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, after going to the superstore, Gerald's mother visits a drug dealer and leaves Gerald home alone. 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 a 3 year old home alone. She comes to Aunt Queen's house on Gerald's birthday and Gerald finds out that she 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 has up dealing with Jordan's child abusing. How Gerald's life gets worse and worse forms the rest of the story but has a happy ending.