Read Forged in the Fire Online
Authors: Ann Turnbull
Forged in the Fire (24 page)
BOUT THE
A
UTHOR
Ann Turnbull was brought up in south-east London but now lives in Shropshire. She has always loved reading and knew from the age of ten that she wanted to be a writer. Her numerous books for young readers include
Pigeon Summer
,
Deep Water
,
Room for a Stranger
,
No Friend of Mine
,
Alice in Love and War
and
No Shame, No Fear
which was shortlisted for both the Whitbread Book Award and the Guardian Fiction Prize.
Forged in the Fire
, the sequel to
No Shame, No Fear (
and followed by
Seeking Eden
in her Quaker trilogy for young adults), continues the story of Will and Susanna. Ann says, “As soon as I finished writing
No Shame, No Fear
I knew I had to find out what happened to them â and when the book was published a flood of emails from readers showed they felt the same. I had known all along that Will and Susanna would be caught up in the terrible events of 1665â66. It was challenging and exhilarating to try and recreate that time.”
Find out more about Ann Turnbull and her books by visiting her website at
www.annturnbull.com
1662
â England is reeling from the after-effects of civil war, with its clashes of faith and culture.
Seventeen-year-old Will returns home after completing his studies, to begin an apprenticeship arranged by his wealthy father. Susanna, a young Quaker girl, leaves her family to become a servant in the same town.
Theirs is a story that speaks across the centuries, telling of love and the struggle to stay true to what is most important â in spite of parents, society and even the law.
But is the love between Will and Susanna strong enough to survive â no matter what?
Shortlisted for the Whitbread Book Award and the Guardian Fiction Prize
1683
â Will and Susanna, inspired by William Penn's vision of a Quaker colony in America, set off with their family to begin a new life overseas. In Philadelphia they hope to be free of the persecution they suffered for so long in England.
Their son Josiah yearns for adventure. He gains an apprenticeship with the merchant George Bainbrigg and falls in love with his daughter, Katherine. The three sail to Barbados on business.
Only then does Josiah learn the truth about Bainbrigg's work and realize that the struggle to uphold his own beliefs is just beginning.
The eagerly awaited final book in Ann Turnbull's brilliant Quaker trilogy.
No Shame, No Fear
was shortlisted for the Whitbread Book Award and the Guardian Fiction Prize.
Alice Newcombe,
trapped and unhappy on her uncle's farm, finds her life transformed when royalist soldiers are billeted there during the Civil War.
Suddenly her days are filled with excitement â and love for one young soldier, Robin. When the regiment moves on, Alice persuades Robin to take her with him, and she joins the other army women on the baggage train.
The road ahead is long and hard â
will there be happiness at its end?
RAISE FOR
N
O
S
HAME,
N
O
F
EAR
“An unusual and well-told story of love against the odds.”
The Observer
“Here is a novel that needs a trumpet to be blown for it⦠The pleasures lie less in plot surprises than in the plain, exact and elegant language that takes you to the heart of each character's feelings.”
Adèle Geras,
The Guardian
“Historical details are deftly handled, building a rich picture of momentous events set against personal, domestic lives, particularly those of women. A pleasingly unexpected take on the boy-meets-girl romance, set in a fascinating context.”
Booktrusted News
“The unembellished but quietly passionate tone of the story perfectly realizes the Quaker ideals of simplicity and truth, and the privations which they endure with courage and dignity serve to engage reader sympathy in a powerful, understated way. Historical context is accurately and carefully used, but it is the measured tone of the narrative and its humble, quiet characters with their rock of religion which leave a lasting impression.”
Books for Keeps
“A novel of huge integrity told in a fittingly simple voice⦠Turnbull has written a powerful and moving book that never becomes shrill; she creates a past that is wholly credible and sets out a thoughtful blueprint for tolerance.”
Julia Eccleshare,
The Guardian
“I was surprised to find how easily I was drawn inside this gentle love story⦠This is a book for all teenagers and adults who want to remind themselves how powerful teenage passion can be.”
Carousel
No Shame, No Fear
Seeking Eden
Alice in Love and War
Greek Myths
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places
and incidents are either the product of the author's
imagination or, if real, are used fictitiously.
First published 2006 by Walker Books Ltd
87 Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5HJ
This edition published 2013
Text © 2006 Ann Turnbull
Cover photograph © Steve Prezant/Corbis
The right of Ann Turnbull to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by her in accordance with the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping and recording, without prior written permission from the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data:
a catalogue record for this book
is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-4063-5291-7 (ePub)