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| Forged by Fire |
Summary:
As a teenager, Gerald finds success as a member of the Hazelwood Tigers basketball team, while Angel develops her talents as a dancer. Trouble still haunts them, however, and Gerald learns, painfully, that young friends can die and old enemies must be faced. In the end he must stand up to his stepfather alone in a blazing confrontation.
Sharon M. Draper has interwoven characters and events from her previous novel, Tears of a Tiger, in this unflinchingly realistic portrayal of poverty and child abuse. It is an inspiring story of a young man who rises above the tragic circumstances of his life by drawing on the love and strength of family and friends.
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Introduction:
When Gerald was a child he was fascinated by fire. But fire is dangerous and powerful, and tragedy strikes. His substance-addicted mother is taken from him. Then he loses the loving generosity of a favorite aunt. A brutal stepfather with a flaming temper and an evil secret makes his life miserable. The one bright light in Gerald's life is his little half sister, Angel, whom he struggles to protect from her father, Jordan Sparks, who abuses her, and from their mother, whose irresponsible behavior forces Gerald to work hard to keep the family together.
General Questions:
1. Were you ever abused as a child?
No. I had a very happy childhood. But I've known lots of young people who have suffered from abuse, and my heart goes out to them.
2. Why did you create the character of Angel?
I wanted a character who was sweet and lovable and painfully vulnerable. That's why I named her Angel.
3. Why is Jordan Sparks so mean?
He is the antagonist, the man who causes all the pain and trauma for Gerald and Angel. Perhaps he had an unhappy childhood himself. Often a person who is abused as a child grows up to be an abuser when he is an adult.
3. Forged by Fire includes contact information for the National Child Abuse
Hotline and the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Do you think your books have helped people grapple with such problems as abuse and violence? Can you give an example? I have received many letters from young people who have thanked me for those phone numbers at the back. One girl wrote, "I called that number and it saved my life." It still give me chill bumps. Another wrote, "Because I called that number, I am smiling for the first time in ten years. He is gone." She didn't tell me who-I can only imagine.
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