Words on Fire
What does it take to conquer a people? In the late 19th century, Russian and American governments define it as assimilation. As the Americans worked to kill the Indian “and save the man,” through their policy of forced boarding schools, Russians embarked on a similar quest in Lithuania. They banned the books, the religion, and the language of the land they occupied. However, in both cases, brave men, women, and children worked to preserve their cultural identities and often lost their lives in the process.
Words on Fire tells the story of Audra, a sheltered twelve-year-old Lithuanian farm girl, who knows little of the outside world. Her mother, a farmer, and her father, a traveling magician, protect Audra from the occupying Russian soldiers. Audra stays on their farm far from the deadly Cossack soldiers who patrol the villages enforcing the ban on her culture. Until one night, those very soldiers invade her home and capture her parents.
During the chaos, Audra’s mother gives her a package and forces her to run into the woods. A ruthless Cossack officer pursues her as she races to deliver the mysterious package to a stranger. During her journey, Audra learns what the Russians have stolen from her family and her people, and she joins the fight to restore it.
Author Jennifer A. Nielsen’s story transcends time and traditional gender roles. The hero of this action-adventure story struggles to answer the question, “Is a book worth more than a life?” This novel is perfect for ages eight through twelve, but I highly recommend it for anyone who wishes to understand how we become who we are and what we take from others to become it.
