Customer Reviews

The Flame Tree

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When Isaac Williams, the 12-year-old son of missionary doctors in Indonesia, experiences an uprising in the small Muslim town he calls home, the divide between Muslim and Infidel becomes personal and quite literally painful. Everything he takes for granted--his family's security, his trust in the people he has lived with for so long, his concept of God, and his bantering, effortless relationship with his best friend--falls apart. As the plot moves through its frank and sometimes horrifying turns, Isaac learns that evil can wear many masks and good might lie in the most startling of places.

This is a very, very timely book, and its message in these days of grave cultural divide is vital. The story is a page-turner; it's enormously thought-provoking, and Lewis doesn't let us off the hook easily. He deals with complexities broad and personal, themes of doing bad in the name of good, of humanity and religion, of allegiances, friendship, cruelty and wisdom. His prose is adept, his characters human and believable. And despite the weight of its subject--or because of it--it's a terrific read.

If I were to design a curriculum for human understanding in our new century, mandatory for high-school children of all creeds, it would begin with this book and The River Runs Salt, Runs Sweet, by Jasmina Dervisevic-Cesic. I would encourage parents to read The Flame Tree, pass it to their children, and spend some very valuable time discussing it.

Susan O'Neill, author, Don't Mean Nothing: Short Stories of Viet Nam

The Flame Tree is much more than a coming of age story. By focusing on a 12 year Christian, American boy living in the world's largest Muslim nation during the upheaval of 9/11, Richard Lewis sets up a potentially explosive situation.

Isaac Williams is the son of two doctors who work at a missionary hospital in Indonesia. An exceptionally bright boy, he considers Indonesia his home, and though he schools with other ex-pat children, his best friend is a local devout Muslim boy, Ismail. But things take an ominous turn in young Isaac's life when the Muslim church across the street from his home compound takes a decidedly extremist turn under a new Imam. People in the community who had previously welcomed Isaac become colder, he starts having nightmares about threatening crows, and he finds a new, hidden gate into the compound. Just as things hit a contentious note in his community, 9/11 explodes and his previously tranquil community rages with a full- blown riot.

With panic at a fever pitch, during a mandatory evacuation, complete with Marine escorts, the unthinkable happens and Isaac is taken hostage by the extremist group.

To say more would divulge intricate plot details that will leave not only young readers, but also adults, breathless as they get caught in the web of this riveting page-turner. Most importantly though, beyond the action and suspense of this novel lies a thoughtful examination of culture and faith. Lewis does an admirable job here of opening up a very foreign world while also carefully exploring facets of the Muslim and Christian faiths. From the description, it would be easy to assume that this novel pits Muslims against Christians, but remember, this is an extremist group, and care is taken to highlight Islamic beliefs in their less incendiary and dangerous forms. I dare say that this book is timely, and right now, an important read. Not only for youngsters struggling to understand, but also adults.

First-time novelist Richard Lewis' THE FLAME TREE has one of the best opening lines I've read anywhere. "The Tuan Guru Haji Abdullah Abubakar first appeared in twelve-year-old Isaac Williams's largely untroubled life on a Saturday morning in late August."

Who could resist continuing?

While it is part of Simon and Schuster's young adult publishing programme, THE FLAME TREE is just as easily an adult story -- or, better still, one to share between a parent and a young adult! Isaac's experiences of Islam allow him to broaden his own horizons - "As Isaac read this," writes Lewis, "he found that the pool he had dived into was not so strange and alien after all."

And nor is Indonesia an alien land, as presented by Lewis. One feels with Isaac, one tastes, one hears, one sees. Issues and difficulties are confronted honestly, but with compassion. Peace, one comes to believe, may be possible.

One book at a time.

. . . are laid out plainly in this story of a young boy caught between cultures and religions. The reader feels Isaac's bewilderment when his best friend - a Muslim - turns against him. Isaac loses his flame tree, the symbol of his sheltering childhood, and all it enfolds (including the security his parents provide, his faith, and the Javanese culture he considered his own).
Underneath the fast-paced, page-turning crises lie the basic differences and similarities between Christianity and Islam and how Isaac chooses his own personal path of faith. Richard Lewis has managed to avoid any caracaturization of Isaac's kidnappers. He depicts them as both good and bad, and hasn't lip-synched any politically-correct -- liberal or conservative -- line.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants not only excellent, lyrical writing, but something to mentally chew on for a long time.

Every so often, a book comes along with uncanny wisdom and expansive, uninhibited prose. Such is 'The Flame Tree,' by first-time novelist Richard Lewis. 'The Flame Tree' is a coming-of-age action story about a young Christian boy and his parents living in Islamic Indonesia before and after 9/11, and what it means to maintain faith, friendship, and tolerance in an increasingly hostile world.

The protagonist, Isaac Williams, is the son of American missionary doctors. His best friend, Ismail Sutanto, is a devout Muslim. As violence between Muslims and Christians escalates following 9/11, Isaac's world begins to unravel when he is taken hostage by an extremist Muslim group. As they struggle to overcome challenges they have never dealt with before, both Isaac and his family must learn the true meaning of what it means to forgive.

Much like Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' in its tone, this book for ages 12 and up is a valuable learning tool for both teens and adults. 'The Flame Tree' addresses provocative questions about religious and cultural differences, yet is ultimately a story about upholding one's own beliefs while learning to embrace the ideas of others.

A marvelously, wonderfully spun tale, steeped in first hand knowledge and laced with imagery so realistic, that you forget that it is fiction. As an American living in Indonesia who was deeply impacted by the Bali Bomb, I battled between not being able to put the book down and needing to put the book down to process my response. This is an amazingly informative book. Through it, one is engaged on all levels - intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Lewis' clever whit, ability to lead the reader into intimacy with each of the well-developed characters, and well-balanced approach to cultural and religious issues faced by our current generation, provided a greatly satisfying read. This story cuts straight to the heart, while being full of such great fun, adventure and suspense, that one is able to easily press through what would otherwise be a slow go through amazingly huge issues faced by our world today.

THE FLAME TREE is a story told through the eyes of Isaac Williams, the precocious twelve-year old son of American missionary doctors in Java, Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation.

The Williams family's life is totally unfamiliar to that of most Americans. The mother and father, both physicians, run a local missionary hospital. Blonde Isaac considers Indonesia to be his home and the locals to be his community.

When the tranquility of the Williams' existence is shattered the family members are forced to confront the darker side of Islam and issues as to why America and Americans are so hated.

THE FLAME TREE examines the Islamic faith and the thorny issues of Christian-Muslim interaction through the innocent eyes of a boy. It is a timely book, perhaps the first of its type to come out post September 11. Above all though, this is a moving, lyrically written novel about forgiveness and redemption.

Because my main criticisms come from elements in the story, I'm going to summarize my review first so readers who don't want to know plot elements won't be spoiled.

Summary: A good read for Jr. High to early High School students (perhaps even 5-6th graders). An interesting take on the dynamics between Christianity and Islam through the eyes of a 12-year-old American boy in Indonesia. There's some graphic content, but it's there to set the story and is something most of them would be familiar with. A story of forgiveness. It's good, but it'd be great if it was maybe double the length and fleshed out more.



*SPOILERS*



There a few issues I had with the story.

First is the bomb in the hospital. While setup nicely with foreshadowing, I found Isaac's influence on the event to be out of place with the rest of the story. It also seemed out of place with the terrorist's plan. While they wanted to kill/drive away the Christian doctors and other missionaries, the hospital primarily cared for the poor Muslims in the area. The bomb itself would have killed many of their own and ultimately made me think it was just a plot device to force an evacuation (which could have been done just as well with the riot).

Second is malaria. It's setup as a big issue right from the start, but roughly halfway through the book he's cured of it and it's not mentioned again. Perhaps it was only intended to introduce the crow dreams or make it easier for Isaac to be captured, but given how deadly it is presented in the beginning something more severe coming from it would have had a better payout.

Third is Isaac's nocturnal emission. It was a bit out of place. While his captor asks before if he is circumcised, had a nocturnal emission or has hair around his genitals (No, No, Yes) there isn't any real significance to it. Other than being uncircumcised and in puberty means he is impure according to Islam and doing the ritual does no harm to Islam or Christianity. Right before he is forcefully circumcised, Isaac has a nocturnal emission. My question is why then? Was the author implying a passage from boyhood to manhood from innocence to guilt? Is there some special about that event in Islam? It just happens and isn't brought up again, but by the men mocking him as they circumcise him.

Fourth is actually Isaac's circumcision or his status rather. I just found it rather odd that the author treated circumcision as a Muslim only thing when it's still heavily practiced in America. Since Isaac is 12 in 2001, that would mean he was likely born in 1989 when the majority of American Boys would be circumcised. As a comparison of cultures it's an odd omission (as the author was born and raised in Indonesia, maybe it's not something he was aware of).

The divergence of the monotheistic religions came when Ishmael went to Mecca, and Abraham's other son, Isaac, stayed in Palestine. Richard Lewis's The Flame Tree, is the modern example of the continuing conflict that resulted from this divide. Twelve-year-old Isaac is the son of Christian missionaries in Indonesia. He watches the world from the branches of the flame tree and plays with Ismail, a local Muslim boy, along the riverbank.

However, when the Tuan Guru Haji Abdullah Abubakar appears, in their once peaceful town of Wonobo, accusing the missionaries of committing sin against Allah by trying to convert Muslims to Christians, it's not only the boys' friendship that is threatened but their beliefs, as well.

Lewis's depiction of religious conflict is honest, real, and objective. Though the son of American missionaries, his story is neither one-sided nor preachy. The violence portrayed in the novel is shocking and painful but tastefully written.

The Flame Tree is intelligent and thought-provoking. It is action packed and lyrical, a wonderful contribution to young adult literature, and an excellent read for older adults too.

Read the customer reviews here and you will get a better feel for the sophistication of this book. Yes, it is told through the eyes of a precocious twelve-year-old, but does that limit it to a YA novel? Publishing houses didn't sell Lord of the Flies or Catcher in the Rye or The Diary of Anne Frank this way. This novel would be a dynamite book for a High School Curriculum, but adults can learn much about the complicated relationships between Christians and Moslems as well. Our president would do well to read this book.

The Flame Tree is a blazing adventure, filled with violence, fear, pain and courage, but also a lyrical work with deep understanding of friendship, belief, hate and forgiveness.

Let the adult read it first, then discuss its relevance with the young adult. And Simon & Schuster, get behind this book and give it the blast it deserves.