They Set the Fire « neverimitate
“Each of us is born with a pair of scissors, a needle, and thread. What do we do with them? We cut and mend and stitch. Do we know what we’re doing? Of course we don’t. But one way or another, we sew ourselves together.”
We Set the Fire, by Daniel Kraus (illustrated by Rovina Cai), is the final book in the author’s The Teddies Saga. Given the story being told and the important references back to characters who did not make it through the bears’ many adventures, I would recommend reading the first two books in the trilogy: They Threw Us Away and They Stole Our Hearts. They are all marketed as for middle grade children. Be aware that they contain dark themes, offering much to consider around how cruelly certain humans treat those they consider unworthy of being a part of their society.
The story opens with three of the original bears – Buddy, Sunny and Reginald – being joined by two new friends, Nothing and Proto. They are inside the factory where they were made, Furrington Industries, but discover it has been abandoned. They learn that the Suit has been taken to the Courthouse so set out to find him there. They seek answers as to why they are so hated by humans, why they were thrown away.
The fortitude they have shown to date remains key as they make their way across busy city streets filled with trash, animals and people, continually striving to keep going and evade notice. Their plan goes awry but, unusually, comes with a little luck in the form of a teenager who has also had to contend with a lifetime of challenges and rejection, badly affecting him. Buddy recognises someone who could benefit from a bear but the boy knows how bad Furrington bears are believed to be and shows no interest in hugs. The teddies seek to understand why this is the case.
Of the three books in the trilogy this is the one offering the most hope. There are still sacrifices to be made and tragedies to face but answers are finally found and figures who were the stuff of legend in their history are met. The importance of hope, purpose and friendship, always there, come to the fore.
The writing style retains engagement and tension throughout. The fact that the story revolves around teddy bears adds a degree of humour, although also pathos – that a soft and fluffy creature wanting nothing more than to bring joy and offer love should be treated so cruelly due to man’s greed and selfishness.
Once again, the regular illustrations bring to life the darkness of these bears’ existence.
At times bleak but never without dreams to aim for, the story, and indeed the whole trilogy, was well worth reading. As an adult I could see the themes being explored beyond the obvious. There will also be children capable of peeling back the layers and exploring these depths.
Books I would say are as worthwhile for adults to read as for the children they were written for. The story may also lead to a greater appreciation of childhood bears.
They Set the Fire is published by Henry Holt
