Out of the Fire
A Young Adult Novel
by Deborah Froese

Life seems good to sixteen-year-old Dayle. No longer a self-conscious bookworm, she's well aware that it's her looks that have drawn the attention of her new boyfriend Keith, a handsome jock. She's excited about this, even if it is causing friction with her long-time best friend, Amy. Dayle is no dreamer: she knows looks count.

But Dayle is forced to explore the depths beneath the surface when a moment of carelessness at a teenage bonfire party causes tragedy. Dayle is badly burned, one of her friends gravely injured. Out of the Fire  follows Dayle as she undergoes a lengthy recovery, tracking her despair and triumph as she learns that her own resources go much deeper than appearances.

Despite the physical and emotional pain and the fear that she will be shunned by her peers and lose Keith because of her scars, stage by stage and day by day Dayle endures. Guided by the memory and example of a strong and loving grandmother, and sustained by her family and friends, Dayle fashions a new and more deeply rooted life for herself.

Froese provides an accurate portrayal of the trauma and long recovery process following a severe burn. Her carefully crafted plot and deft, polished prose capture the subtleties and contradictions of her teenage characters' inner lives as well as their interactions with one another. Out of the Fire is an honest, discerning novel which faithfully conveys the complexities of life faced by contemporary teens.