Words on Fire

Words on Fire is a middle-grade novel written by Jennifer Nielsen. Like many of Nielsen’s other standalone works, this novel is a historical fiction piece that follows young protagonists learning how to survive under oppression. The title of the novel, Words on Fire, refers to the press ban of 1865 in Russia-occupied Lithuania when it was illegal for reading materials to be published in the Lithuanian language. As depicted in the novel, illegal books that were discovered were often burned to destroy the materials and discourage further reading. First published by Scholastic Press in 2019, this study guide refers to the Scholastic Press 2019 eBook edition. 

Content Warning: The source material and this guide mention acts of violence, including whipping, beating, forced labor, torture, arson, and murder. 

Plot Summary

The story begins as a flashback to the summer of 1893 in Russian-occupied Lithuania. The protagonist, 12-year-old Audra Zikaris, is excited to attend her village’s midsummer festivities with her parents, Henri and Lina. Until now, they have forbidden her from doing most things outside their small family farm to keep her safe. Henri is a traveling magician, but Audra suspects her parents participate in other secret work after overhearing some private conversations. On the night of the summer solstice, a group of Russian soldiers arrives at the Zikaris farm to arrest Lina and Henri. Audra manages to escape and hide in the nearby forest with instructions to deliver a package to a woman named Milda Sabiene. 

On her journey to Venska, where Milda lives, Audra gets lost and meets a boy named Lukas. He helps her to Milda’s house, where Milda and Lukas explain that they, along with Henri and Lina, are part of a secret organization of book smugglers. Milda has an underground library and school, and Lukas helps deliver books as Henri did. Audra does not initially understand the significance of the book her parents wanted her to deliver, but with time, she begins to understand the power of language and the necessity of books for the Lithuanian resistance.

With some practice, Audra begins to deliver books herself, and her quick instincts and creative thinking make her an excellent book carrier. Audra soon meets Ben, a gruff older smuggler who does not condone children getting involved. During a smuggling mission, Audra is recognized by Officer Rusakov, the soldier who arrested her parents. He makes her an offer to cancel her parents’ deportation orders in exchange for information about her fellow smugglers. She agrees to meet him in two days with information but feels torn about her choices.

The group delivers a wagon full of books to a church, which Audra learns is a major sponsor of the illegal book printing. Lukas gives Audra an alphabet book, and she eventually teaches herself to read. Audra, Lukas, and Ben are warned of a search in the middle of the night and must split up to avoid detection. On their way to Šiluva, Audra’s hometown, Audra witnesses a soldier whip Lukas when he gets caught with the books. Audra saves him by distracting the soldiers, and the two eventually make it to Šiluva, where many young people eagerly await the new books.

Ben brings Audra back to Milda’s to stay safe and does not hear from either Ben or Lukas for months. Sitting in on Milda’s classes, Audra develops a love for reading and writing, and Milda encourages her storytelling. Audra finally reunites with Lukas at a local wedding, where she is dropping off a secret book. Soldiers, including Rusakov, interrupt the wedding for a search and set the barn on fire when no one confesses who brought the book. Lukas and Audra spend the night warning the villagers of the impending search, taking as many books as they can find to hide in the forest. They watch the soldiers set many houses on fire as punishment for hidden books, and the found books are all burned publicly in the town square. To try and help Milda from getting arrested, Lukas hurries to empty out her library while Audra distracts the soldiers with magic tricks. 

Though she is initially successful, she runs into Rusakov, who blames her for the night’s events and brings her to prison for further interrogation. Rusakov gives her one more chance to save herself if she shares information about her friends, but the only person she identifies as a criminal is Rusakov. He orders her deported to Siberia like her parents, but Audra escapes the prison wagon on the way to the train station and reunites with Lukas in Venska. 

Together, they journey across the border to Prussia to pick up a new order of books, and Audra’s creative thinking helps them smuggle the load of books back to Lithuania without getting caught. They eventually reunite with Milda and Ben, who, despite Audra’s protests, agree that Audra should move to Prussia with Milda, where it will be safer. Ben becomes too ill to travel, which is why he lets Audra complete one more border mission for him. On the way back from Lithuania the second time, Audra and Lukas are ambushed by a couple who recognize Lukas and want to trade him to the Russians in exchange for their son. Audra and Lukas escape, and in a plot twist, Lukas reveals that Rusakov is his father.

They arrive at the church in Kražiai, where the villagers, including Ben, are preparing to defend it from being destroyed by soldiers. As the violence escalates, Lukas and Audra direct some people to safety with the help of a homemade smoke bomb. A soldier captures Audra and tries to drown her but is thwarted when Rusakov comes to Audra’s defense. Rusakov suffers a gunshot wound, so Audra and Lukas help him to the safety of a barn where many hide overnight. Ben does not survive the fight.

In the morning, Lukas shows Audra her parents’ book that she had smuggled to Milda’s house months ago, and the family records in it—in another plot twist—reveal that Ben was her grandfather. Finally understanding that she needs to keep herself safe to continue resisting the occupation, Audra returns to Milda in Prussia, where the two continue to facilitate smuggling operations for many years. Even when Milda’s health declines and she eventually dies, Audra pushes through moments of doubt and continues filling book orders and writing newspaper articles. On the anniversary of Milda’s death, in 1903, Lukas surprises her in Prussia with news of the press ban being lifted and by reuniting Audra with her parents, whom Lukas helped return from Siberia. In the present moment, Audra and Lukas are married and telling bedtime stories to their children, who often ask them to share tales of their book-smuggling adventures.

In Words on Fire, Nielsen explores a dark historical period with brave characters who learn important lessons about family, justice, and themselves. All of the book carriers, but especially Audra, experience each of the main types of conflict: They battle nature as they brave the elements during smuggling missions; they battle the Russian soldiers; they battle society by continuing to resist the occupation, even though the easier choice would be to assimilate; and they battle their own self-doubts. By utilizing foreshadowing and descriptive language, Nielsen creates a suspenseful environment that mimics the suspense the book carriers feel. Through Audra’s eyes, readers learn about Lithuanian history and geography but also see what it feels like to undergo a transformation when a child gains the self-confidence and courage to stand up for a worthy cause.