Paradise on Fire

“I love Grandma Bibi. Whatever she wants, I try to do.”

Addy does not want to go to Wilderness Adventures, but Grandma Bibi wishes for her to go so that she can continue her Personal Growth and Self-Discovery. Addy’s willingness to do something she does not want to do shows her devotion to Bibi. This love is tinged with guilt because Bibi was forced to leave her beloved Nigeria to move to New York City and raise Addy after her parents died.

“They notice I’m different. Being an orphan is like being a crusted-over scab. Leave me alone. Don’t touch.”

Addy feels physically and mentally marked because she is an orphan. She assumes that others view her as different and untouchable. As the novel continues, her Personal Growth and Self-Discovery include opening herself up to others and realizing that other people have gone through grief and trauma as well, revealing that connection can be a source of strength.

“‘A maze is like a map,’ answers Jamie, turning around in her seat. ‘Both give a bird’s-eye view. But maps can be simpler—from here to there. A maze is a puzzle. It’s not always clear which path is best.’”

This quote foreshadows the climactic event later in the novel when the wildfire threatens the campsite. Instead of moving through the forest with the clarity of a map, Addy will have to try to move around the wildfire that is like a maze. This passage also reflects Addy’s interest in maps and mazes as tools for navigating anxiety and chaos (See: Symbols & Motifs).

“Landscapes. I’ve seen them in books, paintings. But I’ve never felt one before. Never felt how the earth existed long, long, long before I was born. The beauty rocks me.”

This quote alludes to a central theme, The Importance of Nature. Physically experiencing nature is a transformative event, and the experience immediately begins changing Addy, leading to her Personal Growth and Self-Discovery.

“Most folk think the environment they’re born into is the only way to live. You never know until you’ve been somewhere, seen something different.” 

Leo understands that Addy needs to experience the healing power of nature, just like her Grandma Bibi did. Addy has lived her entire life in a city, but Bibi lived in Nigeria and experienced the beautiful nature there. This quote emphasizes the parallels between Bibi and Leo and how both characters mentor Addy in The Importance of Nature.

“Because of climate change, half of earth’s forests are gone.”

Addy knew about climate change from school, but because she had never spent time in nature, she did not see firsthand the issues that climate change is creating in the world. Once she experiences the forest, she begins to understand how crucial forests are to the planet and also to individual people’s mental and physical well-being.

“Hiking is an art. I’m not escaping; instead, I’m following a new trail. Following the rhythm and sound of boots.”

This moment illustrates how Wilderness Adventures has changed Addy and taught her The Importance of Nature. She used to be obsessed with escaping every environment, but while hiking, she can be entirely in the moment. This implies that nature is helping heal the trauma that has plagued her since she lost her parents.

“I stare at the flame, feeling a new urgency to draw maps—how to leave the cabin, the ranch. Still at the forest’s edge, facing wilderness, I won’t know which way to go.”

Addy’s fear of fire is a motivation for her mapmaking, but she realizes that while she is talented at drawing maps of man-made areas, nature is more difficult. Addy struggles to feel control over her life after losing her parents, and mapmaking is her way of taking control of the uncontrollable (See: Symbols & Motifs). Leo helps her take control and learn to make topographical maps.

“I hear Bibi saying, ‘Truth-telling is healing.’”

Grandma Bibi’s voice in Addy’s head helps guide her, even while Bibi is across the country. While Addy has always kept her feelings and grief to herself, Bibi’s voice encourages her to share and connect. This shows that one of Addy’s greatest journeys of personal growth will be to open herself up to those around her and tell her truth. It is only when she is honest with those around her that she can start to heal and make lasting relationships.

“‘Fly, Adaugo,’ Mama whispers. The window is open. Mama stops, her knees bent; she coils inward, holding, hugging me close. Release. I scream.”

Addy has dreamed of the fire that killed her parents often, but it is only while she is at Paradise Ranch that she begins to remember more and process that trauma. Her mother told her to fly, throwing her from the window, which saved her life. It also connects her to the symbol of eagles and her full name, which means “daughter of the eagle” (See: Symbols & Motifs).

“I want to tell Jay it isn’t his fault. Just like it’s not my fault my parents are dead. Instead I say: ‘Ryder and Leo have been teaching me how to map.’”

Jay shares with Addy the trauma of losing his little brother, and she does not give him platitudes. Instead, she invites him to join her using the method that has been helping her heal from her trauma. In this moment, instead of Addy’s trauma isolating her, she is beginning to learn to connect with others.

“I stoop, stroke Ryder, hiding my happiness. There’s a Wilderness Adventures team—then a smaller team. Us. Me, Jay, Leo, and Ryder.”

This moment illustrates Addy’s Personal Growth and Self-Discovery. While she was isolated from others, she is now part of a larger group and even a smaller team within that group. It also reveals that she still has some apprehension about sharing her emotions with others, as she tries to hide her happiness at Jay joining them.

“Strange. I’ve drawn a beginner’s maze. I’m the goal—the used-to-be outsider waiting to be found.”

Addy has drawn herself into a maze with her friends. Tellingly, she makes herself the goal rather than the previous goal, which was always escape. This shows that Addy’s beliefs are transforming, as connections with others are becoming more important than isolation and escape.

“The ranch is great. But I think this moment is paradise. Surrounded by nature—a gurgling stream, the caws, chirps of birds, a forest quiet humming underneath all the other sounds. Me, drawing maps, Leo, my teacher. And Jay playing fetch with Ryder.”

This quote shows The Importance of Nature because only a few short months ago, Addy never spent time in nature. Now, nature has become her sanctuary and paradise. This alludes to how correct her grandmother was in sending her to camp because she is finding her truest self in the wilderness. It is also notable that paradise, to Addy, includes her mentor, Leo, and new friend, Jay.

“If this were a maze, I think, the fire pit would be the END. The uncovered surprise. But instead of treasure, we averted disaster.”

Addy’s idyllic day is shattered when they find a campfire, still warm. While Leo averts disaster in this moment—and uses it as a teachable moment for Jay and Addy—it foreshadows the tragedy that will occur. A similarly careless camper will not monitor another campfire, which starts the wildfire that nearly kills Jay and Addy and that will kill others.

“This is the best day ever. Hiking with packs full of tents, water, food is much harder. Three weeks ago we never would’ve made it. This time no one complained. Not even DeShon.”

This moment illustrates the Personal Growth and Self-Discovery that each member of the group has undergone. While only a few weeks ago, most of the kids did not enjoy hiking (besides Jay and Addy), even the most averse has come to find pleasure in it.

“I’m uneasy. Scared of what? I don’t know. My hands shake. I stare into the midnight forest, with its dark, towering shapes. There’s life inside.”

The tone in this section becomes ominous and dark, as Addy is sensing a life-threatening wildfire. This also emphasizes Addy’s intuitive connection with nature because she can feel that something is wrong long before anyone else realizes it.

“A’Leia and Jamie half walk, half drag Kelvin. They follow Dylan. ‘Come with me. All of you.’ Jay, DeShon, Nessa don’t move. I’m shocked. Crack.”

This is a crucial moment within the novel because Dylan insists that the whole group follow him north, while Addy tries to convince everyone to follow her south. She is shocked that when Dylan insists, Jay, DeShon, and Nessa stay with her and do not follow Dylan. This moment separates the groups because a tree falls between them. Ultimately, the decision that Jay, DeShon, and Nessa make to stay with Addy will save their lives.

“I can’t see stars. Yet, through layers of smoke, ash, I see the great wildfire. It’s a multilevel monster overtaking Eagle’s Ridge.”

Many times throughout the novel, fire is personified as monstrous and consuming the nature around it (See: Symbols & Motifs). This moment emphasizes that even the stars are blocked, which makes navigating even more difficult for Addy.

“‘Has the smoke lifted?’ I asked, wearily. We’re in a strange universe. No sky, sun, or clouds.”

The group has not slept since the brief rest before the wildfire broke out, and this quote emphasizes how exhausted they are. When they hear a helicopter, there is an immediate hope that they might be seen, but with the thick smoke, there is no chance that that will happen. The group must rely on their Survival and Resilience skills to make their way to safety.

“I never could’ve imagined this: needing someone else—DeShon, no less—to find a way out of the maze.”

Addy has always been independent and focused on her individual safety, but this moment is when she realizes that the group is stronger because of each individual person. DeShon has the idea to create a raft to transport Jay, which had not occurred to Addy. This shows that she has underestimated the skills and abilities of the people around her.

“‘You’ve got to fly, Addy. Fly home.’ His eyes shut before I can say a word. Jay’s not going to make it. He can’t walk. He’s cut, maybe bleeding inside, disoriented. My palm feels his forehead. Fever. Burning—hot fire.”

Jay—disoriented from fever and injury—echoes Addy’s mother’s words on the night she died. While the group is relatively safe from the wildfire, Jay will die if they do not get help soon. This moment compels Addy to hike out alone to get help, risking her own life to save Jay’s.

“There. I see. Firefighters holding a huge trampoline-like net. I stop crying, drop to my knees, slipping the backpack from my shoulders. Mama saved me. She taught me to fly.”

While hiking to find help, Addy finally remembers the last part of the night her parents died. Her mother—using her last moments alive—saved Addy’s life. This moment is crucial because this discovery allows her to finally heal from the trauma in her past. It shows that while nature is powerful and dangerous, it can also be a catalyst for healing and self-discovery.