Jane Borodale

The Book of Fires takes us back to 18th century England. We are introduced to Agnes Trussel who is a 17-year-old living a simple country life. Agnes is raped and then finds herself pregnant. She runs away because she knows she will be forced to marry her rapist and she doesn’t want to shame her family. Agnes travels to London and is introduced to elements of it’s darker side. She is fortunate to find a respectable job making fireworks for Mr. Blacklock. What will happen once he finds out about her pregnancy? Will she wind up out on the streets and become a victim of London’s dark side? In a strange twist of fate her boss dies and a secret that will change her life is revealed. A fascinating book with a strong intelligent woman character and a happy ending.

I thought that this was well written and easy to follow. I liked the character Agnes. She is such an innocent, naive, victim of circumstances. While this book is not a major page turner, it has a really good story line. The ending is the best part of the book. It allows the reader to conclude why Mr. Blacklock did what he did. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.… (altro)