In the rain-soaked forests of South Western Australia, the lives of two young men collide across the years, leaving both of them changed forever.
Eric is a WWII soldier, a German boy, imprisoned in a strange land. Vinnie is a modern teenager, scarred both physically and emotionally by the death of his sister.
When these two lives meet, both will be changed, because sometimes wars are fought as much in the soul, as on the battlefield.
Born in Papua New Guinea in 1972, ANTHONY EATON spent an idyllic childhood growing up in the Perth hills, and on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
He attended High School and University in Perth, and studied a plethora of subjects before settling on a career in Teaching. He worked at Trinity College in Perth as a Literature and Drama teacher for eight years, during which time his first novel, 'The Darkness' was published by the University of Queensland Press. The novel was awarded the 2001 Western Australian Premier’s award for Young Adult Literature, and encouraged Anthony to turn his hand to further writing. In 2005, his historic fiction novel Fireshadow also won the WA premier’s award for Young Adult Literature and was named an honour book in the CBCA Book Of the Year awards.
His most recent book is 'Into White Silence', an historic Gothic novel set in Antarctica at the turn of the century, and dealing with the disappearance of an expedition to reach the pole from the East Coast of the Antarctic Continent. As a part of this, he spent Christmas 2005 at Casey Station in Antarctica as part of the Australian Antarctic Division’s Arts Fellowship programme. In April 2009, 'Into White Silence' was selected as an Honour Book by the Children's Book Council of Australian in the 'Older Readers' category of their annual 'Book of the Year' Awards.
In 2010, Daywards the long-awaited final book of his Darklands Trilogy will be released. He's pleased to finaly have this story out of his head.
He lives in Canberra, with his wife Imogen, son Tobias, and a slightly deranged Kelpie named Chelsea. He is an assistant professor of creative writing and literature studies at the University of Canberra.
Vinnie is running. After a tragic accident that killed his sister and left him viciously scarred, he can’t face the blame and the guilt anymore. So he leaves home, hitching a ride on a logging truck and venturing into the bush to camp. To just get away from it all and be.
In 1943, during the height of the Second World War, German soldier Erich Pieters is captured in Africa. He is interned to an Australian prisoner of war camp, deep in the Western Australian bush. Despite the fact that his father is high up in the Wehrmacht, Eric has not been deemed sympathetic to Nazi causes and so he ends up in the prisoner camp Marrinup with other Germans and Italians. At first Erich is horrified at the lack of discipline and lack of respect that his fellow German prisoners show to their country and the cause. He’s determined to hold himself aloof, to not make any friends and to not consort with the enemy.
But Erich’s experience in Africa leads him to be posted to the camp hospital, assisting the elderly Australian doctor. Although he doesn’t want to, Erich begins to thaw – the doctor is a great man, a gentle and kind man who encourages Erich to read his medical texts. He sees Erich’s intelligence and thinks that Erich would make a fine doctor. This idea appeals to Erich, although he knows that when the war is over and he gets to leave here, his father will have other plans for him. And the fact that the doctor has his young, pretty granddaughter staying with him and often helping out also begins to show Erich that there’s more to life than the German ideal. He begins to question everything and wonder if he can possibly have the life that his time in Australia is dangling in front of him… medical studies, a girlfriend, happiness. No war.
Vinnie is surprised to find that he’s not alone - a campervan nearby contains a girl about his age and her elderly grandfather, who are on a mission to see the remains of the old prisoner war camp. The old man has some lessons for Vinnie, helping find acceptance and peace on his way to his own journey of closure.
Originally published in 2004, this book has been beautifully repackaged by the University of Queensland Press. As soon as I saw the gorgeous cover I couldn’t wait to read it. I love dual narratives when they’re done well and this book does it very well. The present day story revolves around Vinnie, a teenager who survived an horrific car accident. However in getting himself out of the car to go for help, his older sister burned to death and now Vinnie has survivor’s guilt and feels as though his father blames him. His father placed all his hopes on Vinnie’s sister Katia, working hard so that she would have opportunities that he did not. Katia had been accepted to study medicine, making their father beyond proud. Vinnie didn’t have the same scholarly aspirations as Katia did, instead he chose to get a job in a plant nursery, earning him his father’s scorn and derision. Trapped, feeling the blame and needing to get out and be free of the crippling weight, Vinnie leaves in the calm of the pre-dawn, seeking solitude and perhaps absolution. The last thing he expects during his escape to the wilderness is to have company.
In 1943, Erich Pieters arrives at the Australian prisoner-of-war camp. By all standards, life at Marrinup is not difficult and it’s no hardship for many to wait out the war there until they can be returned to Europe – some don’t even want that, they’d prefer to stay in their newfound home. Erich is so very serious – he claims to be 22 but is only 17 and he signed up to make his father proud. He’s appalled at the lack of respect some of his fellow prisoners show and he refuses to wear the clothes they give him, opting for his own uniform that will not keep him warm here. Erich is thawed by Doctor Alexander, an elderly man who lost a son in the first world war. Despite this and the feelings he has, he tends to German prisoners and he teaches Erich much about life and medicine.
The character of Doctor Alexander is inspired. He was so beautifully done – a kind, gentle, intelligent man who saw potential in an angry and serious young man and sought to foster it, in more ways than one. Dr Alexander had his own issues revolving around the war, having lost his son in the first Great War and was now watching the world go through a second one. Still he didn’t allow that to colour the way he felt about his patients and the people that came into his life. He saw each person as an individual, not part of an ideal and I think he was able to pass that mindset onto Erich as well. Watching him and his round-a-bout way of instructing Erich and mentoring him was a very enjoyable part of this book!
This is an effortless blending of the contemporary with the historical and I have to say that I was surprised the way the story turned out. I thought that I had it all figured out how it would end but Eaton didn’t take the easy way out and the resulting story was probably much better for it. The depth of the characters was first rate and I particularly like how Eaton always said more with less – especially in the way of Vinnie’s relationship with his father. He managed to paint an entire picture with only two or three interactions between the two of them.
Australian YA has a fabulous reputation for a reason and books like this are that reason
I just loved this book, the friendships were so real and poignant. It would be fabulous to read in a History class - oh that there were more History teachers that read!!! Must re-read this book, and add it to one of my reading lists for my students. This is one of the books that helped me decide Anthony Eaton should get the Ibby Ena Noel Award.
I wasn't expecting to like this book at all, because I never like school-assigned books. They're always far too easy and immature. I was pleasantly surprised with Fireshadow. It is a moving, split-narrative novel and I think Eaton weaved the two stories together really well. A great Australian book!
I was hoping the first book I read this year would be a great start, but I'm mildly disappointed. Eaton does a great job with the first half of the novel, with strong character and plot setup. Throughout the first half of the novel, the stories about Erich's time in a P.O.W camp and Vinnie's runaway story built up strong foundations for many characters in the novel. However, once I got to the second half of the novel, I couldn't help but be disappointed in the way Eaton wraps up characters, creates predictable setups and sometimes random characterization that would have made no difference if they had not been there in the first place. Throughout the second half, we get random characters like Victoria and random chapters on the history of Vinnie that adds nothing to the overall story. I also found myself unsatisfied with many of the characters endings. For example, some characters like "Thomas" appear out of nowhere and disappear into thin air, with one mention of his time after the war. It would have been much nicer if characters like Thomas would also have a progression of character throughout the novel, this would have concluded many of the characters and made the ending more satisfying. My final complaint is that Eaton adds predictable setups and drags them on for too long. Eaton tried to prolong many of the "mysteries" that were easy to predict such as the ending, sometimes it was fine, but other times it just made my reading more painful and made me rush certain areas of the book. Fireshadow was an alright book, the most simplified criticism that I have for this book is that it has too many characters and stories in a short book. I reckon if this book was longer Eaton could have made many parts of the book more engaging and have a more satisfying ending with a clean wrap up of all characters. However don't let my review stop you from picking up this book and reading it, I have read many positive reviews on this book and my opinion is different from yours
Fireshadow is a narrative which slowly winds and splits, reverses and twists. You can feel ghosts, Spirits of land, fire, sky, POW camp 16 in Marinup in Western Australia caters for the ghosts of World War II and the living. Vinnie stumbles here seeking some alternative reality away from his nightmare involvement in his sister's death by fire. Erich, a young German POW, begrudgingly learns that there is a reality beyond war. And other role players seem to manoeuvre round and connect these two unlikely characters. Stereotypical WWII views of Germans, of POW camps and even stereotypical social attitudes to troubled teenagers are overturned and portrayed in new light. Perhaps, in the attempt, characters seem a little sketchy rather than rounded... which can be frustrating, even disappointing...but nevertheless, that 'weaknesses' urges the reader to keep travelling, to inquire and explore this unusual narrative journey of intersecting lifetimes.
Had no idea what to expect of this book - found it on my bookshelf at home and started reading - but I really enjoyed it. It’s certainly a young adult novel in the sense that many things have a simplicity to them yet still does justice to the deep themes running throughout. Overall an easy, and sometimes emotional, read that I really struggled to put down.
Highly recommended. Very strong characters with beautiful scenery. The middle gets slightly boring but the start is excellent. Ends very emotionally and was good too.
This book is absolutely stunning. I finished it in one sitting. The characters are raw and real and you can't put this down. I can't recommend it enough.
Fireshadow is one of the most unique books I’ve read this year. It’s a beautiful blend of contemporary and historical fiction, set against the stunning backdrop of the West Australian bush. Although it’s young adult, there is cross-over appeal. In fact it’s this very appeal which makes it such a standout novel amongst its YA peers. There is a depth to the story, research, writing and characters which is rarely ever found in historical fiction written for younger audiences.
Written in three parts, the stories of Vinnie and Erich run parallel throughout the novel and cleverly intertwine. Vinnie, dealing with the guilt of surviving the horrific car accident that killed his sister, is seeking refuge in the WA bush. He camps near the ruins of Marrinup Camp 16 which was a Prisoner of War camp during World War Two. Erich, a German prisoner, faced a similar struggle with forgiveness during his time at the camp during the 1940’s.
The storyline was strong and unexpected, focusing closely on family expectations and relationships. I kept trying to guess what would happen and each time I was proved wrong. This aspect really excited me and kept me hooked. I also quite liked the fact that the audience spent more time in the historical setting with Erich. It’s not really until the end that it becomes clear how much of an impact this has on Vinnie’s story and how closely both characters are linked.
Another ‘main’ character was Alice, the daughter of the camp doctor who works with Erich during his time there. As Alice and Erich become close friends she helps him overcome his pride and high personal expectations. However, in the third part of the book Alice becomes the focus of the story. The exploration of her time at the camp and life afterwards was both heartbreaking and inspiring as she faces social expectations and challenges with aplomb. During the third part of the novel there is also a more subtle exploration of post-war mental health.
As I said before, much of the book is the story of Erich’s time at the camp and in this respect it reminded me of The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult. The research behind Fireshadow was obvious and absolutely outstanding. The writing was gorgeous and bought the bush setting completely to life. Every time I picked this up I was transported back to the dense, foreboding forrest which seemed to be both eerily calm and teeming with life and hope. Fireshadow is a book I highly recommend to fans of both contemporary and historical fiction. It is a wonderful read, and one not easily forgotten.
This is not the first of Eaton’s novels to use multiple viewpoints and timelines and this is not a bad thing. In this case, we have Vincent, scarred victim of a car crash which killed his sister, and Erich, young German prisoner-of-war in a POW camp in Western Australia. Their lives intersect in the bush near the now-overrun with wildlife camp site as Vincent runs away from the stares and accusations. Erich, now an old man, has come to say farewell to the ghosts which have haunted his life since the war.
It is a powerful story, if a little predictable in its message of hope and facing up to fears and challenges. Highly recommended.
Two different stories told from the same site - an old POW camp. One boy goes there to escape from a car accident that claimed the life of his sister, scarred him badly and caused his parents to blame him, and the second story is that of a young girl, prisoner and her Grandfather whilst the POW camp was in operation. The first boy from the present day eventually comes into contact with some of these people from the POW camp, and I love the way he learns to accept himself and live with what happened in the past.
I liked this book. It took me two days to read it because I could not put it down. The saddest part was when Alice died during child birth...was not expecting that. The only thing I did not like was the friendship between Erich and Alice. I did not find it believable and they didn't have any chemistry.
I would have liked more Vinnie though. He disappears somewhat towards the middle and comes back towards the end.
An enjoyable book though and recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I enjoyed the historical component of this book more than I expected. I sometimes forget that I enjoy books set in another era. I wasn't really aware of the Australian prisoner of war camps. They certainly sound different from the concentration camps of the same era. I didn't find the contemporary story of Vinnie as compelling or as neatly tied up, but it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.
I had to read this book for school in English. I was surprised that I really enjoyed it. It was very well written and I liked how the book went back in time to the war years. This was relevant though, because Erich comes back in the modern time. This book was really sad and gave off a feeling of nostalgia.
We had to read and analyze this novel for our English class, which always makes you like it a little less. But it is a really beautiful novel, well written and relatively easy to follow. Well developed characters and storylines make for a story that will fill you with hope, happiness and heartbreak. Enjoy!
Another short-listed book. Set in Australia in both WW2 (at a POW camp in WA) and the present day (at the deserted campsite). The book really takes you on a journey and is very engaging. At first I thought it was pleasantly predictable, but then it had a big surprise up its sleeve. I really enjoyed this.
Wow - i love this book! Fireshadow is set during world war 2 and also during the present. And somehow the story of Erich and Vinnie connect into a veryh special and emotional story. A real eye-opener by a fantastic Australian Author!!
A beautiful story set around Marrinup in WA during WWII and current era telling the story from a number of different perspectives. Really enjoyed reading this book.
I've read other books based in WWII that I loved but this one just didn't really appeal to me. I found Vinnie's parts kind of boring and Erich's only a bit better.
Truly an amazing story.. Eaton captures the harsh beautiful Australian landscape perfectly and the stories of two struggling young men provides an entertaining read!