Refiner's Fire [Paperback]

Sylvia Bambola (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2000

A thriller steeped in European culture like The Salzburg Connection, Refiner's Fire serves up serious suspense to avid fiction readers. This book's "secret underground society" is not Nazi war criminals, however-it's the persecuted Christian church. Yuri and Alexander Deyneko, separated as teens in postwar times, are reunited thirty-five years later in 1980s Bucharest. Now on separate sides of Nicolae Ceausescu's Iron Curtain, the secret life of one brother, a top army official and clandestine Christian, and the ambition of the other- now the American Ambassador to Romania-puts them on a collision course with each other. Fates hang on an issue of conscience. Great writing propels readers through the plot toward a gripping climax.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Bambola bases this novel on first-hand accounts of atrocities committed under Nicolae Ceau sescu. When, in the wake of World War II, a Romanian woman had to sell one son to an American officer to escape a refugee camp, she impressed the officer's name on the memory of her remaining son. Forty years later, Alexander Wainwright accepts a posting to Romania, and a spy, Col. Yuri Deyneko, is immediately attached to the new ambassador. Yuri is the only one who knows that he is Alexander's brother, and when he sees how cold this man is, he wishes it weren't so. Under Ceau sescu's regime, Christians have been forced underground, and Alexander is ordered not to rock the boat. But when a plea to help them comes from both his wife and Yuri, he turns to God for answers. By turns hopeful and devastating, this novel powerfully portrays the unbearable cruelty of humans and the helplessness of the Christians, whose faith never falters. Writing as Margaret Miller, Bambola won the 1998 Small Press Editor's Choice Award for her first novel, A Vessel of Honor, and her new work deserves a place in all collections.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Sylvia Bambola received the Silver Angel Award for Refiner's Fire, as well as the Small Press Editor's Choice Award for her first novel, A Vessel of Honor (published under the pen name Margaret Miller). A resident of New York, she is a frequent speaker at Christian women's events. Sylvia and her husband have two grown children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 349 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (April 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576736946
• ISBN-13: 978-1576736944
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,834,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Quite What I Expected, June 8, 2001

By 

Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Refiner's Fire (Paperback)

I travelled in Romania during the same time period of this book. That got my attention. I hoped to relive the intimate conversations with believers behind the Iron Curtain; I hoped to taste and smell and visualize the rugged and beautiful countryside. I was mildly disappointed.

Bambola's novel is a tale of two brothers separated by time and geography, brought together again as adults in Romania--one an American ambassador, one a Romanian colonel. The cover and description of "Refiner's Fire" led me to believe this would be more male-oriented fiction. It's not. That's not to say that it's a waste of time for male readers; in fact, I appreciated the story and the lessons to be learned. The writing is easy and flowing. The dialogue is generally snappy. I felt that the plot and characters, although fitting, were geared toward a female reader. A number of times, I found the ambassador's reactions to his wife a bit syrupy and/or emotional for a man of his position.

The book reads quickly, and the wake-up call to a lazy American society is needed (particularly within the churches). Bambola does give us some heart-rending facts regarding the persecution others face. Unfortunately for me, though, I never felt like I was taken back to the places or peoples I visited. For those who have never been there, this might be a great introduction.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting, but Tender, August 7, 2000

By 

Suzanne Miller "Love to read" (Needville, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Refiner's Fire (Paperback)

I hate to be trite, but I couldn't put this book down! Not only was the story interesting (and you couldn't wait to find out how it all turned out), but the dialogue was real and the people even more so. The background that Ms. Bambola researched and presents to us is fascinating. How many of us truly understand what it must be like to live in a cold, bleak, cruel and restrictive society as it was in Romania? That these people suffered and died for their Christian faith is something for all of us to understand, respect, and if ever necessary, hope we could emulate. Ms. Bambola...write us some more great books!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth reading by men and women!, July 24, 2000

By 

C. R. Gehringer "Avid bookworm" (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Refiner's Fire (Paperback)

WOW! What a great book! Whether you like intrigue, inspirational literature, historical works, or just plain good reading, you'll find this is well worth your time. I savored it from a few sittings and then couldn't put it down. The author has down an excellent job and I look forward to seeing more by her.