Secrets in the Fire

Sofia #1

by Henning Mankell, Anne Connie Stuksrud (Translator)

It is the wise old woman of the village who teaches young Sofia about the secrets in the fire. Within the flames hide all things past and all things yet to be. But not even old Muazena can see the horrors the fire holds for Sofia and her family—not the murderous bandits who drive them from their home, and not the landmine that takes Sofia’s legs. In her long journey toward recovery, Sofia must still deal with growing up. Along the way, she discovers friends, and foes, in places she’d never expected. Through it all, Sofia draws on a strength she never knew she had, a fire of her own that’s been a secret all along. In beautifully spare, unsentimental language, Henning Mankell’s stunning novel puts a very human face on the suffering in Africa.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Africa, School, War, Swedish Literature, Contemporary

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Henning Mankell was an internationally known Swedish crime writer, children's author and playwright. He was best known for his literary character Kurt Wallander.

Mankell split his time between Sweden and Mozambique. He was married to Eva Bergman, Swedish director and daughter of Ingmar Bergman.

Reviews

[بثينة العيسى · Rating 4 out of 5]

مؤثرة، مرهفة، مولمة أحيانًا.. مثالية جدًا للفتيان! لو كان لي أن أختار رواية يقرأها طلبة الثانوي، لكانت هذه.

[Nour Moheb · Rating 5 out of 5]

في كل لحظة أتذكر فيها هذه الرواية يدخلُ الحزنُ قلبي وينتشرُ به إلى أن يغزوني!

[Susana Terciado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro cortito que te hace darte cuenta de la suerte que corre cada uno según el lugar del planeta donde nazcas. Sofía existe realmente y cuenta su experiencia, una dura vida que ningún niño debería tener.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book falls into that murky middle ground between young adult and middle grade. Because really, the subject matter that it deals with (a young girl living in Mozambique whose village is massacred is forced to flee to safety with her mother and siblings. Then she stands on a land mine and ends up a double amputee) is too mature for middle graders. But because the protagonist is about 11, it's a hard book to sell teenagers on.

But I digress.

This book is based on a true story and it's translated from Swedish. The writing is fairly simple but still compelling, and Sofia is very definitely a protagonist that you just want to hug because life has dealt her such a shitty hand. Still, she's a precocious child who doesn't let anything stop her. I'm definitely glad I read this, though I'm not sure I'll bother to read the other two books in the trilogy.

[Chantelle21 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book I love it can't wit for more of the series.

[Paria Izadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good story…

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually love books based on real stories so this book didn't disappoint me. Because it is real I can't say anything about characters, plot and story line but I think the author really organized the story properly. Surprisingly, I also liked the writing style and that is weird because this book was originally translated from Swedish. Overall, such a great heartbreaking story which I enjoyed reading.

[Zahra Labbafan · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتاب رو نشر کانون پرورش فکری کودکان و نوجوانان با ترجمه نسرین وکیلی چاپ کرده است
داستان واقعی کودکی از جنگ موزامبیک
آخ از هرچی جنگ و درد و رنج هایی است که به خانواده ها به ویژه کودکان تحمیل میشه
داستان دختری که روی‌ مین های جامانده از جنگ میگذاره و علاوه بر از دست دادن پاهایش خواهرش هم در این انفجار فوت میکند.

امید در میان کلمات پر از غم کتاب موج میزنه ولی از غم و اندوه داستان کم نمیکنه

[Afnan Ibra · Rating 5 out of 5]

ألف دمعة وغصّة

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sprachlos...♥️

[Leland · Rating 5 out of 5]

[I'm not a big review writer, but I've just finished this little book and noticed there are no reviews yet written. I can't let a challenge like that go unanswered.:]

Despite the very hard subject of this book (children and landmines) this is a beautiful story. Mankell is a master craftsman who turned his talents to a very important issue. The result is a most noteworthy and memorable story.

Henning Mankell is one of Sweden's most talented and prolific writers. His fame in the U.S. centers mostly on his Kurt Wallander mysteries. However, as Secrets in the Fire clearly demonstrates, Mankell's reach goes far beyond the body of his Wallander crime novels.

Fans of Mankell should definitely read Secrets in the Fire as should anyone with an interest in the cause of landmine victims. This is a cause which has been championed by Princess Diana, Heather Mills and many others, but remains one of the greatest tragedies of the modern world (every 30 seconds an innocent person is maimed or killed by a landmine; UNICEF reports 30-40% of these are children under the age of 15). Secrets in the Fire is not an easy book to read. It resolutely portrays the violence these pernicious devices inflict, and the book has some very difficult and sad moments. Ultimately, it is a story of survival and renewal for a wonderful little girl named Sofia.

[★ Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read for year nine english, semester one

I really hate giving books 1 star.
It makes me feel yucky and bad.
For my review, allow me to start on the positive side:
1) Being a true story-Sofia is a very brave girl. I respect her and what shes been through

Now let me continue onto the yucky and bad feeling negatives:
1) ATROCIOUSLY written.
2) Very little description,
3) bland characters,
4) awful style,
5) shocking dialogue
6) slow moving
7) Scenes with potential are wasted
8) dull
9) lacks the X factor for a good book
...And thats all with out me really thinking about it. Imagine If I put effort into this review, and picked every single flaw. Id probably run out of space in the word count.


PLEASE DONT WASTE YOUR TIME ON THIE AWFUL BOOK!!!

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An inspiring book about a strong young girl in Africa

[كـ · Rating 3 out of 5]

عمل يافعين مليء بالوجع والألم والحلم والإلهام فهو يحكي قصة حقيقية لصوفيا الفتاة من موزمبيق وما آلت إليه الحرب الأهلية التي اشتعلت في بلدها على أيدي قطاع الطرق بمساعدة الرجل البرتغالي الأبيض والتي سرقت منها والدها أولا ومن ثم رحلة الشتات لعائلتها ومن ثم موت أختها في انفجار لغم من مخلفات الحرب ومن ثم فقدانها لساقيها هي الأخرى
العمل ينتهي بعد الوجع وبعد الآلام بكثير من الإلهام والعيون الدامعة حيث حققت صوفيا حلمها بامتلاك سقيفة وماكينة خياطة في قريتها الصغيرة بعد ما أهداها إياها رجل عجوز آمن بموهبتها وحلمها ..

كانت تجد في النار اجابات لأسئلتها كما علمتها العجوز الساحرة في قريتها ، وكلما كانت نارًا مضطرمة اكثر كلما انعكست فيها اجابات أسئلتها بشكل أحسن ، النار التي طمأنتها بأن هذه العجوز التي ماتت بعد الهجوم الوحشي على قريتهم مع والدها بأنها معها تراقبها هي مع أختها ماريانا التي ماتت في انفجار لغم..

اختار الكاتب السويدي أن يوثق حياة هذه الطفلة فكتب هذا العمل لنشر قصتها ، وما أروع أن يقرأ بين اليافعين، فبالتأكيد سيجد له محلًا في قلوبهم ..

[Noor Alzidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is still as astonishing and beautiful as when i first read it when i was 13 years old.
What a beautiful, sad, painful but ultimately hopeful story.
I also sure did not know there were other books about the same girl, so now they are on my TBR list.

10/10 would recommend and then some more.

[Sheyamii · Rating 4 out of 5]

"هناك درزات غير مرئية بين الناس. وأحلامنا تستعمل أفكار يقظتنا لتحيك لنا منها ذكرياتنا بإحكام. إذا أردت امتلاك الحكمة وسبر أغوار الناس عليك تعلّم الخياطة. وإذا طرزت أشواقك وأحزانك على قطعة قماش لن تلبثي أن تشعري بأن أعباءك قد انزاحت عن كاهلك."

[Adam]

setting
The book takes place in a village outside of a large city. The main character Sofia has a sister named Maria. Their mother Lydia is very kind and caring for them. They lost their original village to bandits that destroyed everything, and even Sofia and Maria´s father. They move to the new village, but they are very poor, they live in a hut and work in the fields everyday. When Sofia and Maria are heading to the fields, Sofia steps off the path and steps on a lane mine. Sofia and Maria are sent to the hospital. Sofia's life changes differently from there on out.
Personal Response
This book is a great story about a young girl that makes a mistake but end up having a better life because of that mistake. She makes more friends but loses a sister, she learns that Maria is always with her and she know it wasn't her fault. She learns new things and even gets to see the city. Sofia and her mother Lydia see her daughters grave often. She learns how to sew and takes on that job in her village with a new hut all to herself and gets to do the honor of lighting her very own fire.
Recommendation
I recommend this book to anyone. It is a very good book and I think everyone should read it. It is based on a true story and shows how good our lives are compared to someone who is poor.

[Irma Kaspers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recensie Gezichten in het vuur, Henning Mankell,1992

Hoofdrolspeelster in dit waargebeurde verhaal is Sofia, een meisje van twaalf uit Mozambique. Haar dorp wordt overvallen door bandieten en de overlevenden slaan op de vlucht. Sofia en haar zusje Maria lopen naast het pad en stappen op een landmijn. Maria overlijdt en Sofia verliest beide benen.
Haar wilskracht en doorzettingsvermogen zorgen ervoor dat ze ondanks alles aan haar toekomst kan werken.

Een waargebeurd verhaal, hierdoor krijgt de lezer een goed beeld van het (over)leven in dit Afrikaanse land tijdens de burgeroorlog. Van Coillie (2007) stelt ook dat het inleven in een hoofdpersonage uit een andere cultuur aan de ene kant ervoor zorgt dat kinderen kunnen ervaren wat mensen gemeen hebben, en aan de andere kant vragen oproept over het verschil met hun eigen leven. Informatie over leefomstandigheden, kleding, woningen en familiebanden die in het verhaal gegeven wordt, moet volgens Van Coillie (2007) op een dusdanige manier worden geïntegreerd dat het geen overdaad aan informatie betreft, omdat dit het verhaal saai kan maken. Schrijvers die zelf in deze cultuur zijn geboren schrijven authentieker en daardoor aantrekkelijker. Henning Mankell is geen Afrikaan, maar een Zweeds thrillerschrijver. Toch is het verhaal geloofwaardig, waarschijnlijk omdat hij zelf in Mozambique heeft gewoond.

Het boek is herkenbaar, ondanks de grote verschillen in omstandigheden waarin het verhaal zich afspeelt. De strubbelingen die jongeren hebben in hun drang naar identiteit en erkenning, zijn in dit verhaal ook duidelijk te herkennen. Van Coillie (2007) geeft dan ook aan dat dit soort verhalen ontwikkelingsromans zijn, omdat de herkenbaarheid voor adolescenten groot is.

Lezen heeft een functie, zoals Van Coillie (2007) ook aangeeft. Bij dit boek is deze functie eerder emotief dan informatief, hoewel je misschien anders zou verwachten. Lezen over een andere cultuur doe je meestal om iets ervan op te steken en ook bij dit boek krijgt de lezer inzicht in de oorlogssituatie in Mozambique. De emotieve functie van lezen krijgt hier echter de overhand, omdat je als lezer meegezogen wordt in het verhaal van dit meisje en enorm met haar mee gaat leven. Het roept onbegrip op; waarom is er geen hulp voor haar en vooral, waarom doet haar moeder zo weinig? Je kunt het je bijna niet voorstellen. De verschillen met onze cultuur zijn immens groot.

Henning Mankell (1992) heeft het verhaal pakkend en respectvol geschreven. Dit verhaal raakt je, of je nu wilt of niet. De onverzettelijkheid van Sofia, die door de schrijver ook in het voorwoord aangehaald wordt, is zo overduidelijk aanwezig, dat het boek strijdlust ademt. Het verhaal is ook aangrijpend en confronterend, daarom denk ik dat belangrijk is dat de jongere lezers van de aangegeven doelgroep (12+) de mogelijkheid moeten krijgen om over het verhaal te praten. Het is geen ontspannen sprookjesverhaal over een andere wereld, maar de bittere waarheid en die kan hard zijn.

[the.lost.rebel · Rating 3 out of 5]

محزنة مؤلمة قاتلة في بعض أجزائها . تجربة إلى حد ما . لم تبلغ عندي حد التميز الذي توقعته وسمعته عنها . لكن دائما هناك الجديد أيا كان ما تقرأه

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

She understood, now, what the secrets in the fire were.
It was there, in the fire, that she could meet all those who belonged to her -whether they were alive or dead, whether they lived close by or far away. Eveything could be found in the fire.

[Emilie]

I read this book when I was ten. It was for school. I was not much for reading back then, I have always had a very hard time focusing. It's still a problem but I try not to take it out on my reading, although I am such a slow reader. Whenever people think about book nerds, they probably imagine people reading one book a day. I cannot do that. It takes time for me to finish a book. But I'm still a book nerd. Just having trouble focusing.

Even though I didnt like the books our teachers forced us to read, this one stuck. I remember it starting some train of thoughts in my head, taking me out of my safe bubble and feeling the world for what it was. War. Land mines. People living right next to it. And it made me motivated.

So now I read it for the second time. I bought the third book not that long ago and realized I need to read the first and second before I read that one. So I borrowed this at the library.
It was just as fantastic as I remember it to be. Cant wait to read book number 2.

Btw, it's about a girl named Sofia. Her village gets burned up and everyone is murdered. She runs away with her mother, sister and little brother. Try to find a new village to live in. They do. Then she steps on a land mine and nothing is ever the same again. To keep it short. It's translated in english as well, think it's called "Secrets in the fire". Look it up.

[Muna · Rating 4 out of 5]

كأن ثمة علاقة مشاعرية تنمو بيني وبين دار المنى لا اظن أحد اسبابها الاسم 😬

الكتاب يعلمك معنى الاصرار على الحياة بدون عبارات وشعارات مستهلكة من خلال قصة لطفلة اسمها ( صوفيا)

يجعلك تعيش معاناة الشعوب في مناطق الحروب المشتعلة الآثمة التي تكون ضحيتها .. ( هم) !

تجعلك تحزن وتتألم وتفرح .. تعيش معها البحث عن الكثير من الأسرار في النار !

يااااه لو كانت القصة فعلاً واقعية !!

أو اقتطعت من الواقع أم اقتبست

وربما أشد لطفاً من واقع مؤلم يعيشه أطفال ماعرفوا معنى مدرسة ولا ألوان ولا كراس

بل حرب وتهجير وقتل وتشريد ولجوء ... و ( لغم)!!

صوفيا واجهت الحرب الأهلية في بلدها بإصرار وعزيمة ، نجت من موت محقق غير مجرى حياتها



انصح بها الكبار قبل اليافعين 🌸

[Shahd AL-Otaibi]

رواية للذين في سن "المراهقة"
قرأتها وعشت اجواءها الافريقية ..

[رومولا الن emmajain-book · Rating 4 out of 5]

رواية انسانيه.مليئه بالمشاعر...

احببت صوفيا وتقبلها كل ما حدثه لها...

[Sabreen NourAldin · Rating 5 out of 5]

الكتاب كان فيه سوداوية لطيفة ان جاز لي التعبير. الكثير من البراءة الممزوجة بالقسوة حتى تنسى من انت

[Rene Ijzermans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wat een triestig boekje weer van die Mankell, maar een boekje ook dat naar een prachtig en ontroerend eind toe draait. Het verhaal speelt zich af in Mozambique dat verscheurt is door een burgeroorlog en waar Sophia samen met moeder, zus en broer van huis en haard worden verdreven. Ze vinden een veilige plek, tot er iets ergs gebeurt.
Het is een verhaal waarin ik af en toe moest slikken, ook omdat het verhaal door Mankell is opgetekend uit de mond van Sophia zelf waarin de levenskracht het uiteindelijk wint van de ellende die ze heeft moeten doorstaan.
Een stukje kan, wil ik deze review niet onthouden.
"Ik heb leren naaien van een oude man. Naden verbinden alles met elkaar. Tussen mensen bestaan er onzichtbare draden. Onze herinnering naait onze dromen vast aan de gedachten die we denken als we wakker zijn. Als je wijs wilt worden en wilt leren om van mensen te houden, dan moet je naaien."

[Rishant Samy · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a very interesting and good book to read to pass your time. Secrets in the Fire tells the story of Sofia, a daring girl. When her father is horrifically killed and her village destroyed, Sofia and her family must journey to find a new place to call home. They settle in and it looks as though everything is going to be alright. But then Sofia steps off the path. Right onto a landmine. Will she survive? OR
Secrets in the Fire is based on the true story of Sofia, an indomitable young girl in war-torn Mozambique, who strays from a path while playing and steps on a landmine. She manages to transcend the brutality and horror that have shattered her childhood and builds a new future out of the ruins of her life.

[Annika Samuelsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sofia tvingas fly när banditerna kommer till hennes by. Hon flyr tillsammans med sin mamma och syskon. Till slut kommer de till ett ställe där de får stanna, det är till och med så att Sofia och hennes syster Maria får tillfälle att gå i skolan och lära sig läsa och skriva. De får också lära sig att de aldrig någonsin ska lämna stigarna. Utanför stigarna är det inte säkert att gå. Det finns minor nergrävda i marken. Ingen vet var men de finns där och väntar under marken på sina offer.

När Sofia och Maria är på väg till skolan efter regnen är det lerigt och de springer för att hinna i tid. Sofia hamnar utanför stigen. När hon sätter ner högerfoten för att ta sig tillbaka till stigen sprängs marken under henne.

[Jessie Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this as a teenager, but I never had a copy, so when I found a copy recently decided to read it again. It was pretty close to how I remembered it. An easy, enjoyable although sad read. Sofia had more strength and courage than most people and she was only 11 when her life was turned upside down. When I first read it I never realized it was a true story, so I liked that. Though due to all the racism work I have done this year, I’m not sure how I feel about a white man telling a black woman’s story. I also learnt it is the 1st book in a series of 3, so I am excited to find out what happens in the next two books.

[Waimirirangi · Rating 5 out of 5]

When i first started reading this book i already got into it and started reading 30 pages a day, this book really talks about being brave and strong throughout your journey if life. This taught me to stay strong even when things feel impossible or too hard, to keep on pushing and going your hardest. Sofia really connected to me throughout bits in the book and even though she lost her legs to landmine and much more she still kept going even when she felt like giving up.
Definitely recommend this book if you want a little courage or inspiration this is the book to read!!