Playing with Fire

Sofia #2

by Henning Mankell

In the night there was a blue world lit by the moon . . . blue sand trickled between her fingers and swells of seawater moved inside her . . . It was a dream, yet Sofia knew that her time had come. She was fifteen, and childhood was behind her. Sofia takes in sewing, and her older sister, Rosa, works in the vegetable plot to help their mother support their family. Rosa, is strong and beautiful, and she loves boys, and dancing - something that Sofia, with her crutches, will never be able to do. Sofia imagines a boy who will love her for herself - Moonboy - the boy who appears in the night. Then suddenly Rosa falls ill, and Sofia is afraid for her. Their mother puts her faith in African magic, but it's Sofia who must help Rosa face the reality of AIDS, and the difficult road ahead. Playing with Fire is a brave, moving and unflinchingly honest story set in Mozambique. It follows Henning Mankell's earlier novel about Sofia, the unforgettable Secrets in the Fire.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Africa, Swedish Literature, Childrens, Read For School, Contemporary

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2001

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

[Chantelle21 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, I love Henning Mankell's books he is a great author.

[Bachyboy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is based on the life of Mankell's friend Sofia in Mozambique. It's a story about hardship and looks at the impact of Aids on the family. Sensitive and moving.

[Nellie Colberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

En mäktig berättelse som återigen följer den modiga flickan Sofia i mosambique. Förutom att åter kämpa med sina proteser till ben så faller hennes ena syster Rosa i AIDS. Berättelsen utforskar vad en familj gör för varandra, kampen mot AIDS i fattiga länder, en ung flickas upptäckt av sin egna röst, upptäckt av kärlek och vad det innebär samt hur en mäktig grupp kvinnor försvarar sin mark. Mankells berättelse känns så ofattbart riktig, så nära till jords och rätt igenom mänsklig med ärliga skildringar om en ung flickas kamp och upptäckt, samt innersta tankar.

[Jasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Rosa kämpft nicht gegen den Tod, dachte sie. Rosa kämpft gegen die Angst vorm Sterben. Gegen die Angst, kein langes Leben führen zu dürfen. Sie musste ihre Hände gegen den Mund pressen, um nicht zu schreien. Die Rätsel. Die Rätsel. Warum gibt es keine Antworten? Warum blieb das Feuer stumm? Wenn nicht einmal die Flammen ihr antworten konnten, wer konnte es dann?"

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die letzten Seiten haben wieder alles aus der Geschichte herausgeholt. Sitze im Zug und musste mein Weinen stark zurückhalten...♥️

[Lara Vehar · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the first book. I didn't like this one at all. It's such a contrast to the first book.

Whilst the first one is realistic and talks about realistic problems people face in Africa this one does it too, but there is way too much magic and weird things happening in this one.

There is also a lot of inconsistences with the first book that really bothered me.

The ages are sometimes muddled up, the personalities of some people are different. Rosa is not in the previous book and now she is suddenly super important character/person. Sophia moved out of the house in the previous book and now she is suddenly living back home. She mentioned that she doesn't know who her youngest brother's father is yet in the previous book she said that it's her step-dad that hated her and the other children Lydia had from the previous marriage.

At the end of the previous book there was this one scene where a girl delivers white sheet and tread asking Sofia to make her a dress but use herself as a model because the size should fit her. That is promptly forgotten and never mentioned again in this book.

I also felt that they were too many storylines in this one - you have Rosa's aids, the women trying to protect the land they owned from some rich smuck that wanted to buy it off and threatened them and the side story with Sofia and Armando, and because the book is so short two of them felt kind of rushed and pushed to the side- the story with women protecting their land felt rushed and solved too fast and the side story with Armando and Sofia felt like a filler.

Overall it's not a bad book, but compared to the first one it just isn't good.

[Lukasz · Rating 5 out of 5]

W drugim tomie Afrykańskiej Trylogii Mankella śledzimy dalsze losy Sophie, którą poznaliśmy w pierwszym tomie p.t. ”Tajemnica Ognia”. Niemiecki tytuł drugiego tomu można by przetłumaczyć na język polski jako „Zagadka Ognia”. Sophie ma już około piętnastu lat, czyli minęły około dwa, trzy lata od momentu kiedy się z nią pożegnaliśmy na końcu „Tajemnicy Ognia”.
Mimo happy endu pierwszej części życie Sophie nie jest łatwe. Zachowuje jednak pozytywne podejście. Dojrzewa ze świadomością, iż jest osobą nie w pełni sprawną mogącą poruszać się tylko dzięki protezom. Walczy jednak o godne życie i czasem w nieśmiały sposób ale konsekwentnie i odważnie formułuje swoje cele życiowe oraz podejmuje kroki żeby je zrealizować.
Tłem tej powieści jest problematyka wysokiej zachorowalności na AIDS, przesądów związanych z brakiem wiedzy na temat tej choroby oraz jak brak wiedzy na temat tej choroby przyczynia się do częstych zakażeń.
Niestety ludzie chorzy na AIDS żyjący w Afryce pozostawieni są sami sobie.
Mimo wielkich tragedii ludzkich opisanych w tej książce jest tu też sporo pozytywnej energii. Mankell jest realistą z drugiej jednak strony wychwytuje to, co jest pozytywny w naturze ludzkiej.
Dodatkowy mocny atut tej książki polega na tym, iż Mankell przybliża czytelnikowi europejskiemu realia życiowe zwykłych ludzi żyjących w Afryce.
Sięgnę na pewno w najbliższym czasie po trzeci tom trylogii. Jestem ciekaw jak dalej potoczą się losy Sophie.

[Jessie Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the series follows Sofia, back in her village having recovered from the land mine explosion. Now though she will learn of the AIDS virus when a loved one is infected and how her family will cope when their livelihood is threatened. Another beautiful story, Sofia is so strong and intelligent even if she doesn’t realize it yet. This series is super easy to read, as it’s intended for a young adult audience, enjoyable all the same.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a sensitive gem of a book. The futility of the aids epidemic, the grim realities of being poor in a poor country, the horror of a young mother who had more children buried than alive. It’s simply written and a really easy read but haunting. Feels like it should be required reading.

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice

[Sarasboktips · Rating 5 out of 5]

En väldigt bra bok om Sofias storasyster Rosa som blir sjuk i en virussjukdom. Lite jobbig att läsa men en mycket bra bok

[Nicole Stelmach · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tbh not my type of book. I just read it to refresh my Swedish once again.

[Karolína · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book from the Sofia series. I especially liked the good balance between things that are happening in real life and things that are happening in Sofia’s head which made the book exciting and easy to read.

[Cecilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.8⭐️

[Atrium-V · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of new characters that have not been etablished in the first book. Otherwise a great story about family bonds.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life is difficult for Sofia and her family, they don't have much money and their mother works long days in the fields to grow food for them. Sofia and her sister both do their best to bring in extra money with Sofia taking in sewing and Rosa working on their vegetable plot. Rosa is everything Sofia wants to be - she is beautiful and loves to go dancing, something Sofia has been unable to do since she lost her legs after stepping on a landmine 4 years ago. Sofia dreams of finding someone who will love her as she is but everything changes for her when Rosa falls ill. Sofia has seen the reality of HIV and AIDS from her long hospital stay but her mother and sister are convinced that the witchdoctor can heal Rosa.

When I picked up this book to review for the YA book bloggers campaign to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS I didn't realise it is actually part of a trilogy. This series is actually based on the true story of Sofia, a young woman in Mozambique, someone Henning Mankell met there and has remained friends with. Henning spends part of every year living in Mozambique and the fact that he knows the country and it's people so well shines through in the writing.

Playing with Fire is a moving story of a young girl suffering with HIV, it shows how the disease is spreading through the community with not many people understanding what causes it and how it is transmitted. People believe that the witchdoctor can cure sufferers and go to great lengths to get enough money to for their help. This book isn't afraid to show the harsh reality of what it is like to suffer from HIV and AIDS. It also talks about poverty and the difficulties the family face just putting enough food on the table and of course touches on the horror of landmines and the damage they can do. There were so many serious themes running through the book but overall it is a story about hope and strength, love and family.

Sofia is an amazingly strong character, she lost both her legs after stepping on a landmine but has since learnt to walk again with her prosthetic legs and crutches. She is determined to attend school and wants to learn enough to become a doctor one day. Sofia is frightened by what is happening to Rosa, especially as she knows more about the disease than her family but she puts her worries to one side while trying to support her mother and sister.

This story that will transport you to Africa while you are reading, it is so easy to picture Sofia's family and their friends who are all larger than life characters. The only thing I wasn't too keen on were the dream like scenes between Sofia and the boy she calls Moonboy, they were a little too surreal and to me didn't fit with the rest of the book. I'm guessing they were the author's way of lightening up what could be a difficult story to read but I felt they took something away from it. That is down to personal taste though & I'm sure not everyone would feel the same way as I did. Overall I enjoyed the story and am definitely planning on reading the other books in the series Secrets in the Fire and The Fury in the Fire.

[Arja-täti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sofian tarina jatkuu. Hän kaipaa miinaan kuollutta siskoaan Mariaa. Nyt huolen aiheena on isosisko Rosa, joka sairastuu. Sofia on kuullut sairaala-aikanaan aidsista ja pelkää, että Rosa sairastaa sitä. Sofian elämään tulee myös rakkautta, kun hän tapaa mystisen kuupojan.



Kaunis, mutta surullinen tarina Sofiasta jatkuu. Kirja on miltei parempi kuin ensimmäinen.



Lähtee ehdottomasti yläasteen vinkkausreppuun sekä taidan mainostaa tätä seurakunnan lähetyspiirissä.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book in Henning mankell's trilogy about Sofia. In this one we get to follow Sofia's family a bit closer as her older sister Rosa is getting sicker and sicker. No one knows what's wrong with her and Sofia & Lydia are worried about her life. Meanwhile, Sofia for the first time in her life discovers love...

Yet again, this book follows an amazing story about an amazing girl, but because of the poor language it lowered the grade somewhat. But I would still recommend this trilogy to anyone who is willing to give it a go.

[Evelina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book much more than I thougt I would. I read the first book 6 years ago and bought this short after but never read it. It wasn't amazing but it was good. Mankell has a beautiful language without having to use so many words. I like the characters and the story line, the fact that it's real doesn't change anything. Well, you won't regret reading it but don't put it on the top of your to-read list.

[Josue Olvera · Rating 1 out of 5]

Una historia triste que bien pudo ser, como fuente de inspiración, interesante y digna de contar. Pero contada como la leí fue aburridísima, pretenciosa, vacía. Lamentable para Sofía, la protagonista, mal hecho por Mankel o su traductor o el editor, no sé. Pero apenas la pude terminar, por puro orgullo. La única frase rescatable, como idea, que encontré: "Robar a alguien que es igual de pobre que uno mismo ¿Qué mejora con ello?"

[Emilie]

Jag känner mig sjukt lat så för en mer detaljerad recension kan ni gå till denna: http://bokhandlarn.wordpress.com/2012...

Tyckte om den och ser fram emot att läsa del tre.

[Elon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Den står helt okej på egna ben (no pun intended), men som uppföljare, ens fristående, till Eldens Gåta håller den inte speciellt bra.
Boken är lite rörig, och flera saker som etablerades i första boken är helt bortglömda, samtidigt som karaktärer stundtals känns väldigt annorlunda.

[Rachel (Sfogs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very powerful book. Which looks at the power of love, and two of the greatest problems to face Africa, Landmines and HIV/Aids.

[Juliane · Rating 4 out of 5]

es ist mir nicht bewusst, dass ich das schon mal gelesen habe

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

She lives with such sadness and poverty, yet conducts herself with such dignity and wisdom for one so young. Her story amazes me.

[Mariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvelous and sad series about an actual girl living with a disability in Mozambique.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about the impact of AIDS

[Lara Vehar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A second book from the Sofia thrilogy - this one talks about her sister's fight with AIDS.

[Stephen Mc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book which is a brilliant read .
Such a good story dealing with the life in Swaziland and with a health message to the world.
But so well written and translated.