SuitabookFire and Hemlock
Diana Wynne Jones
- Reading
- If the family changes or frightening fantasy scenes feel weighty, pause to check in. The ballad connections can also make a good way into the story: notice how traditional tales shape Polly’s choices.
- Themes
- Memory and story: Polly finds a second set of memories connected to Tom, and stories the two invent seem to echo events in the world around them. The story uses uncertain memories and overlapping invention as parts of its fantasy mystery, inviting readers to connect clues rather than treating them as a simple account.
- Growing up and relationships: Polly’s friendships and her connection with Tom change as she grows up, while she reflects on the influence of people around her. The growing-up strand gives attention to Polly noticing others’ influence and deciding what she wants to make her own.
- Worth knowing
- Polly’s family situation includes her father leaving and her being sent to live with him, where she is not wanted; the supernatural strand includes threatening behaviour and frightening living creations.