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Title details for Torch by Lyn Miller-Lachmann - Available

Torch

by Lyn Miller-Lachmann
Melissa Moran
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
Czechoslovakia, 1969
Seventeen-year-old Pavol has watched his country's freedoms disappear in the wake of the Soviet Union's invasion. He's seen his own dreams disappear too. In a desperate, fatal act of protest against the oppressive new government, he sets himself on fire in public, hoping to motivate others to fight for change.
Instead, Pavol's death launches a government investigation into three of his closest friends. Štepán finds his Olympic hockey ambitions jeopardized and must conceal his sexual orientation from authorities who could use it against him. Tomáš has already been accused of "antisocial" behavior because he struggles to follow the unwritten rules of everyday interactions, and now he must work even harder to meet the expectations of his father, the regional leader of the communist party. And aspiring film director Lída, Pavol's girlfriend, is pregnant with his child, which brands her a traitor by association and upends all her plans.
With their futures hanging in the balance, all three must decide whether to keep struggling to survive in the country Pavol died hoping to save . . . or risk a perilous escape to the other side.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    November 1, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9798765065235
      • File size: 264922 KB
      • Duration: 09:11:55

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 760
    • Text Difficulty: 3-4

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from October 31, 2022
      Three teens’ lives are upended following the death of a mutual loved one in this searing historical novel by Miller-Lachmann (Surviving Santiago), set in 1969 after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. When Soviet agents arrest 17-year-old Pavol for smashing road signs to delay the incursion of tanks into Prague, the government rejects his university application in retaliation and sentences him to a career in the mines—the very livelihood that killed his father. Inspired by the death of real historical political martyr Jan Palach, and believing that “the only way out of his ruined life was a torch,” Pavol dies by suicide, setting himself on fire “for freedom.” Pavol’s three best friends—gay hockey star and former bully Šteˇpán, neurodivergent intellectual Tomáš, and pregnant girlfriend Lída—struggle to navigate life following his death. Miller-Lachmann deftly balances moments of happiness and hope within an ominously rendered narrative marked by fear and potential catastrophe. This captivating political thriller is perfect for Ruta Sepetys fans. A beginning note provides suicide prevention resources; a concluding author’s note details the inspiration behind Tomáš’s characterization. Ages 13–up.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:760
  • Text Difficulty:3-4

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