Marked by Fire Themes

In many ways, Marked by Fire is really a story about women. Yes, Abyssinia is a woman (or she is by the time the book ends, anyway), but beyond her, all of the heaviest hitters in this tale are wom...

Ever heard the saying, "fall down seven times, stand up eight?" Basically, it just means that resilience comes from brushing yourself off and getting back in the game when you get knocked out. In M...

Oh, Trembling Sally… she really keeps things interesting in Marked by Fire, doesn't she? After a tornado rips through Ponca City, not only does Miss Sally lose her mind and transform into Trembli...

Religion is a major player in Marked by Fire. Whether Abby's bringing down the house when she sings in church or losing her faith in the big guy in the sky after a church deacon rapes her, faith ta...

Family can be many things in Marked by Fire. It can be a source of strength and comfort; it can be blood relatives or friends; it can be an intense and crushing burden. Abyssinia has the good fortu...

Some books really bring the romance, but Marked by Fire focuses on different kinds of love. Instead of sparks flying or young love, in this book love comes back to family, time and again. Sometimes...

Marked by Fire is about black characters residing in a black community, and it takes place in the thick of the Civil Rights Movement—and yet race rarely takes center stage. Unusual move, right? D...

If you've been hanging around Attucks School, then you've probably heard that Abyssinia is quite the student. She wins awards, she graduates with honors, she sticks in her nose in her books and rea...