Under A Fire-Red Sky
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
From the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Geraldine McCaughrean comes an utterly immersive and unforgettable novel set during the London Blitz, inspired by her firefighter father.
With World War II looming, four young people sit on a train waiting to be evacuated to a safer place...but they don't want to go. They climb out of the carriage window and head back to Greenwich, forming an unlikely friendship.
They spend their days trying to be useful. Laurence is building a secret machine. Gemmy searches bombed-out homes for things of value - only to find an adorable mutt she can't even give away. Franklin wants to join the Fire Service, although it means lying about his age. Olive looks after her father, who is broken by the deaths of his fellow firefighters. And together, the four roam the streets of London, discovering their resilience amongst the secrets of the city.
But as the Blitz unleashes a barrage of bombs on London, turning the sky ragged with flame, can the friends keep each other safe and survive?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Four English teens struggle to navigate the beginning of WWII in this moving accounting by McCaughrean (Where the World Ends). As war looms, children are evacuated from London homes and sent to the countryside for their safety. Just as her train is scheduled to leave Greenwich, however, teenage Gemmy disembarks, prompting three other teens in her railcar—Olive, Lawrence, and Franklin—to follow suit. Each one has their own reasons for remaining in London. Though resolute Gemmy is eager to escape her physically abusive father, she fears being under the guardianship of a stranger with a similar temperament; Olive worries about leaving behind her fireman father; posh Lawrence wants to return to the airplane he's building in his garage; and brave Franklin yearns to do something for his community. Upon finding an abandoned van for shelter, Gemmy resolves to make a living on the streets alongside Franklin, while Lawrence and Olive head home to continue their own responsibilities. But as the Blitz begins, the four friends must rely on one another to survive. Assured prose details harrowing yet exciting adventure, while thoroughly researched worldbuilding and thoughtful characterizations round out this engaging, teen-centered look at an important slice of British history. Ages 12–up.
