Words on Fire

Audra Zikaris is the 12-year-old protagonist of the novel. With blond hair and often wearing peasant clothes, she looks like “most of the girls” in 1893 Lithuania (21). Audra initially describes herself as someone “who ducked into the shadows” and “who watched life from afar” (2), reclusive and untrusting of anyone besides her parents.

Her sense of responsibility brings her into the smuggling world unwillingly, but her innate curiosity and desire for justice keep her there. This work requires her to learn to depend upon others, and she gains her first true friend in Lukas. As Audra witnesses more acts of brutality and violence, she begins to understand the cruelty of Russian occupation and matures quickly, as most children in traumatic environments do. She navigates the dangers of book carrying with “rather brilliant” creativity and never loses her empathy, trying to save as many books and people as possible.

Ben sometimes sees Audra’s hope as naive, but her relentless belief motivates her to fight until the press ban is lifted. Learning how to read and write empowers Audra to think for herself, and this empowering experience strengthens her self-confidence and her belief in the resistance. Becoming a book carrier requires Audra to find her

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