CCBC-Net Archives
World War Two: Historical Fiction
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Ronald F. Green <greenrf>
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 17:13:44 -0500 (CDT)
Robert Westall fans and others interested in WWI hist. fic. might want to take a look at what is probably his last novel Time of Fire. First published by Pan Macmillan in Great Britain in 1994 it has more recently been released through Scholastic on the American market. Westall died in 1993.
Time of Fire is set in Newcastle in the northeast of England during the early years of WWII. Sonny is the young boy, the principal character of the story who must face the frequent attacks of German bombers on Newcastle. During one raid, Sonny's mother is killed when a bomb strikes a shop where she has gone to buy matches. Sonny was supposed to have bought the matches so he blames himself for his mother's death, believing that she would not have died if she had not had to go out to buy the matches. Her death under these circumstances causes Sonny to carry a great deal of guilt.
Westall writes in the strong dialect of Newcastle, which very likely some readers know if they have visited that area of Britain. This may be a problem for some readers. Also there are references, names of people, names of German bombers and names of songs, for example, There'll Always Be an England and Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodby made very popular by Gracie Fields during WWII
(I sing this song to my wife everyday when I head out so you see that dates me a bit for I learned that song as a youth, during WWII) which will be unfamiliar to most young readers. Some background information on the Battle of Britain during WWII might be helpful in understanding this novel.
The title Time of Fire carries a dual meaning, other readers may find even more. WWII is raging. Newcastle is a major industrial city in the north of England and is the frequent target of German bombers. Also, Sonny is facing his own personal Time of Fire, dealing with his guilt because he feels responsible for his mother's death.
The resolution is satisfying and surprising. Sonny believes he has to avenge his mother'death by destroying the German pilot who dropped the bomb which killed her. He is intent on revenge. How this is all played out makes for surprisingly good reading, especially for the WWII buff but for other readers as well.
Would be interested in other reader comments about this book. As you may surmise from the comments above, I found Time of Fire to be compelling reading.
Dr. Ron Green Eau Claire, WI greenrf at uwec.edu.
Received on Fri 24 Oct 1997 05:13:44 PM CDT
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 17:13:44 -0500 (CDT)
Robert Westall fans and others interested in WWI hist. fic. might want to take a look at what is probably his last novel Time of Fire. First published by Pan Macmillan in Great Britain in 1994 it has more recently been released through Scholastic on the American market. Westall died in 1993.
Time of Fire is set in Newcastle in the northeast of England during the early years of WWII. Sonny is the young boy, the principal character of the story who must face the frequent attacks of German bombers on Newcastle. During one raid, Sonny's mother is killed when a bomb strikes a shop where she has gone to buy matches. Sonny was supposed to have bought the matches so he blames himself for his mother's death, believing that she would not have died if she had not had to go out to buy the matches. Her death under these circumstances causes Sonny to carry a great deal of guilt.
Westall writes in the strong dialect of Newcastle, which very likely some readers know if they have visited that area of Britain. This may be a problem for some readers. Also there are references, names of people, names of German bombers and names of songs, for example, There'll Always Be an England and Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodby made very popular by Gracie Fields during WWII
(I sing this song to my wife everyday when I head out so you see that dates me a bit for I learned that song as a youth, during WWII) which will be unfamiliar to most young readers. Some background information on the Battle of Britain during WWII might be helpful in understanding this novel.
The title Time of Fire carries a dual meaning, other readers may find even more. WWII is raging. Newcastle is a major industrial city in the north of England and is the frequent target of German bombers. Also, Sonny is facing his own personal Time of Fire, dealing with his guilt because he feels responsible for his mother's death.
The resolution is satisfying and surprising. Sonny believes he has to avenge his mother'death by destroying the German pilot who dropped the bomb which killed her. He is intent on revenge. How this is all played out makes for surprisingly good reading, especially for the WWII buff but for other readers as well.
Would be interested in other reader comments about this book. As you may surmise from the comments above, I found Time of Fire to be compelling reading.
Dr. Ron Green Eau Claire, WI greenrf at uwec.edu.
Received on Fri 24 Oct 1997 05:13:44 PM CDT
