The epigraph at the start of the novel is made up of two verses from the Bible that both include a reference to fire. The first one is from Judges 6:21: “Fire came up from the rock and consumed the meat and the bread” (4). The second reference is from Jeremiah 23:29: “Is not My word like fire and like a hammer that smashes rock?” (4). An epigraph is designed to provide a clue about the themes in the story ahead. Fire is wondrous and awesome but also deadly and destructive. Fire destroys and cleanses and signals the possibility of rebirth and renewal, as in the Black and white members of the community coming together to help the Zuckers rebuild. Out of the ashes of struggle and devastation arise new possibilities and hope for a new world.

Just as a reference to fire precedes the story, a reference to fire also ends the story: “I’m ready for the fire next time it comes my way” (223). Sylvia refers to fire as a symbol of the struggles and challenges ahead, especially if the white people don’t change their racist ways. The phrase “the fire next time” is an

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