had the right to possess an item but use the position to convert property) and tax fraud (lying about taxes). Alison felt like there was no pride left in her.
Her backstabbing cousin, Kelly, stole her boyfriend, Chad.
She has done many horrible things to her. Chad is questioning himself if he should stay with her or not. This has a similar plot to Nancy Drew. They are both trying to find out about their family. I did not like Kelly. The things she did and said to people were mean. For instance, she blamed Alison for everything that went wrong.

Seattle: Lamp in Darkness/Flickering Flames/A Kindled Spark/Hearth of Fire (Inspirational Romance Collection)

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Seattle: Lamp in Darkness/Flickering Flames/A Kindled Spark/Hearth of Fire (Inspirational Romance Collection)
Colleen L. Reece
Manufacturer: Barbour Publishing, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Romance | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

Love & Romance | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1586605518

Book Description

Shepherd of Love Hospital stands as a beacon of hope in Seattle, Washington. Its Christian staff members work with each other - and with God - to care for the sick and injured. But sometimes they find their own lives in need of a healing touch. Jonica Carr is a respected nurse, but behind her calm and capable demeanor beats the heart of a scared and frightened little girl. Can she find her Lamp in Darkness? A friendship has developed since Nurse Galbraith and Dr. Barton have worked together. Now, as love starts to blossom, terrible Flickering Flames of the past also break through. Lindsey Best is proud to be a nurse at the prestigious hospital, but outside forces war against her newly Kindled Spark of peace...and may ruin a chance for love. On the verge of marriage, yet lonely and confused, Patti Thompson takes a leave of absence from the hospital - and finds true love beside a Hearth of Fire. Can those who heal find healing for their own souls? How will the Shepherd for whom their hospital is named reveal the love each one longs for?

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