Trial by Fire

Darleen R. Golke is a high-school teacher-librarian in Winnipeg,
Manitoba.

For Nathan Jones, 17, “running mean[s] freedom” from his past and
his present. Since his mom sent him to Children’s Aid after he engaged
in a dangerous prank with his buddies, Nathan has been on a downward
spiral. He is placed with the Whitmores in Bridgeford, where he links up
with Sally Carruthers, another outsider. Their relationship is
developing nicely until one night Nathan sees someone lob a burning
torch into a window of the Carrutherses’ house. Before he can pursue
the fleeing figure, the police arrest him on suspicion of arson.
Although they release him, Nathan is branded a suspect. He resolves to
investigate the arson and clear his name. His investigation leads to
conflicts and complication, and to a dramatic climax.

Nathan’s primary goal is to get home to his mother and younger
siblings. His white mother has raised him; he has never seen his Cree
father. His only interest in Native culture lies in Indian healing—a
career he thinks he might like to pursue. Jenny Twofeathers, a former
foster child of the Whitmores, bullies him into attending Native events
and tries to persuade him to acknowledge and accept his heritage. As he
faces his “trials by fire,” Nathan gains in confidence and a sense
of direction; he resolves to run “towards, not away from, something”
in the future.

Trial by Fire deals with some standard problem-novel
topics—dysfunctional families, prejudice,

stereotyping, identity crises, relationships—with arson, murder,
abuse, violence, and gangs thrown into the mixture. The secondary
characters tend to be stock types, and the sheer number of problems
Nathan confronts are at times rather overwhelming. However, the
novel’s positive message will appeal to many readers. Recommended.