A powerful child’s-eye view of one of Christchurch’s most devastating disasters, told with David Hill’s trademark warmth, humour and heart.
“A master storyteller … David Hill never disappoints.” — What Book Next
Tuesday, 18 November 1947 begins like any ordinary school day for Chris — until a burst pipe sends water shooting through the playground and the whole school is sent home early.
Chris and his best mate Ray decide to make the most of their unexpected freedom by riding into central Christchurch to visit Ballantynes, the grandest department store in town. Their plan is simple: find Chris’s older sister Freda, who works in the tearooms, and annoy her as much as possible.
At first Ballantynes is all chandeliers, red carpets, polished counters, art galleries, royal wedding displays and posh customers — a world away from Chris’s patched shirt and old bike. But then Ray smells smoke.
What starts as a faint haze soon becomes something much more terrifying. Smoke pours through stairwells and corridors. Staff are confused. Customers are still shopping. And Freda is somewhere upstairs. As the fire takes hold, Chris and Ray must make their way through the choking smoke to find her — and witness a disaster unfolding.
Out of the Fire is a gripping historical novel about courage, class, family and the power of a community coming together.
