What do you think?
Rate this book
Ellen O'Malley #2
The Element Of Fire
Widowed by Ireland's Great Famine, Ellen Rua O'Malley flees her native land for Boston and the New World: with her are her two surviving children, Patrick and Mary, and the 'silent girl' whom Ellen has found wandering among the hordes of the dispossessed. In Boston awaits the man who loves her, Lavelle, and the hope and stability which she craves: but is shaking off the Old World, its customs, its language, the answer she believes it to be? Or is she destined to be caught between past and present, between two loves? When a man from her past reappers it seems that her own conflict can only lead to a fall from grace.
Show More
Show Less
Show More
Show Less
- GenresHistorical Fiction
Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 27, 2026
It was about three weeks that I had a reading slump and wasn't able to finish a book.
I had a lot of personal issues and, for instance, I started this novel in the Emergency Room where my husband was hospitalised. He had exams to do and it took us all night long, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. of the day after, so I had plenty of time to read while I was waiting.
At first I must admit I didn't like it that much.
It was the story of an Irish widowed woman named Ellen Rua, that leaves her native country because of the 19th century famine, that was starving the Irish population, and goes to live in Boston with her kids.
It was very interesting, because it gave a lot of information about the way of living of Irish people in the States in 1800, but I had also the feeling that it didn't have a real plot to follow.
But fortunately, after the first 100 pages, it started developing a story.
A sad story of love, guilt and lost that really hooked me.
I started to feel for Ellen, that wanted to get rid of her "Irishness" and to become a real American, to give a better future to her kids, but everything seems to crumble because of a mistake she makes... And the American Civil War is coming up too, complicating the situation.
It's written in a very nice way, that reminded me of my beloved classic novels, and it definitely cured me from my reading slump!
I had a lot of personal issues and, for instance, I started this novel in the Emergency Room where my husband was hospitalised. He had exams to do and it took us all night long, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. of the day after, so I had plenty of time to read while I was waiting.
At first I must admit I didn't like it that much.
It was the story of an Irish widowed woman named Ellen Rua, that leaves her native country because of the 19th century famine, that was starving the Irish population, and goes to live in Boston with her kids.
It was very interesting, because it gave a lot of information about the way of living of Irish people in the States in 1800, but I had also the feeling that it didn't have a real plot to follow.
But fortunately, after the first 100 pages, it started developing a story.
A sad story of love, guilt and lost that really hooked me.
I started to feel for Ellen, that wanted to get rid of her "Irishness" and to become a real American, to give a better future to her kids, but everything seems to crumble because of a mistake she makes... And the American Civil War is coming up too, complicating the situation.
It's written in a very nice way, that reminded me of my beloved classic novels, and it definitely cured me from my reading slump!
February 1, 2026
Όσο έντονο και δυνατό ήταν το πρώτο βιβλίο με την Ελεν να δίνει αγώνα για την επιβίωση τη δική της και της οικογένειας της , τόσο χαλαρό και αδιάφορο θα έλεγα ήταν το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο . Χαρακτήρας τελείως διαφορετικός επικεντρώνεται στην ερωτική της ζωή, αδιαφορώντας για τα υπόλοιπα μέλη της οικογένειας . Κρατώ μόνο μια πρόταση «τα μικρά, ταπεινά , τρυφερά ελέη της ζωής - η συγνώμη - , αυτά μετράνε , όχι τα μεγάλα πάθη , ούτε οι σπουδαίες χειρονομίες»
December 2, 2018
The tragic end of an Irish widow who escaped the Great Famine to Boston. Estranged by love, religion, and her own identity; Ellen finally found peace through her dark blue vision.
God bless America.
God bless America.
June 30, 2020
Not as good as first book, I loved The Whitest Flower, this book was still good, very historical, I need to get the 3rd book as I didn't like how this book ended, the story wasn't finished properly. I suppose it continues in the 3rd book.
May 12, 2022
I had high hopes for this book after loving the first one. Unfortunately it didn’t quite hit the mark and I feel that all character development in the first just went right out the window in this book.
January 2, 2025
absolutely loved this book, ( and the bother two in the series) I have Irish heritage and it really hit home... I felt what my ancestors went through . . I will re read it again as it has been a while
June 14, 2019
Disappointing.
March 19, 2022
It was an interesting story, decent characters and I enjoyed it.
February 5, 2025
Such a sad book, but very well written.
It's interesting to read about the past and how far society has come.
Ellen is a very intriguing character as well.
It's interesting to read about the past and how far society has come.
Ellen is a very intriguing character as well.
February 10, 2018
Wow! I really wasn't prepared for how great this book was going to be. The follow-on to 'The Whitest Flower', this one was infinitely better. If you read the first book and enjoyed it at all, you cannot go past 'The Element of Fire'. It's not often that the second part of a trilogy surpasses the first.
The character work was far deeper and I fully related to Ellen in this one and was on her side the whole way. I felt her pain through all her struggles and understood her inner torment. I cared deeply for her and worried about her eventual fate. It moved me so much. In 'The Whitest Flower' I often battled to really connect with Ellen and even like her at all sometimes. This time around I found her character to be expertly written and incredibly relatable.
'The Whitest Flower' was an epic tale of journeys across the world. 'The Element of Fire' limits itself to 3 locations - Boston's aptly named 'Pleasant Street', dazzling Montreal, and the slums of the Boston tenements. Parallels can be drawn between the 3 locations and Ellen's inner state of mind, as well as her changing fortunes. 'Pleasant Street' represents the optimistic New World where hard work and clean living prevails; Montreal - temptation and sin; while the tenement slums are a return to the old ways - poverty, hardship, despair. They are more closely linked to the old Ireland than the New World they exist in.
I loved Louisa - she's probably my favourite character, and of course Mary. I also liked Peabody a lot...up to a point. Two books in and Patrick still hasn't won me over. Lavelle was a little in the background in this one - maybe so that we didn't judge Ellen too harshly.
The historical detail relating to 1850's Boston and America was engrossing. I really enjoyed reading about the cultural, social and political issues of that time. It was intertwined with the story in a way that really helped you to understand it.
The writing is of a much higher standard in this book than the first and the story expertly woven. The very last page and the very last sentence really tug at the heartstrings and open the way for the third book in the trilogy 'The Brightest Day, The Darkest Night' which I CAN'T WAIT to start reading!
The character work was far deeper and I fully related to Ellen in this one and was on her side the whole way. I felt her pain through all her struggles and understood her inner torment. I cared deeply for her and worried about her eventual fate. It moved me so much. In 'The Whitest Flower' I often battled to really connect with Ellen and even like her at all sometimes. This time around I found her character to be expertly written and incredibly relatable.
'The Whitest Flower' was an epic tale of journeys across the world. 'The Element of Fire' limits itself to 3 locations - Boston's aptly named 'Pleasant Street', dazzling Montreal, and the slums of the Boston tenements. Parallels can be drawn between the 3 locations and Ellen's inner state of mind, as well as her changing fortunes. 'Pleasant Street' represents the optimistic New World where hard work and clean living prevails; Montreal - temptation and sin; while the tenement slums are a return to the old ways - poverty, hardship, despair. They are more closely linked to the old Ireland than the New World they exist in.
I loved Louisa - she's probably my favourite character, and of course Mary. I also liked Peabody a lot...up to a point. Two books in and Patrick still hasn't won me over. Lavelle was a little in the background in this one - maybe so that we didn't judge Ellen too harshly.
The historical detail relating to 1850's Boston and America was engrossing. I really enjoyed reading about the cultural, social and political issues of that time. It was intertwined with the story in a way that really helped you to understand it.
The writing is of a much higher standard in this book than the first and the story expertly woven. The very last page and the very last sentence really tug at the heartstrings and open the way for the third book in the trilogy 'The Brightest Day, The Darkest Night' which I CAN'T WAIT to start reading!
June 11, 2008
Follow on from The Whitest Flower.
March 20, 2014
Kept to read again, great historical fiction.
Was gift with The Whitest Flower, couldn't put down and learned a lot
Was gift with The Whitest Flower, couldn't put down and learned a lot
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews