Four Fires

"Four Fires" is a novel written by Bryce Courtenay. It tells the story of the Maloney family, living in country Victoria in the 1940's.

It is based on a Victorian town called Yankalillee, which is in the Wangaratta - Wodonga Area.

The Maloney's are a fifth generation Irish family who strive to be high on the social ladder. The family includes the father Tommy, a soldier broken by war who was a prisoner in the infamous Changi Prisoner of War camp, and the mother Nancy, a strong-willed woman who drives the local garbage truck to make ends meet. Then there are the five children, two of which are Tommy's biologically.

The oldest is Sarah, a red-haired girl who is accepted into medical school and who becomes pregnant with Tommy and Nancy's first illegitimate grandchild Lucy Templeton Maloney.

The second child is Michael aka Mike, to whom Nancy named after the artist Michaelangelo due to Mike's father being Italian. He grows up to be a part of the fashion world.

The third is Bozonik aka Bozo, he becomes apart of the world of boxing and wins a bronze medal at the Rome Olympics. He is half American and he grows up to join Nancy in the garbage collecting business.

The fourth child is Peter aka Mole because he used to hide deep under his crib sheets when he was a baby. He becomes Tommy's favourite child and he follows in his footsteps by taking part in the war in Vietnam. He is the son of Tommy's now deceased cousin from Darwin.

The fifth child is 'Little' Colleen. She is Tommy's second biological child and she and her niece Templeton become inseparable.

Other characters that appear in Four Fires include the local police sergeant 'Big Jack' Donovan, a trusted friend of the Maloney's. Morrie and Sophie Suckfizzle aka Moishe and Zofia Zuckfizzleski, a Jewish couple who survived the concentration camps. Father Crosby, the local Catholic minister who goes head to head with Nancy regarding her family. Kapurika Raychaundhuri aka Mrs. Rika Ray, an Indian midwife who delivers Sarah's daughter and goes into business with Bozo. John Crowe, a friend of Tommy's from the war and another business partner of Bozo's. Lucy Barrington-Stone, a wealthy woman who makes it her personal mission to get Sarah into university. Philip Templeton, the local council leader and personal enemy of Nancy. And Anna Dubrowski aka Anna Dumbcowski, another holocaust survivor who becomes the love of Mole's life.

The novel takes place through out Australia and in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Fiji, America, Poland and Italy. Real life figures such as Dawn Fraser, Muhommad Ali and Dr. Josef Mengele appear in the novel also.

The Four Fires was narrated by Mole.