The Element of Fire

Ellen O'Malley #2

by Brendan Graham

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.

Genres: Historical Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[trammartin · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Eileen Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Faye Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing.

[Lynn Hutchinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting story, decent characters and I enjoyed it.

[Casey H · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Lyndal Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Gay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow on from The Whitest Flower.

[Ame Cliff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept to read again, great historical fiction.
Was gift with The Whitest Flower, couldn't put down and learned a lot