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Out of the Flame
Set in sixteenth-century France, at the court of Francis I, Out of the Flame describes the education and adventures of Pierre, who is training to be a knight.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1931
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 22, 2019
Published in 1931, and chosen as one of six Newbery Honor Books in 1932 - the other titles to be so distinguished that year were
The Fairy Circus
,
Calico Bush
,
Boy of the South Seas
,
Jane's Island
and
The Truce of the Wolf and Other Tales of Old Italy
- this work of historical fiction for younger readers follows the story of Pierre Bayard, a sixteenth-century youth who grows to adulthood in the court of King François I of France. Ever mindful that he is the nephew of the renowned Chevalier de Bayard, a knight famed for his skill in battle and his kind and noble nature, Pierre struggles to maintain the Bayard motto, Chevalier sans peur et sans reproche ("Knight without fear and above reproach"), while also staying true to his king and the royal princes. This is no easy task, as Prince Henri, imprisoned together with his elder brother Charles in a Spanish donjon for three years as a youth, is moody and vengeful, often going out of his way to make Pierre's life difficult. Will Pierre ever find a way to become the kind of knight he envisions? Can his master and his lady - the famed scholar, Master Fabri, and the king's sister, Lady Marguerite, Queen of Navarre - aid him in the process...?
An enjoyable work of historical fiction, one which manages to tell an engrossing story while also shedding some light on the historical period it depicts, Out of the Flame follows its young hero as he slowly struggles to free himself from the constraints put upon him by court ritual, and to discover who he truly is meant to be. His journey "out of the flame" - a clear reference to the court and influence of King François, whose emblem was the salamander, a symbol of fire, and of royal power - and into the cool knowledge of his true calling as a man of learning, is convincingly captured by Lownsbery, whose deft storytelling and believable characterization make for an engaging read. I was particularly interested to see the hints dropped about the coming religious conflict, due to the onset of the Reformation, and the effect this had on the search for and dissemination of knowledge. I was also interested to see the appearance of a number of Native American characters toward the end of the tale - they are brought back from the "New World" by the explorer Cartier, and make quite an impression on the French court - as I think the author captures that moment before Europe had really decided what to think of the native peoples of the Americas. There's plenty of the "noble savage" idea in her characterization, but also the notion of universal brotherhood, and little sense that these strange newcomers are inferior or unequal.
All in all, this was an engaging work of historical fiction for younger readers - I can easily see why it won a Newbery Honor.
An enjoyable work of historical fiction, one which manages to tell an engrossing story while also shedding some light on the historical period it depicts, Out of the Flame follows its young hero as he slowly struggles to free himself from the constraints put upon him by court ritual, and to discover who he truly is meant to be. His journey "out of the flame" - a clear reference to the court and influence of King François, whose emblem was the salamander, a symbol of fire, and of royal power - and into the cool knowledge of his true calling as a man of learning, is convincingly captured by Lownsbery, whose deft storytelling and believable characterization make for an engaging read. I was particularly interested to see the hints dropped about the coming religious conflict, due to the onset of the Reformation, and the effect this had on the search for and dissemination of knowledge. I was also interested to see the appearance of a number of Native American characters toward the end of the tale - they are brought back from the "New World" by the explorer Cartier, and make quite an impression on the French court - as I think the author captures that moment before Europe had really decided what to think of the native peoples of the Americas. There's plenty of the "noble savage" idea in her characterization, but also the notion of universal brotherhood, and little sense that these strange newcomers are inferior or unequal.
All in all, this was an engaging work of historical fiction for younger readers - I can easily see why it won a Newbery Honor.
February 20, 2013
This was a 1932 Newbery Honor book that the Goodreads Newbery group read this month. It started a little slow but had the exciting parts toward the end. This would be a good book for children interested in European history of the 1500s.
August 9, 2022
Good plot. And since I’ve been to France and seen some of these places, including Pau, that just added to it. Liked the message of being true to yourself and finding your own path. Mystical dreams and calling out to Master Fabri were a bit over the top. Fun mention of the Age of Aquarius coming in 300 years… which would have been 1847
July 10, 2012
Probably one of the most underrated Newbery Medal winners ever. More people should read this book, it's one of my personal favorites and I'm delighted I was able to find it.
October 28, 2020
What a perfectly beautiful story this is, a rare jewel in the immeasurably deep treasure chest of literature's history, though a seldom appreciated one. To write such a book as Out of the Flame in any decade is to have burrowed deep into one's own soul and the esoteric, collective soul of humanity as it climbs the terrain of history, enduring the crags and dangerous cliff-sides not only to eventually reach the lush valleys of plenty, but continue beyond even the perks of temporary pleasure stops to the great beyond we all see but cannot quite explain or detail, though not for lack of trying. Author Eloise Lownsbery ties the hopes and driving emotions of an entire culture centuries ago in with the ambitions and interests that move us today, to such profound effect that it's obvious there is never any real change in humanity as a whole, no matter the superficial differences of enhanced technology or philosophical bent. The kids of 1500s France spring to such stunningly vivid life in Out of the Flame, it's as if we've lived down the road from them all our lives, both the privileged and the peasants, the super-rich and those in deep want, the dauphins and favored of the crown as well as players born into less glamorous responsibility. Never have I viewed the era leading up to the French Renaissance with as much clarity as when I was lucky enough to be turning the pages of this book, enraptured by its unforgettable cast of characters and the story their lives present us. And though fiction may be capable of telling the greatest stories mankind's brain can wrap itself around, the narrative in these pages does not lack a whit for almost all its characters being drawn right from the history books. The life of Pierre de Bayard, his brother Robin, and how Pierre adjusts to the return of princes François and Henri after years of grueling captivity in a foreign land, has within it the foundation of every emotion, resolution, passion and happenstance common to humans in their individual life journeys. No part of the human experience is neglected to be spoken to by this story, and I can't see how anyone who reads in earnest will find they are not stronger, better people for having made the trek beside Pierre de Bayard and his cast of friends and acquaintances. The spirit of renaissance is a fickle influence, pushing us beyond our comfort zones to create within ourselves as well as without, but beyond even our greatest breakthroughs always resides another comfort zone for us to settle into while enjoying the euphoria of having done our part to roll forward the great big ball of human culture and history. From each subsequent comfort zone attained, another generation determined to get the ball rolling again must come to life from the generation that proceeded it, but alas, such gigantic forward advancements as in the Renaissance of the 1500s do not come every century. And so we learn from the past and we visualize the future as individuals, working on our own toward a Great Future for mankind without the benefit of most of humanity cooperating in the artistic and philosophical rebirth, and right when we are content not to try too hard to get everyone onboard, this is when we are ripe for another Renaissance. For who can ever aspire to control such a whimsical force as renaissance?
"I suppose any life I might choose to live would have some difficulties—I suppose that's the fun of living!"
—Out of the Flame, P. 270
The reign of King François I of France has seen many dangers before our story even begins. His sons, François and Henri, have faced down even more terrorizing trauma than the king himself, serving as hostages for the King of Spain in place of their father. But the ransom has been paid, a massive exchange of French wealth enriching the Spanish monarch to obscene proportions, and François and Henri are back home where they can wait in security to one day succeed the throne. Yet the two boys have been shaken violently on the inside by their ordeal, even if their regal upbringing forbids them showing their psychological torment to the joyful commoners of France, and François and Henri have changed considerably. Pierre de Bayard is one of the first to recognize this, a popular youngster among the others his age in the royal court, and the professorial Master Fabri quietly cautions him that the way he gets on with the princes now, especially Henri, who is Pierre's age, will have a vast impact on the course of Pierre's life. Henri is often sullen and defiant in the wake of the near-torture he lived through when locked up in Spain, and his resentment burns like a dragon's fire against the boy who has taken his place with the other kids in the court, Pierre. There is no protection for backlash against a prince, Pierre knows, not even when Henri's unpredictable behavior causes him to disrespect Pierre in ways outlandish and totally uncalled for, but to retaliate against the prince would put Pierre on a trajectory toward eventually ending up outside the kingdom entirely. The Bayard family has served French royalty for many years, always ruled by steady fealty and never the searing passion of the moment even if the crown's behavior toward them be unfair, and Pierre fears, perhaps more than all else, spoiling the legacy of the Bayard crest.
But Pierre cares for Prince Henri as his friend, too, and knows the unspeakable treatment the son of France went through at the hands of the enemy king. Remembering the words of kind Master Fabri, who ever leads Pierre without explicitly telling him how to act or where to go, reminding him that he is always in control of his own reactions no matter the provocation on the part of Prince Henri, Pierre begins down the road to reconciliation with Henri, though the rift truly may only have ever existed in Henri's paranoid mind. Terror returns in crashing, threatening waves to Henri because of his memories of captivity in Spain, waves lapping regularly but at unexpected intervals along the dark beach of his mind, and Pierre is ready to step up and be an undeterrable protector of the prince. Henri resents Pierre's loyal overtures as frequently as he appreciates them, though, and it isn't hard to see the internal conflict that still engulfs his spirit even all these months after returning to safety.
"But if you close your mind to every new idea...you will live in a prison all your life".
—Aunt Marguerite, Out of the Flame, P. 100
For Pierre to find lasting peace in his lifetime, he will have to accept that not all in French's monarchy are ever going to be favorably disposed toward the coming cultural Renaissance—Henri, in particular, views the movement away from Catholic national dominance with disdain and vows retribution on any who speak doubtfully of the pope's authority—and Pierre's own sympathy for Master Fabri and the other educated individuals advocating sweeping changes in the way science, art, history and matters of faith are seen may put him forever at odds with the French crown. The Bayard name has long been respected for its adherence to the country and its royal line, but Pierre's ideas may be calling him in another direction, one that requires him to step back from unconditional service to the king in order to pursue his own passions and beliefs, as his brother Robin has done in becoming an architect rather than a knight, the traditional Bayard occupation. When Pierre listens to the voice of Master Fabri, both in their conversations and in the informative dreams he has of him, and hearkens, as well, to the uncynical words of his loyal dwarf, Jac, a vision of his own future starts coming together that will require as much strength as any Bayard ever employed in indefatigable defense of the crown. For Pierre, however, his labor will be for the entirety of mankind, from the lowest, most uneducated plebeian, to the inventors of methods and advances for the human cause, to the captains of industry of a hundred countries around the world, each with a history as rich and dramatic as that of France. To be the best he can be for Henri and the rest of France today, Pierre will need to view himself as a citizen of the world, willing to do his part to move all of earth toward something far better than they have currently, a future that continues to grow and improve and drastically reshape itself even now, hundreds of years after Pierre de Bayard drew his final breath in our mortal dimension of existence. The zeal for uncompromising truth and intelligent belief that Master Fabri has spoken of to Pierre since the beginning of their time together has been toward this goal, necessary for creating giants in every field of study and discipline so there will be giants whose shoulders can be stood upon in fifty or a hundred generations, for how else is the range of humanity's progress to keep extending upward and outward without that unshakeable base? As Pierre opens the door to his adult life and thinks on what it means to be leaving his childhood behind, as well as the innocent fun without agenda he once freely shared with the princes and all the royal court, he sees, too, that the spirit of youth is in the desire to always be creating and discovering anew, to never be satisfied with what has already been found when there are so many transformative revelations still out there. It is the lifeblood of any renaissance, and how Pierre will honor his oath to the Bayard name, by remaining ever true to himself even when all is against him, walking fearlessly out into that big, mysterious world beyond to learn what there is to know about our existence and our universe. It's the start of something wonderful.
"I dream of a time when all men are free in mind and spirit".
—Master Fabri, Out of the Flame, P. 337
Eloise Lownsbery's words are a lamp to her readers' feet at all times, a light shining the way ahead in encouragement for those who would follow the daring example of Pierre de Bayard in seeking a better, more informed tomorrow even though the naysayers be many. Ms. Lownsbery's insight into the emotions of her characters is alone worth more than the price of the book, and will circulate in one's head a long while after reading. Consider Master Fabri's explanation to Pierre of why Henri has seemed so different since returning from captivity, as if a dark shadow were obscuring the bright, pleasant boy who used to be such easy friends with Pierre and the other boys at court: "You must understand, Pierre, that the reason for anger is always fear...Prince Henri has had a severe shock. He is free now, liberated, it is true, but he has brought his prison walls away from Spain within him, and the fear he lived with during those long and terrible months, he lives with still, and may cling to always, unless he can learn its uselessness." Ah, but Henri isn't the only one who lives like that, is he? Most of us cower in response to our own secret fears we carry around with us, incarcerating our spirit wherever we go like portable prison walls, just as Henri is helplessly doing here. The terror of what may happen, or what has happened and we would avoid setting off again at all costs, steals time from our lives as surely as prison walls of stone, and is ready to take as much of it as we allow. What must occur for our fear of missing out on life to surpass our fear of past trauma recurring? Surely something must, or we will have exchanged our only tangible asset, this lifetime, for nothing but the promise that no one can hurt us here on earth anymore.
"But you must not think I have not cultivated courage as well—one needs a deal of it to live in this world—courage to brook the sneers of my own peers, courage to dare to be different from my class, courage to dream...for this new age, to fling beauty toward the stars!"
—Robin de Bayard, Out of the Flame, P. 64
A short while later in the story, when Robin de Bayard is telling the kids of the royal court about his life as a budding architect, we catch one of the better lines in the book, a timeless ode to the beauty of doing what makes oneself happy: "What a grand thing it was to be doing what you had longed all your life to be and to do!" It is grand, indeed. How much nicer a place would the world be if more people took greater care to find where they truly belong, even at sacrifice of money or comfort? But I think the greatest advice in Out of the Flame may be the words of Aunt Marguerite when she and Pierre are discussing the brief gift of life and the importance of using all the years at one's disposal to make a difference, even if that means treading down a road seldom used or seemingly foreign to the history of one's family. Pierre wants to be a good, solid Bayard, a credit to his lineage, but he's not sure how he can do that and follow the yearnings of his own heart to be a scholar like Master Fabri. Men like Master Fabri and the fascinating yet down-to-earth Sir Thomas More are heroes, Pierre is certain, but could he ever follow in their footsteps? "I want to be a hero too," Pierre says to Aunt Marguerite, and she tells him exactly how to do so: "Then you must dare all your life to be yourself, for that will take courage enough for a true Bayard." Can a person ever be a hero while masquerading as someone else? Is it heroic to go along with a world headed the wrong direction, because it's hard to stop the wayward momentum of an entire planet worth of people, and probably dangerous to try? Or does heroism only sprout when an individual is ready to push back against wrongheaded momentum and try to get things moving back the way they should have always been headed? There will always be plenty of people ready to start moving the wrong direction, but heroes aren't quite so plentiful, which is why the world never ceases to be in need of the next Sir Thomas More, Erasmus of Rotterdam or Pierre de Bayard. The genesis of heroism isn't always apparent, but its effects can be the salvation of a people, a nation or even an entire planet of otherwise directionless humans. Who says becoming a scholar can't change the world?
Out of the Flame is a lovely story, without a doubt worthy of the 1932 Newbery Honor it was given. I can't understand why it isn't still in print (as of the time of this writing); to me, it justifiably could have been awarded the 1932 Newbery Medal, as much as I also liked Waterless Mountain by Laura Adams Armer. There's so much to like about Out of the Flame that there's no way I could talk about it all in a review this size, but one point I must bring up is the character of Prince Charles, younger brother of Princes François and Henri. Though the two older princes have been affected substantially by their involuntary imprisonment in Spain, hardened even against the kindness of others who want to show the boys how overjoyed they are to see them safely back in France, Prince Charles is a sweet heart from start to finish, every inch a real boy, but nonetheless charming and genteel to all around him. What a breath of fresh air young Charles is as Pierre tries to handle Prince Henri during his frequent bouts of insufferable behavior. I wish we could have seen even more of Charles, but on that score I bow to the storytelling ability of Eloise Lownsbery, for what we get of him in the book as is could hardly have been improved upon. It is true that I will never forget the wise understanding of Master Fabri, the gentle, respectful encouragement of Aunt Marguerite and the earnest love of life shown by Jac, ever looking forward to one day being borne by wings above the earth that cursed him with physical deformity, but so, too, will the sweetness of young Prince Charles remain with me steadfastly, yet another special gift from this story that heaped so many upon me. I would easily give three and a half stars to Out of the Flame, and I almost rounded it up to four. It is with everlasting affection that I recommend this book.
"I suppose any life I might choose to live would have some difficulties—I suppose that's the fun of living!"
—Out of the Flame, P. 270
The reign of King François I of France has seen many dangers before our story even begins. His sons, François and Henri, have faced down even more terrorizing trauma than the king himself, serving as hostages for the King of Spain in place of their father. But the ransom has been paid, a massive exchange of French wealth enriching the Spanish monarch to obscene proportions, and François and Henri are back home where they can wait in security to one day succeed the throne. Yet the two boys have been shaken violently on the inside by their ordeal, even if their regal upbringing forbids them showing their psychological torment to the joyful commoners of France, and François and Henri have changed considerably. Pierre de Bayard is one of the first to recognize this, a popular youngster among the others his age in the royal court, and the professorial Master Fabri quietly cautions him that the way he gets on with the princes now, especially Henri, who is Pierre's age, will have a vast impact on the course of Pierre's life. Henri is often sullen and defiant in the wake of the near-torture he lived through when locked up in Spain, and his resentment burns like a dragon's fire against the boy who has taken his place with the other kids in the court, Pierre. There is no protection for backlash against a prince, Pierre knows, not even when Henri's unpredictable behavior causes him to disrespect Pierre in ways outlandish and totally uncalled for, but to retaliate against the prince would put Pierre on a trajectory toward eventually ending up outside the kingdom entirely. The Bayard family has served French royalty for many years, always ruled by steady fealty and never the searing passion of the moment even if the crown's behavior toward them be unfair, and Pierre fears, perhaps more than all else, spoiling the legacy of the Bayard crest.
But Pierre cares for Prince Henri as his friend, too, and knows the unspeakable treatment the son of France went through at the hands of the enemy king. Remembering the words of kind Master Fabri, who ever leads Pierre without explicitly telling him how to act or where to go, reminding him that he is always in control of his own reactions no matter the provocation on the part of Prince Henri, Pierre begins down the road to reconciliation with Henri, though the rift truly may only have ever existed in Henri's paranoid mind. Terror returns in crashing, threatening waves to Henri because of his memories of captivity in Spain, waves lapping regularly but at unexpected intervals along the dark beach of his mind, and Pierre is ready to step up and be an undeterrable protector of the prince. Henri resents Pierre's loyal overtures as frequently as he appreciates them, though, and it isn't hard to see the internal conflict that still engulfs his spirit even all these months after returning to safety.
"But if you close your mind to every new idea...you will live in a prison all your life".
—Aunt Marguerite, Out of the Flame, P. 100
For Pierre to find lasting peace in his lifetime, he will have to accept that not all in French's monarchy are ever going to be favorably disposed toward the coming cultural Renaissance—Henri, in particular, views the movement away from Catholic national dominance with disdain and vows retribution on any who speak doubtfully of the pope's authority—and Pierre's own sympathy for Master Fabri and the other educated individuals advocating sweeping changes in the way science, art, history and matters of faith are seen may put him forever at odds with the French crown. The Bayard name has long been respected for its adherence to the country and its royal line, but Pierre's ideas may be calling him in another direction, one that requires him to step back from unconditional service to the king in order to pursue his own passions and beliefs, as his brother Robin has done in becoming an architect rather than a knight, the traditional Bayard occupation. When Pierre listens to the voice of Master Fabri, both in their conversations and in the informative dreams he has of him, and hearkens, as well, to the uncynical words of his loyal dwarf, Jac, a vision of his own future starts coming together that will require as much strength as any Bayard ever employed in indefatigable defense of the crown. For Pierre, however, his labor will be for the entirety of mankind, from the lowest, most uneducated plebeian, to the inventors of methods and advances for the human cause, to the captains of industry of a hundred countries around the world, each with a history as rich and dramatic as that of France. To be the best he can be for Henri and the rest of France today, Pierre will need to view himself as a citizen of the world, willing to do his part to move all of earth toward something far better than they have currently, a future that continues to grow and improve and drastically reshape itself even now, hundreds of years after Pierre de Bayard drew his final breath in our mortal dimension of existence. The zeal for uncompromising truth and intelligent belief that Master Fabri has spoken of to Pierre since the beginning of their time together has been toward this goal, necessary for creating giants in every field of study and discipline so there will be giants whose shoulders can be stood upon in fifty or a hundred generations, for how else is the range of humanity's progress to keep extending upward and outward without that unshakeable base? As Pierre opens the door to his adult life and thinks on what it means to be leaving his childhood behind, as well as the innocent fun without agenda he once freely shared with the princes and all the royal court, he sees, too, that the spirit of youth is in the desire to always be creating and discovering anew, to never be satisfied with what has already been found when there are so many transformative revelations still out there. It is the lifeblood of any renaissance, and how Pierre will honor his oath to the Bayard name, by remaining ever true to himself even when all is against him, walking fearlessly out into that big, mysterious world beyond to learn what there is to know about our existence and our universe. It's the start of something wonderful.
"I dream of a time when all men are free in mind and spirit".
—Master Fabri, Out of the Flame, P. 337
Eloise Lownsbery's words are a lamp to her readers' feet at all times, a light shining the way ahead in encouragement for those who would follow the daring example of Pierre de Bayard in seeking a better, more informed tomorrow even though the naysayers be many. Ms. Lownsbery's insight into the emotions of her characters is alone worth more than the price of the book, and will circulate in one's head a long while after reading. Consider Master Fabri's explanation to Pierre of why Henri has seemed so different since returning from captivity, as if a dark shadow were obscuring the bright, pleasant boy who used to be such easy friends with Pierre and the other boys at court: "You must understand, Pierre, that the reason for anger is always fear...Prince Henri has had a severe shock. He is free now, liberated, it is true, but he has brought his prison walls away from Spain within him, and the fear he lived with during those long and terrible months, he lives with still, and may cling to always, unless he can learn its uselessness." Ah, but Henri isn't the only one who lives like that, is he? Most of us cower in response to our own secret fears we carry around with us, incarcerating our spirit wherever we go like portable prison walls, just as Henri is helplessly doing here. The terror of what may happen, or what has happened and we would avoid setting off again at all costs, steals time from our lives as surely as prison walls of stone, and is ready to take as much of it as we allow. What must occur for our fear of missing out on life to surpass our fear of past trauma recurring? Surely something must, or we will have exchanged our only tangible asset, this lifetime, for nothing but the promise that no one can hurt us here on earth anymore.
"But you must not think I have not cultivated courage as well—one needs a deal of it to live in this world—courage to brook the sneers of my own peers, courage to dare to be different from my class, courage to dream...for this new age, to fling beauty toward the stars!"
—Robin de Bayard, Out of the Flame, P. 64
A short while later in the story, when Robin de Bayard is telling the kids of the royal court about his life as a budding architect, we catch one of the better lines in the book, a timeless ode to the beauty of doing what makes oneself happy: "What a grand thing it was to be doing what you had longed all your life to be and to do!" It is grand, indeed. How much nicer a place would the world be if more people took greater care to find where they truly belong, even at sacrifice of money or comfort? But I think the greatest advice in Out of the Flame may be the words of Aunt Marguerite when she and Pierre are discussing the brief gift of life and the importance of using all the years at one's disposal to make a difference, even if that means treading down a road seldom used or seemingly foreign to the history of one's family. Pierre wants to be a good, solid Bayard, a credit to his lineage, but he's not sure how he can do that and follow the yearnings of his own heart to be a scholar like Master Fabri. Men like Master Fabri and the fascinating yet down-to-earth Sir Thomas More are heroes, Pierre is certain, but could he ever follow in their footsteps? "I want to be a hero too," Pierre says to Aunt Marguerite, and she tells him exactly how to do so: "Then you must dare all your life to be yourself, for that will take courage enough for a true Bayard." Can a person ever be a hero while masquerading as someone else? Is it heroic to go along with a world headed the wrong direction, because it's hard to stop the wayward momentum of an entire planet worth of people, and probably dangerous to try? Or does heroism only sprout when an individual is ready to push back against wrongheaded momentum and try to get things moving back the way they should have always been headed? There will always be plenty of people ready to start moving the wrong direction, but heroes aren't quite so plentiful, which is why the world never ceases to be in need of the next Sir Thomas More, Erasmus of Rotterdam or Pierre de Bayard. The genesis of heroism isn't always apparent, but its effects can be the salvation of a people, a nation or even an entire planet of otherwise directionless humans. Who says becoming a scholar can't change the world?
Out of the Flame is a lovely story, without a doubt worthy of the 1932 Newbery Honor it was given. I can't understand why it isn't still in print (as of the time of this writing); to me, it justifiably could have been awarded the 1932 Newbery Medal, as much as I also liked Waterless Mountain by Laura Adams Armer. There's so much to like about Out of the Flame that there's no way I could talk about it all in a review this size, but one point I must bring up is the character of Prince Charles, younger brother of Princes François and Henri. Though the two older princes have been affected substantially by their involuntary imprisonment in Spain, hardened even against the kindness of others who want to show the boys how overjoyed they are to see them safely back in France, Prince Charles is a sweet heart from start to finish, every inch a real boy, but nonetheless charming and genteel to all around him. What a breath of fresh air young Charles is as Pierre tries to handle Prince Henri during his frequent bouts of insufferable behavior. I wish we could have seen even more of Charles, but on that score I bow to the storytelling ability of Eloise Lownsbery, for what we get of him in the book as is could hardly have been improved upon. It is true that I will never forget the wise understanding of Master Fabri, the gentle, respectful encouragement of Aunt Marguerite and the earnest love of life shown by Jac, ever looking forward to one day being borne by wings above the earth that cursed him with physical deformity, but so, too, will the sweetness of young Prince Charles remain with me steadfastly, yet another special gift from this story that heaped so many upon me. I would easily give three and a half stars to Out of the Flame, and I almost rounded it up to four. It is with everlasting affection that I recommend this book.
October 5, 2017
Some books are just a chore, and it's a shame this is one of them because it did have potential: the story of a fictional French page, Pierre de Bayard, (there is a Pierre de Bayard who dies in 1524, but this is not him) as he grows into a squire in the court of Francois I in the early 16th c. at the beginning of the Enlightenment. Unfortunately, a story that should have been one of adventure bogs down in extraneous detail that I find myself questioning because of info that I do know. It's possibly poor editing or just bad research, but early in the book there's a St Bernard that becomes a Newfoundland a few pages later. It later switches back; it's also described as 'tawny'. Since neither breed existed in 1520s France, my guess is that the author meant a mastiff. The sections where Pierre interacts with his teacher Master Fabri and learns about the science of the time are the most interesting to me - but because of the dog I don't trust them. Additionally, I found the writing condescending and patronizing. Finally, it doesn't help that the French princes, and especially Henri (future Henri II) are total shits. I read this for my 2017 Reading Challenge and my Newbery Challenge (Honor book 1932).
April 19, 2023
Eh, 2.5. This was a hard one for me to rate. On the one hand, the writing was good, and the parts that were story were interesting and engaging. But there was a LOT of exposition of the history that was not. And the sections with the "red men" and Jac, who was a dwarf and a slave, were super uncomfortable. Jac was a great character, but Pierre didn't resolve the fact that he owned Jac to my satisfaction.
September 5, 2017
Follows Pierre de Bayard from a boy onward in 16th-century France.
Ooof. Normally I like these sorts of stories, but this one just couldn't keep my attention.
Ooof. Normally I like these sorts of stories, but this one just couldn't keep my attention.
June 21, 2018
Dated, but adventurous. See http://www.eatreadandbemommy.com/2018... for details.
Want to Read
June 13, 20251932 Newbery honor book
February 6, 2023
Prince François and Prince Henri have been imprisoned in Spain for three years, and when they come back, they aren't the same as they used to be. Pierre de Bayard, a nephew of a famous Pierre de Bayard, wins a jousting competition and must face Henri. Pierre unhorses Prince Henri, and Prince Henri is very angry, so Pierre seeks the guidance of Master Fabri. Prince Henri bests Pierre in a sword fight. Henri mistreats Jac, Pierre's dwarf, and the story is told of how Pierre saved Jac from a boar. Robin, Pierre's brother who chose to become a builder instead of a knight, comes back and shares exciting news about a book that was found and that he gets to help build a special chateaux for the king. Piere and Robin grow closer, and everyone is excited about the new castle being build for the king. Henri and Pierre disagree about the Bible being translated into languages common people can understand and people being able to think for themselves, and Henri calls Master Fabri and Pierre heretics.
The King's sister, Aunt Marguerite, comes to visit. Aunt Marguerite shares da Vinci's notebook with the children and tries to get Prince Henri to be more open-minded. She convinces the king to open a college, but nay-sayers try to poison the minds of the princes against it. The woodsman who use to own Jac tries to take him back, but instead Pierre makes friends with the woodsman and helps him buy his freedom.
The group is out caravanning when they run in to gypsies, and the princes buy their monkeys and a bear. Sir Thomas More and Erasmus show up, and when a fire breaks out, people line up and pass buckets of water back and forth. A man named Rabelais shows up as comic relief. Henri strikes Pierre on the cheek with a whip, and he gets betrothed to Catherine de Medici.
The king sends the children to visit Aunt Marguerite. The boys all go mountain climbing. Prince Henri almost gets kidnapped by a Spanish pirate, but Pierre saves him. The children go back to Blois, and a man named Ajax turns up in their lives. Pierre becomes a squire, Robin becomes a master mason, and Robin and Jac both tell Pierre they don't trust Ajax.
Magdaleine marries King James of Scotland. Cartier goes to explore Canada, and Prince Henri comes back from Italy with his wife. Pierre talks with Jac about how good Jac is at healing animals, and Ajax tries to convince Pierre to join the Spanish crusades, but Spain is France's enemy, so Pierre decides not to go. Cartier befriends Native Americans in Canada, and twelve of them come back to France with him. Ajax convinces Henri to take his father's best falcon and hound hunting, and when they both die, Pierre gets blamed and the king exiles him.
Ajax delivers Pierre to pirates, and they run into the gypsies. Juaniyo tries to help Pierre escape, but the pirates catch him. The Native Americans kill the pirates and rescue Pierre. They go to Pau, and Master Fabri tells Pierre that Sir Thomas More has been beheaded in England. Pierre decides not to be a knight who goes to battle, but to stay with Master Fabri and learn from him.
I really enjoyed this book. I like the ideas of letting people be able to read the Bible in their own languages or at least hear it in their own language, and be able to think for themselves. I like the ideas that kindness resolves more issues than fighting and violence. I liked Pierre's character, and also Master Fabri and Aunt Marguerite. I felt the book had good characters and a good plot, and I liked reading all the different events that happened throughout the book.
"There are few friends one may be silent with."
The King's sister, Aunt Marguerite, comes to visit. Aunt Marguerite shares da Vinci's notebook with the children and tries to get Prince Henri to be more open-minded. She convinces the king to open a college, but nay-sayers try to poison the minds of the princes against it. The woodsman who use to own Jac tries to take him back, but instead Pierre makes friends with the woodsman and helps him buy his freedom.
The group is out caravanning when they run in to gypsies, and the princes buy their monkeys and a bear. Sir Thomas More and Erasmus show up, and when a fire breaks out, people line up and pass buckets of water back and forth. A man named Rabelais shows up as comic relief. Henri strikes Pierre on the cheek with a whip, and he gets betrothed to Catherine de Medici.
The king sends the children to visit Aunt Marguerite. The boys all go mountain climbing. Prince Henri almost gets kidnapped by a Spanish pirate, but Pierre saves him. The children go back to Blois, and a man named Ajax turns up in their lives. Pierre becomes a squire, Robin becomes a master mason, and Robin and Jac both tell Pierre they don't trust Ajax.
Magdaleine marries King James of Scotland. Cartier goes to explore Canada, and Prince Henri comes back from Italy with his wife. Pierre talks with Jac about how good Jac is at healing animals, and Ajax tries to convince Pierre to join the Spanish crusades, but Spain is France's enemy, so Pierre decides not to go. Cartier befriends Native Americans in Canada, and twelve of them come back to France with him. Ajax convinces Henri to take his father's best falcon and hound hunting, and when they both die, Pierre gets blamed and the king exiles him.
Ajax delivers Pierre to pirates, and they run into the gypsies. Juaniyo tries to help Pierre escape, but the pirates catch him. The Native Americans kill the pirates and rescue Pierre. They go to Pau, and Master Fabri tells Pierre that Sir Thomas More has been beheaded in England. Pierre decides not to be a knight who goes to battle, but to stay with Master Fabri and learn from him.
I really enjoyed this book. I like the ideas of letting people be able to read the Bible in their own languages or at least hear it in their own language, and be able to think for themselves. I like the ideas that kindness resolves more issues than fighting and violence. I liked Pierre's character, and also Master Fabri and Aunt Marguerite. I felt the book had good characters and a good plot, and I liked reading all the different events that happened throughout the book.
"There are few friends one may be silent with."
March 23, 2018
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February 12, 2016
Well, it was pretty hard to get through, but I guess it was an okay book.
This book is about a page who lives in the court of France during the early 15oo's. He is confused as to his destiny. He feels that to show his courage he needs to become a Knight for France. However, he is convinced by humanist and protestant philosophies about the corruption in both church and state which seem both to be fighting for the lack of progress.
Anyway, there are way too many side stories. The book just goes on and on, and you don't know until the end what was important and what was not.
Also turns out this is a historical fiction. The characters taken from court are real, including the dwarf Jac. However, the story is not.
This book is about a page who lives in the court of France during the early 15oo's. He is confused as to his destiny. He feels that to show his courage he needs to become a Knight for France. However, he is convinced by humanist and protestant philosophies about the corruption in both church and state which seem both to be fighting for the lack of progress.
Anyway, there are way too many side stories. The book just goes on and on, and you don't know until the end what was important and what was not.
Also turns out this is a historical fiction. The characters taken from court are real, including the dwarf Jac. However, the story is not.
July 21, 2016
Accounting for children as the audience for European history of the 1500s with a focus on French court life and it's prince and princesses. Lots in there about the shift to knowledge as it brushes against tradition and established thinking about religion. Plenty of adventure. Nice tone.
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October 22, 201464b93357-3dc7-4eae-a319-eb5532878884
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