A Fire So Wild

This book made me cry, twice, so it's getting a 5 stars from me.

The writing style was very smooth and pleasant and the characters were interesting, some were endearing. While the book is an exercise in nuance in the end it's a pretty hopeful read so if you need a little hope..

Short novel about the leadup to and fallout from a California wildfire that dramatically impacts a handful of characters from diverse backgrounds. (The actual fire itself only takes up 10 pages.) The brief length renders the characters more symbolic than real - the rich white woman who throws charity events but resists any real change; the young man living in his van whose situation becomes even difficult after the fire; the working class teacher who slides into depression; the teenagers who are frustrated in their attempts to challenge the system. The issues Ruiz Grossman highlights are disturbingly real, but overall the book reads more like a thesis and less like a novel. For an in-depth examination of climate-related disasters, check out [b:The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration 59366223 The Great Displacement Climate Change and the Next American Migration Jake Bittle https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1674683382l/59366223.SX50.jpg 93537093].