Fire in the Hills

I will give the basic story line at the end of the review. I wanted to point out since this book is published and marketed as being for young adults, that there are a few elements that might render this book unsuitable reading material for some families. The book contains several incidents of bad language (one by the heroine) and two near rape scenes. Each family will want to decide when and if these are introduced to their children. Folks concerned about these elements will either want to choose something else or to preread this selection. That said, I also wanted to state that this was an enjoyable read for me. I had also read RED-DIRT JESSIE and found that this book revisits much of the same territory. Both books are set in Oklahoma and involve a family member's death. Each has a father who shuts himself off emotionally from the family for a time. Both families are held together by a strong female who grows up through the pain and goes on to "save the day" in the end in some way. I could really identify with the conflict between personal progress and dreams and family progress and needs. The storyline is this: Sixteen-year-old Hallie's mother dies at the opening scene of the book leaving Hallie as "mother" for seven brothers and sisters. The brother leaves to fight in WWI after a disagreement with the father over pursuing his dream to play baseball professionally. Hallie has her own dream of becoming a teacher and given these circumstances she believes this will never happen now. The war prompts neighbors to distrust a draft dodger hiding in the hills and a German family who has been some of their dear neighbors in all the years before. All these elements come together to shatter the peace of the town and this family. The cover of the book touts this as a romance. If you are interested in a romance that starts and develops as the book goes along, you will be disappointed. The relationship seems to develop without the book revealing many tender exchanges between the couple. Those elements are left to your imagination. The romance happens quickly and mostly in the last half of the book.

This was a good book i think. I liked that she was so independent and could be so strong when she had to. i also liked the end of the book when everybody was cheering in the streets, and when Hallie asked what they were doing, they said, Armistice, War's over!!!! I would recommend this book.