Night Fires

Dave Jenkinson is Associate Dean of the Faculty of Education at the
University of Manitoba.

Razzell’s third young-adult novel contains echoes of her first two
books. Not only does a much older Sheila Brary, the teen protagonist of
Snow Apples (1984) and Salmonberry Wine (1987) appear as a secondary
character, but this book uses a hospital setting like Razzell’s 1987
work and revisits the wife-as-husband’s chattel theme of Snow Apples.

To 19-year-old second-year nursing student Karin Mellors, Mark Dalton,
a charming, 24-year-old law senior, appears to be her Prince Charming.
After a courtship that lasts through the school year, the two marry;
however, they do not live happily ever after unlike most young-adult
romances. During their dating period, Karin had recognized Mark’s
self-centredness and his manipulative, controlling, and
sometimes-demeaning behaviors, but had thought she could change him.
Through their first married year, Karin repeatedly rationalizes Mark’s
negative actions towards her, attributing them to the stress of Mark’s
articling period and to his overwhelming need to succeed professionally.
The pair’s marital difficulties reach their zenith when Karin is
nursing a patient with aids, and Mark demands that Karin choose between
Mark’s and her career. Karin realizes that love alone will not make a
marriage successful, which leads to the painful conclusion that her only
answer is separation.

A subplot involving a hospital arsonist partially explains the book’s
title. The remainder of the explanation resides in Karin’s
interpretation of a portion of Deuteronomy, Chapter 1, Verse 33.

Razzell’s nursing background contributes to the authenticity of this
book’s numerous hospital scenes. As in previous works, strong
characterization and a significant, well-developed theme are central to
the book’s impact. A must-have for late-junior-high and high-school
readers, who will relish Razzell’s meaty treatment of a popular
subject.