Forged by Fire (novel)

Forged by Fire is a realistic fiction novel written by Sharon M. Draper. The novel was first published in 1997 and is the second book in the Hazelwood High Trilogy. It received the Coretta Scott King Award.

The story focuses on Gerald, an African American boy who struggles with his life after the death of his aunt.

Originally, the first chapter of Forged by Fire appeared as a short story in Ebony magazine on January 1991 under the title "One Small Torch".

Plot Summary

The story begins with a three-year-old boy named Gerald who lives with his single mother. It gives the reader an idea of Gerald's knowledge and relationship with his mother. One day, Gerald's mother visits a drug dealer and leaves Gerald home alone for many , many hours. While he is alone, Gerald goes into her room and picks up a lighter. He starts playing with the lighter along with his other toys. While in the kitchen, Gerald moves the lighter from left to right and a curtain ignites. The flames start spreading throughout the entire kitchen. Afraid, Gerald hides behind the sofa and passes out from all the smoke. Gerald wakes up in a hospital where he starts asking the nurse for his mama. A few minutes later, Gerald's handicapped Aunt Queen arrives at the hospital. She later claims that she is going to become Gerald's new legal guardian. The two gain this superb relationship, but little does Gerald know his whole world will be turned around for the worst. Several years later, Gerald finds out his mother was in jail for leaving him as a three-year-old home alone. She comes to Aunt Queen's house on Gerald's birthday and Gerald finds out that Mama married a man named Jordan who's a child abusing brute. They had a daughter who's Gerald's sister named Angel. Aunt Queen dies and Gerald ends up moving back with his mom and his having to deal with Jordan's child abusing. After Gerald moves back in he has to face the abuse of his stepfather, Jordan Sparks. Later in the story after Jordan starts to molest his daughter Angel, Gerald finds out and gets help from Mr. Washington, Robert's father. The story progresses to High school where Jordan comes back and tries to act like he's a changed man, but on the side is drugging up Gerald's mother. After Jordan comes home drunk and attempts to rape Angel, who had set some food on the stove before doing so which eventually caused a fire, Gerald comes home and fights Jordan. After the fire burns, Jordan dies and Angel and Gerald are with their mother again, they look forward to the new life ahead of them.