Book Review: "A Fire So Wild" by Sarah Ruiz-Grossman

Intriguing and thought-provoking, A Fire So Wild is both a meditation on climate change and a look at housing inequity, as well as how the path back from disaster looks different for the haves versus the have-nots.

It’s an unbearably hot summer in Berkeley, California, much as it has been for some time with the damage wrought by climate change. A wildfire in the distant hills threatens the city, but many aren’t too concerned that it will actually reach them.

Abigail works for an affordable housing organization, not seeing the irony of living in a hillside mansion with her wife and son. She’s desperate to show that she’s doing good for the community, so she decides to throw a fundraiser for her 50th birthday, to subsidize more affordable housing units in a new building under construction.

Sunny and his girlfriend, Willow, are currently living in their van, but have recently been approved for one of the apartments—if the funding comes through. They dream of the difference a place of their own will make, not having to move the van every night. And then, in the midst of it all, flames rush into the neighborhood, destroying homes, lives, and futures.

This was definitely a character-driven book, and there are a number of characters the story follows. Not all of the stories are as fleshed out, but I felt drawn into the fear and anger, and the descriptions of the fire were so evocative. I was worried that the book might veer into melodrama, and was so glad it didn’t. Definitely kept me thinking!

Book Review: "The Night of Many Endings" by Melissa Payne

I thought The Night of Many Endings was a heartwarming, poignant, and powerful story about finding the strength to carry on.

Nora is a librarian in a small Colorado town who believes it’s her mission to help anyone in need. Her older brother has struggled with homelessness and addiction for as long as she can remember. She’s always dropped everything when she thinks there’s a chance to save him, but those chances are fleeting, so she’s always willing to lend a hand or an ear or shelter to those she thinks can use it.

One night, a fierce snowstorm strands Nora in the library along with several patrons. There’s Marlene, the elderly woman whose blunt, critical demeanor masks real physical and emotional pain; Jasmine, a teenager who seems to be hiding at least one secret; Lewis, a homeless addict who doesn’t want Nora’s help—or anyone’s for that matter—and Vlado, the library’s security guard, who loves learning—and Nora, from afar.

Over the course of the evening, they will trade criticisms and accusations, and reveal the stories and pains they’ve kept hidden. They’ll face threats from the weather but also deal with physical and emotional setbacks. And at the same time, they may find, among their cohorts, the strength they need to take on their greatest challenges.

I’ve been wanting to read this book for a while and it really moved me. I love stories where people help each other through tough times, and while some of the crises seemed to be solved a little easier than you’d imagine they would be in real life, some very real struggles occurred too. Nora was my favorite character—I was irritated by the “meanness” of some of the characters. (I’ve had enough curmudgeons to last me a lifetime.)

I will never get tired of books that use libraries as a hub, and deal with the healing power of books and reading.

Book Review: "At the Edge of the Haight" by Katherine Seligman

Katherine Seligman's At the Edge of the Haight is a well-written, sometimes emotional look at homeless young people and the challenges they face.

Maddy has been living on the streets in San Francisco for a while now, generally living around Golden Gate Park. She and her friends have their routines—they know when to wake up so they don’t get rousted by the cops, they know where to find food, where they can go for shelter or peace and quiet, and they know whom to avoid. Her closest companion is her dog, Root, who protects her.

One morning when trying to pull Root out of some bushes she finds a homeless boy who has been stabbed to death. The perpetrator sees her and threatens her, and it sends Maddy into a whirlwind of fear. Does she tell the police what she saw and invite scrutiny and danger into her life and the lives of her friends, or can she go along pretending nothing happened?

But gossip travels, even on the streets, and it’s not long before the boy’s parents want to talk to her to understand their son, and the police want her help in catching the murderer. What does Maddy want? Does she want someone to save her, like the boy’s parents would like to do, or does she want to continue the life she’s living? Is there middle ground?

I found this book to be very compelling, and what I enjoyed most is it didn’t seem to fall into so many of the clichés about homelessness that I expected. Maddy is complex and flawed, but not yet cynical, and her story is very compelling. You can understand her indecisiveness given what she’s been through. Not all of the characters are as appealing, but the story hooked me.

This was a thought-provoking read given the number of homeless you see all over—particularly in the San Francisco area. Seligman really did a great job making me feel and making me think.

I was fortunate to be part of the blog tour for At the Edge of the Haight. Algonquin Books provided me a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!

Book Review: "The Half-Life of Remorse" by Grant Jarrett

Many believe that people come into our lives for a reason—to provide support or companionship during a critical time, to impart knowledge or wisdom we might not otherwise gain, or to help us reach a goal we might have believed was unattainable.

When Chick and Sam meet, both have been living on the streets for some time. Neither is exactly sure for how long, or is really interested in dwelling on how they came to this point. Both have held jobs from time to time to help them survive, but for the most part, it's been their survival instinct that has kept them alive, although both might question if seeking shelter and food wherever you can find it, no matter how unsavory, is really living.

"When you live out here on the street, it don't matter much what town you're in. One place is pretty much the same as the other far as I can tell, and I figure I been around more than most. Sure, some places maybe got nicer weather than others, and some's got cops or thugs, which is pretty much the same thing, with nothing better to do with their time than roust some poor beggar from a park bench or a bus station so the rats can have it to theirselves, but still in all, you figure out what's what soon enough if you want to keep breathing, which maybe sometimes you do and maybe sometimes you don't."

Sam sees in Chick somewhat of a kindred spirit, although they are very different from one another, but Sam invites Chick to share the rudimentary shelter he has put together under the stairway of a church. Sam insists he is a wizard, one who has lived for hundreds or perhaps thousands of years, so Chick worries a little bit about Sam's mental condition, but little by little they begin to trust and count on each other, and Chick helps find ways to make their meager day-to-day existence a little more palatable.

Chick has spent his adult life haunted by a crime he was part of when he was a teenager. He's never been able to shake what he saw, or his guilt in simply just being a bystander as things unfolded. When Sam starts having visions of a man in trouble, a man whose life is apparently in danger, he wants to try and help. And when Chick realizes what Sam's visions mean, he must make a critical decision: does he help Sam return to the scene he keeps seeing in his mind's eye, and risk having to divulge his own role in the incident, or should he let Sam's delusions continue?

Meanwhile, Claire, Sam's daughter, hasn't seen her father since she was very young, but she's never given up hope that he'll return to her someday. She lives with her own emotional and physical pain, but she is unprepared for what her lifelong wishes might mean for all those involved.

The Half-Life of Remorse may turn on a very convenient coincidence, but it doesn't lessen the power of this book. This is a story about two men trying to steer clear of their past, although only one really knows what they're doing. It's also a story about the kindness of strangers, and the empathy one shows another, even when doing so may be harmful or hazardous to themselves. It's also the story of love and redemption, hope and the power of memory, and the beauty of friendship.

The book shifts narration among all three main characters, and Sam's portions take a little bit of getting used to, because he uses very fancy words befitting of his perception of himself as a wizard. But the emotions, particularly in Chick's parts, are palpable even though he is a man of few words, and you can tell he really doesn't know how to handle the situation he's found himself in. The other quirk is that because Chick, in particular, isn't well-educated, his narration tends to have a lot of "must ofs" instead of "must haves," and other grammatical errors. (I seriously had to turn my inner editor off when reading those sections.)

Grant Jarrett is a pretty fantastic writer. While his first book, Ways of Leaving (see my original review), had almost a Tropper-esque vibe to it, this book is more spare in its narration, at times reminding me a little of Kent Haruf. He really deserves some renown for his talent, and perhaps The Half-Life of Remorse may push him into the spotlight. It certainly should.

NetGalley and SparkPress provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!