Forged By Fire

Forged by Fire was written by Sharon Draper. It was published by Simon Pulse in 1998. This book was awarded the Coretta Scott King Award in 1998. This book is a realistic fiction story about a young boy named Gerald. the main theme of this story is having the courage to be who you are. The main character in this story is Gerald, and details the events in his life from the time he is three. As a three year old, Gerald is left home alone while his mother goes out to buy drugs. He starts playing with a lighter and sets the house on fire. He wakes up in the hospital, and his aunt becomes his legal guardian. From that moment on, his Aunt Queen becomes his parent. When Gerald is six, his mother gets let out of prison, has remarried, and given birth to his sister named Angel. Gerald's mother wants him to come live with her. At first he and his aunt refuse, but after his aunt dies, Gerald is forced to move in with them. Over time, Gerald's step-father begins to abuse both Gerald's mother, and his sister. Gerald tries to protect his sister. His mother refuses to believe anything is happening. In an attempt to protect his sister, Gerald sets fire to the apartment, and accidentally kills his step-father.