Forged in the Fire

by Ann Turnbull

Book Overview

Star-crossed young lovers triumph over religious intolerance, social disgrace and epic historical events in this thrilling sequel. London, 1665. Cast out by his father for becoming a Quaker, the newly independent Will travels from the countryside to London to earn a living. He and his beloved Susanna wait patiently to be reunited and, at last, married. But when Will is thrown into jail for his beliefs, the pair's future becomes uncertain. With the...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0763631442
• ISBN13: 9780763631444
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.2" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

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). Reviewed by: Mechele R. Dillard

Wow!

Truly a great book! I loved No Shame No Fear and Forged in the Fire was the icing on the cake! I couldnt put it down! I stayed up late, I read in the car and I thought about it all day long! I cant to read more by this author.

Excellent!

I have just finished reading Forged in the Fire. This story in my oppinion is better than the first, which is really good.This story takes place 3 years after No Shame No Fear, Susanna has just gotten news that Will has found a secure job and is ready to marry her in a few weeks. Their plans are changed, however, when the Plague hits London, causing travel to slow down. Will, while going to support Friends is thrown in prision. While in prision he bececomes very ill. He is taken in by a Friend, who pays his jail fee and takes care of him. Meanwhile, Susanna is tired of waiting and is worried about Will, travels to London. While searching for Will, she comes upon a misunderstanding, which may cause she and Will not to be married. They are faced against catastrophy as the great fire comes upon them. I was very happy with the ending. Like someone has written before this story, unlike the last story, is mostly Will's story. The story is hard to put down once you have started it.

Their only connection is the slow exchange of letters --- and the bond in their hearts.

It is 1665, and Will and Susanna have been apart for three long years. Except for an all-too-brief rendezvous at a special church meeting, they have not seen each other at all. Their only connection is the slow exchange of letters --- and the bond in their hearts. They both dream of being reunited and finally married, but first Will must get a steady job. When he decided to become a Quaker like Susanna, his father disowned him. Along with losing his family, he also lost his future prospects of an education and apprenticeship. So Will moved to London for greater opportunities while Susanna stayed in the village of Hemsbury to finish her indenture at the print shop. At last, Will has acquired a steady job and writes to Susanna that he will be able to marry her in a few weeks time. However, trouble is brewing as a plague invades London. Thousands are becoming sick and most of them are dying. Once again, Will and Susanna must postpone their wedding; the danger of entering the city is too great. Even the mail is suspect of transferring the disease, and people are cautioned to steam letters over vinegar to cleanse them. While offering support to some church friends imprisoned for their beliefs, Will himself gets thrown in jail. The unimaginably horrid conditions of filth and poor nutrition cause Will to fall ill. He almost dies, but a wealthy Quaker friend pays his bond and then nurses him back to health. During all of this, however, Will's employer catches the plague and dies. Will loses not only a friend but his job as well. Too despondent and weak to relate the entire truth, Will writes to Susanna that they must further postpone the wedding without telling her why. Fearing the worst, Susanna decides to visit Will and travels with some church friends to London. But she walks in on a misunderstanding that shoves a huge crack between them, and Susanna releases Will from his promise to marry her. Is their love strong enough to bring them back together? And are they brawny enough to survive the catastrophic fire that threatens to destroy London? FORGED IN THE FIRE is the much-anticipated sequel to NO SHAME, NO FEAR, and fans will be thrilled to read more about their Quaker heroes of the 17th century. Ann Turnbull does a fantastic job of bringing back to life the conditions of that time period, both the enviable and the not-so-enviable. Her story catches readers' attentions from the beginning, keeping them hooked and eagerly turning the pages to share Will's and Susanna's experiences. One does not need to have read the first book in order to appreciate this one. --- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman

Satisfying Sequel!

Normally, I'm not a person who waits with growing impatience for a sequel to come out and then rushes to buy it the first day. For this sequel, though, I made an exception -- and it was worth it! The characters who were so captivating in No Shame, No Fear are just as strong in this story, and the way the plot is woven into historical events is completely credible. While No Shame, No Fear seemed to me to be Susanna's story (although I know half of the story is told from Will's viewpoint), Forged in the Fire seems to be Will's story. He's in London where the action is, while poor Susanna is the one on the outside (literally) who has to wait (which is never very dramatic!). However, Susanna is not a character who will wait indefinitely, and she joins Will in London -- which makes for drama and romance (trying not to give away too much here!). I must admit, there was one point in the plot where I thought Will was going to have to struggle some with his decision to become a Quaker and to turn his back on his former life. Turnbull set it up very neatly to bring him to one of those moments of epiphany like Susanna had in No Shame, No Fear (when she was in the stocks). However, she decided not to pursue that angle in favor instead of the interpersonal relationships. I was a little disappointed, but I can understand the choice. (I also think poor Nat gets ripped off, in a way.) I devoured the book in less than 24 hours -- it was one of those times when my family sort of had to fend for themselves! When I finished, I felt very satisfied that this story (spanning both books) turned out just the way it should.