Words on Fire

Being of Lithuanian heritage, the stories of people disappearing to Siberia and book smugglers was a part of my upbringing. The stories were told by my parents and relatives but were never a part of any history book I had in school. I am thankful this story attempts to bring this part of history to life and gives a different perspective that I can now share with my children. I do think some of the anglicization of names was a missed opportunity given that the whole point of the struggle was to preserve our cultural identity. For example, "Rue" should have been "Ruta", which is a very common Lithuanian name. But all in all, I am grateful this book exists. Even my ten year old daughter found it engaging and we were able to talk through the historical significance and importance of independent thought.

This book was really great! I was super happy about the ending when Audra and Lukas had gotten together. Through out the whole book I was waiting for the moment when they would get together. I loved how they developed throughout the book, and that Ben was her grandfather. That was a surprising twist. There was a lot of repetition, not saying that it’s a bad thing, I know it helped develop the book farther and was an inference to things but it was a little much. At some parts it was a little confusing for me, so I definitely recommend to people who have a wide vocabulary and understanding of phrases or play of words. But overall it was a good book, I loved the characters and how they changed through out the story. Definitely recommend! (Review by Charles’ daughter (14 years old))

This is a war book. So it isn't pleasant. There are a lot of horrible things that happen, and a lot of good people die. But it isn't graphically done, rather it is presented with kindness and understanding. And the beauty of the story overwhelms everything else. This might not be okay for kids who are highly concerned about death, but I would recommend it for anyone else.

Honestly, this book could had been better. It was a little too slow, and it just doesn’t compare to something like “Letters From Rifka,” Or “Number The Stars.” But Overall Great Book I Love All The Symbolism And Just Heart Breaking Moments In This Book. Definitely One Of The Best Books About Resistance I’ve Ever Read. 4.5 Stars.

I had real anxiety about this book having any chance of a happy ending. The storytelling has me invested and hopeful for the Lithuanians trying so hard to preserve their story. Such a great historical fiction novel.

My girlfriend’s daughter listed this as her favorite book, and I wanted to read to connect with her and discuss it. Not only did I connect with her, but I ended up connecting with Audra, Lukas, Ben, Milda and so many other characters who came to life in this book and who I felt like I knew. The storytelling, history, and flow of the book is perfect. My grandmother was a holocaust survivor and this book, while about a different occupation and uprising, spoke to me on levels that not many books have before or since.

Love this book so much!!! it is really good and is written really well.

We read this after we read her other book, Resistance. My son is half-German and so the Resistance book was important for him to read to understand parts of WWII but it made him very much interested in historical fiction and now he wants to read all of her books. They are somewhat emotionally intense, but overall really interesting and engaging stories. After reading this book and her other one, a lot of the other books he likes seems sort of "flat" he said. Overall pleased. Great to get kids interested in history and good literature.

Very simply written but I learnt about a piece of history that I had not known anything about.

Great for teens, definitely recommend.

One of the most beautiful and inspiring stories I’ve ever read. Sad, heartfelt, meaningful and a great description of characters, senes and of what happened then. It’s so great that the book brings awareness to events that have happened and have been tragic.

Great story of the bravery of youth when left to survive on their own. The friendships created as a result are cherished and never lost because of the challenges they shared.

These are great books for you g historical fiction readers.