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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Satisfying Sequel!, March 20, 2007
This review is from: Forged in the Fire (Hardcover)
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.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
What exactly is forged in the fire?, January 27, 2008
This review is from: Forged in the Fire (Hardcover)
A good foray into historical fiction, this story brings to light the discrimination of Quakers in 1665 London. A continuation of events that unfolded in "No Shame, No Fear" where Susanna, a Quaker aged 15, falls in love with Will, an Anglican, aged 18. Will converts to Susanna's religion and goes to London to apprentice himself to a trade in order to be able to earn a living to support his future wife and family. He forsakes the status and wealth of his father's business, and becomes estranged from his family. Susanna and Will correspond by letter for 3 years, until Will's life gets entangled in the devastation of the bubonic plague which includes a halt to travel and letter carrying. Susanna gives up her own apprenticeship to travel to London to seek Will. Not long after, the Great Fire of London creates devastating havoc. The story is told in alternating chapters by Will and Susanna, but, disappointingly, there is not a strong distinction between the character's voices, and the reader may need to turn back to the chapter heading to see who is doing the telling! Also, what speech are the characters using? Should they all speak Early Modern English? Did the Quakers adopt a different way of speaking, using `thee, thy and thou' in all speech? Is the language of this book authentic? Will slips up, publicly exhibiting angry physical and verbal retorts (which gets him time in jail), but he doesn't make mistakes using his new language. Susanna is a modern young woman in old-fashioned garb: she pines for a physical relationship with Will, and follows him to London with less chaperoning than one would expect for the time. She traipses around the city looking for Will, and when they meet, she spends the night in his room, where they consummate their marriage before they take their wedding vows. Small and interesting historical facts cannot compensate for overall blah characterization. Want a wonderful love story in historical fiction? Read "Mrs. Mike" by Benedict and Nancy Freedman.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Forged in the Fire, June 10, 2008
This review is from: Forged in the Fire (Hardcover)
Continuing the story of Will and Susanna begun in No Shame, No Fear, author Ann Turnbull gives us a realistic look at life for Quakers in the 1600s. When we left Will and Susanna in NSNF, they were separated so that Will could find work since his father had disowned him for becoming a Friend. Forged in the Fire finds the two lovers three years on, planning marriage and looking forward to being together. But plans are thwarted as plague shuts down London, making communication almost impossible. Will finds himself in Newgate prison after an encounter with a constable and then becomes seriously ill while languishing in prison. Susanna takes off for London where she is shocked to misunderstand that Will is in love with someone else. Though the course to true love is never easy, these two suffer a good deal and it looks for a while as thought things will never work out.
Ms. Turnbull has written a worthy sequel to No Shame, No Fear. She gives us a glimpse into daily life of being a Quaker, and its persecutions. I most enjoyed the way she wove the Great Fire of London in 1666 into the storyline. While I felt things did indeed wrap up a little too easily, I enjoyed the storytelling and feel that Will and Susanna were realistically drawn. Ms. Turnbull has a gift for weaving a good plot around actual events, and I will be looking for more works from her in the future.
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