The Arsonist

This is an uncomplicated novel, but one that felt realistic and true to life. The novel follows the lives during one summer of various members of the community in a small town in New Hampshire. Above all the novel's themes are finding a sense of identity, a purpose in life and discovering the meaning of “home”. A few of the characters are unhappy, or at least unsure, about the paths their lives are taking.

One of these characters includes Frankie, a forty-something year old, who has just returned from a career in aids work in Kenya. She's unsure on whether she ever wants to return to that life, but still wants to “make a difference”. At times, Frankie is certainly a self-centered character, treating those around her unfairly as she strives for a better or more meaningful life.

Meanwhile, Frankie's mother, Sylvia, is tormented by her husband deteriorating health, but also by guilt as she feels that she will only care for her husband in his ageing state due to a sense of a duty rather than any true feelings of love. This is a moving subplot that questions whether a relationship can be made better this late on.

All these personal struggles are a set against a backdrop class conflict between members of the small town community: the “summer people” (temporary, wealthy and privileged resident i.e. those who “have”) and the permanent residents (i.e. those who “don't have”). The novel questions whether it is right to demand more from life, and suggests that although life may never be perfect, sometimes it is important to appreciate what you do the have. Nevertheless, the ending, while hopeful, shows that some people may never be completely satisfied and perhaps this leads to a fairly unresolved conclusion, but then who has ever found complete closure at every point of their lives?

The arsons add a little unease to an otherwise sleepy rural town and symbolise a connecting theme to each of the personal dramas faced by the characters, but the arsonist is not the main focus of the novel, despite its title. Don't go into this expecting a mystery and to find out who is behind the crimes, as that really isn't what the book is about and you may be left disappointed.

However, if you are interested in domestic fiction that prioritises slowly, but well-developed characters over an intricate plot, then The Arsonist could work for you.