Molly's Fire [Hardcover]

Janet Lee Carey (Author)

Book Description

The telegram says that her father's Thunderbolt aircraft was shot down by the Germans over Holland -- and that Lieutenant George Fowler is presumed dead. But for Molly, that's impossible. She knows she would feel it in her heart if her father were truly dead. After all, he had been shot down once before and survived. She feels certain that he has found a way to survive again. And she secretly clings to that belief as she stands alongside her mother and brother at the memorial service. As her small town of Keenan, Maine, slogs through the deprivations of wartime, Molly waits for a sign from her father -- something to show that he is still alive.

Months pass with no word. And even with the support of friends like Peter, the son of one of the town's wealthiest men, and Jane, whose Japanese heritage makes her the focus of suspicion and ridicule, keeping her faith is even harder for Molly. Then the appearance of a mysterious pocket watch gives Molly hope. Could this be the sign she's been waiting for? Molly risks all to find out.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Thirteen-year-old Molly won't accept the official declaration of "presumed dead" when her father's plane is shot down over Holland in 1944. Her resolve remains strong long after her father's memorial service, even after her mother starts inviting a wounded veteran over for dinner. Searching for clues that her father is still alive, Molly gets help from two friends: Jane, a half-Japanese classmate, and Peter, who is rich but unloved. They go so far as to sneak out to the prison camp for German soldiers at the edge of town to see if the pocket watch Molly saw on a prisoner is the one that belonged to her father. In turn, Molly stands up for Jane when she is harassed at school and protects Jane's grandmother (the townspeople accuse the former German teacher of being a spy when they discover the note she writes for Molly to pass to the German soldier). Debut novelist Carey falters in places, particularly in scenes that describe Molly's budding romance with Peter and in the tidy ending. Much of the symbolism also feels forced, as with the stained-glass window of St. George fighting the dragon that Molly builds for her father (also named George). But the details about food ration coupons, victory gardens and Japanese internment camps breathe life into an important period of history. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-World War II-era Maine is the setting for this novel. When 13-year-old Molly's father's plane is shot down and he is presumed dead, she holds desperately to her belief that he survived. She places great significance on a pocket watch like her father's that she sees on a German POW while spying on the local camp from a nearby abandoned cabin. Subplots include Molly's developing friendships with a half-Japanese girl and with the town's rich boy who has spent his life in boarding schools. Molly's warm relationship with her absent father and her refusal to accept her loss and carry on with life are successfully drawn. Food rations, victory gardens, and other period details re-create wartime conditions. Some of the inimitable dynamics of small-town life are captured as well. Less convincing are the fairly thin characterizations, the glossed-over beginnings of unlikely middle-school friendships, and the tidy ending. Still, this is an acceptable addition, unusual in both focus and setting.
Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 196 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum; 1st edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689826125
• ISBN-13: 978-0689826122
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,091,096 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

~Things are never what they seem. Find the lost inside the dream ~
Janet Lee Carey is the award-winning author of seven Children's and YA novels. School Library Journal starred review says "Verdict: This is quite simply fantasy at its best-original, beautiful, amazing, and deeply moving."
Janet links each new book with a charitable organization empowering readers to make a difference in the world. She tours in US and abroad presenting at schools, children's book festivals, and conferences. http://www.janetleecarey.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Molly: Young, Strong, and Filled with Fire, May 11, 2000

By 

Margaret Smith (Redmond, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Molly's Fire (Hardcover)

Have you ever dreamed of living in a small town on the coast of Maine? I have. This book takes me there, to the World War II era when fathers flew off on gallant missions, perhaps never to return. Each family member who was left behind had to work out private griefs in individual ways. Molly is a teenager who was left behind. She is one of the strongest young female characters you're likely to meet in a young adult novel. Her strength and "fire" make me wish I were one of Molly's friends. She reminds me of Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird." If I were Molly's friend, then I could be there with her, walking along the cliff edge overlooking the Atlantic, exploring ruins of an old church, and getting into tense and desperate adventures. Molly's strong fire, her passion, is that she must prove her father is still alive and is coming back home.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, May 31, 2000

By 

Angela Carter (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Molly's Fire (Hardcover)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling Historical Fiction, May 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Molly's Fire (Hardcover)

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.