Forged in the Fire
by Ann Turnbull
by Ann Turnbull
FORGED IN THE FIRE by Ann Turnbull
Category: Historical
Age Recommendation: Grades 9+
Release Date: 3/13/07
Publisher: Candlewick
Reviewed by: Mechele R. Dillard
Rating: 5 Stars
The streets of 17th-Century London come alive in author Ann Turnbull’s FORGED IN THE FIRE. The sequel to
Turnbull’s 2006 NO SHAME, NO FEAR, this well-written novel stands alone, dually answering readers’ current
questions while offering just enough ambiguity to pique their interest in the prequel.
Romance is alive and well in the plague-infested streets of 1665 London. But, times are hard and death is rampant,
especially for Quakers such as Will and Susanna, who find themselves fighting against a close-minded religious
establishment in addition to disease and poverty. Readers are left to breathlessly concede that a happy ending, no matter
how deserved, is far from guaranteed.
Turnbull is skilled at entertaining readers while covertly educating them. Her scenes are full and powerful, bringing
excitement and history to the forefront, yet never overpowering or heavy-handed. Readers will fall wholeheartedly into the
love story of Will and Susanna, while simultaneously aching for the thousands of actual lives truly lost to sickness, disaster
and ignorance in the London of yesteryear.
This, readers will understand, was a time of great fear, but not a time beyond equally great faith: “We ate with relish and
felt glad to be alive,” recalls Will. “The plague was in the city—but danger was always present. We must go about
our lives as usual and trust in God” (p. 25).
Category: Historical
Age Recommendation: Grades 9+
Release Date: 3/13/07
Publisher: Candlewick
Reviewed by: Mechele R. Dillard
Rating: 5 Stars
The streets of 17th-Century London come alive in author Ann Turnbull’s FORGED IN THE FIRE. The sequel to
Turnbull’s 2006 NO SHAME, NO FEAR, this well-written novel stands alone, dually answering readers’ current
questions while offering just enough ambiguity to pique their interest in the prequel.
Romance is alive and well in the plague-infested streets of 1665 London. But, times are hard and death is rampant,
especially for Quakers such as Will and Susanna, who find themselves fighting against a close-minded religious
establishment in addition to disease and poverty. Readers are left to breathlessly concede that a happy ending, no matter
how deserved, is far from guaranteed.
Turnbull is skilled at entertaining readers while covertly educating them. Her scenes are full and powerful, bringing
excitement and history to the forefront, yet never overpowering or heavy-handed. Readers will fall wholeheartedly into the
love story of Will and Susanna, while simultaneously aching for the thousands of actual lives truly lost to sickness, disaster
and ignorance in the London of yesteryear.
This, readers will understand, was a time of great fear, but not a time beyond equally great faith: “We ate with relish and
felt glad to be alive,” recalls Will. “The plague was in the city—but danger was always present. We must go about
our lives as usual and trust in God” (p. 25).