Through the Fire

by Hester Burton

This is the story of the Quakers who were imprisoned in London gaols during the reign of King Charles II. Rachel and Will ride into London with their father to take food to their friends. When the Great Fire of London breaks out, they too are trapped.

Genres: Historical Fiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Hester Wood-Hill was born on the 6th December, 1913 at Beccles in Suffolk.. She attended Headington School Oxford between 1925 and 1931 and then Oxford University between 1932 and 1936 when she received a honours degree in English. In 1937 she married Reginad W.B. Burton and had three daughters. For a while she was a part-time grammar school teacher and the Assistant Editor of the Oxford Junior Encyclopaedia.

Between 1960 and 1981 she produced eighteen books for children, most of them for the Oxford University Press and many of them illustrated by the incomparable Victor Ambrus. In 1963 she was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Children’s Literature for her story “Time of Trial”. Hester Burton died in 2000.

Reviews

[Charise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great children's book about the great fire of London. There is no prior knowledge needed and it shows how minorities were singled out for the blame of the fire.
Rachel and Will have come to London with their father to bring supplies to the Quakers who have recently been arrested. People are suspicious of the Quakers because they are different and many of the men have been thrown in prison. When the fire takes hold the prison buildings are in danger of being burnt down and Rachel and Will have to do their part to help the imprisoned Quaker Friends.
This book was simple as it was aimed for a younger audience but it can be enjoyed by any age and I learnt something new as I hadn't known that the four major prisons in London were all in the path of the fire.