Molly's Fire

The freindships that exist between the main characters are of a depth rarely given. I felt a kindredship with Molly and the others too; so much so that I was disappointed to have the book come to an end. Hopefully, the author will write a sequel and let us know what becomes of them from then.

When I went into my classroom one day, we were reading this book. I became blown away by the fantasticly mysterious storyline and characters that are in it.It is a WONDERFUL book, and I think that every kid from 8-16 should read it. You'd be surprised how nice it is.

Any reader who loves stories of the World War II era will appreciate this finely crafted novel. The author has done an excellent job of researching the attitudes of those who were left behind when family members had to off to fight the war. George Fowler, Molly's father is a pilot in Europe, and is declared "missing and presumed dead", an idea that Molly cannot accept.Her deep love for her father won't let her believe that she'll never see him again. This belief and how Molly interacts with her mother, grandmother, brother, and classmates is the main plot of the novel. The descriptions of the town in Maine, the seashore and surrouding woods, are vividly portrayed. One can almost smell the salt air and the aroma of freshly cut fir trees. The characters are well-fleshed out and believable. The reader is caught up in Molly's strong desire to have her father somehow return home. Will he or won't he and how will Molly survive? That question is what keeps the pages turning through the plot twists to the last chapter.

As a teacher and avid reader, I enthusiastically recommend Molly's Fire, by Janet Lee Carey. I grew emotionally attached to the main character, Molly, and held her hope as my own as I read her struggles to keep that hope alive. Many can identify with Molly, who is going through common issues for her age, such as first love, voicing her opinion, the (apparent) loss of a parent, and a prospective new parent. The details surrounding this historical fiction book add to the depth, especially the quote from one of FDR's fireside chats and the rationing of goods. Many scenes in the book spoke powerfully to me through the poetic description that was used, especially the scene on VE-day. Finally, the children in this book were protrayed authentically. They were not little adults, but reacted to situations as children do.

As a homeschooling mom of a sixth grader, I really look forward to sharing this book with my daughter (I just couldn't wait to read it first!). I loved Molly, the strong protagonist, who hangs on to her hope and I liked her angry friend, Peter, waiting for his dad to take notice of him. As a published writer, I appreciate Ms Carey's deft use of language. I found the ending quite moving. I hope this author will have more books for us soon.