Burnt is the autobiography from Clare Frank, and her story of ascent from a young 17-year old woman starting on the bottom ranks of firefighting, to one of its top posts as Chief of Fire Protection. Ever since seeing her first fire at a young age she was passionate about firefighting, and wanted to join the firefighting ranks that her brother had already embraced. At 17 she wasn’t even old enough to enlist—she left the spot for age blank and hoped no one would notice.

Clare chronicles both her amazing journey learning to fight fire and to meet the challenges of the field. She had to overcome difficult testing, made harder by equipment that was not sized for a female of her stature. In fact, in one challenge she was worried because the map books that she used to prop behind her back to reach the pedals were missing which would make it nearly impossible to beat the driving test. Even more challenging than the physical and strength tests were the tests to fit in with a stereotypical male-dominated field.

Not only did Clare move through the ranks, but she also led at a time when faced with unprecedented fires and scandals. However, here is a leader that instead of running for the hills, rolls up her sleeves and will not back down. Clare’s story of grit and love for firefighting will get under your skin and inspire.

I give 4 stars for the easily readable, complete account, from the beginning of her career to the end......& what a career it was! The author tells about her whole life...what got her into the fire fighting career & what kept her in it, the determination she had & the challenges along the way. She does a great job of describing the environment of a station house, of a fire fight & much of the common attitudes of those in that profession. It's a very interesting read. I really enjoyed it, & would recommend it to anyone who might enjoy a clear window into this profession.
I received an e-ARC from Abrams Press via NetGalley, for review purposes. This is my own fair/honest review.

As a former first responder, I’m always interested in reading memoirs by other first responders. I was particularly excited about this one as it was my first female firefighter memoir. It was fascinating from the first page. Her storytelling is very captivating. I even learned a few things… the difference with being a firefighter in California (wildfires) while I am used to the experiences of a firefighter on the East Coast. Clare was very honest, strong, and inspiring. A book filled of her personal/professional stories, her journey climbing the ranks and of being a woman in a male dominated environment. Great read! Thank you Net Galley and Abrams Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

4.5⭐️ Sometimes I got lost between past and present but overall, it's a great book. I learned about a woman firefighter and her passion to run toward the fire to stomp it in the Western US. I will reference the book in my college course Global Emergency Preparedness.

Thank you, Netgalley, for an advance copy! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61783802-burnt

In Clare Frank’s memoir, Burnt, we see her develop from a 17-year-old rookie to becoming chief of fire protection in California.

Burnt is an in-depth, intriguing look into a world I had no prior knowledge of. Between these pages, I felt like I was there alongside Frank, feeling her tenacity and anger and heartache as she moved through the ranks, navigated gruesome fires, and became part of various firehouse camaraderies.

From essentially speaking their own language to dealing frequently with death, there were so many things I did not know about firefighters - or how much goes into actually fighting a fire. This memoir opened my eyes and will be one I recommend others pick up as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Abrams Press for the opportunity to receive an eARC of this memoir in exchange for my honest review.

“Nor law, nor duty bade me fight
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds
A lonely impulse of delight
Drove to this tumult in the clouds. - Yeats

Why did you choose to run toward fire?” This book offers a fascinating look into the world of firefighting by a female firefighter. It chronicles the beginning of Clare Frank’s career at 17 in Northern California until her retirement.
“The funeral made me realize how much the people in that church and the profession had nourished me for nearly thirty years. Now that I was leaving, how would I feed the part of my soul that needed fire, and firefighting, and firefighters?”
A great read even if you know nothing about fires and firefighting.

A fascinating glimpse into the world of firefighting by a trailblazing female firefighter that requires no background in the subject to enjoy!

This was an excellent book. It was well written and told a tale that needed to be told. Im going to read this one again.

Set up was a little confusing. Made for an uncomfortable reading. Loved the premise.
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Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

So well written so involving the author brings us into the world of firefighting from the female perspective.Living in California where wildfires seem to constantly erupt seeing the world of firefighters through her experiences was fascinating.#netgalley #abramsbooks.

I’ve never read a firefighter memoir before, let alone a female firefighter one and I was engrossed from the beginning. The story of how she became a firefighter and fought her way through the ranks and camaraderie of other firefighters was so admirable and awe inspiring.

Especially with the increased wildfires in the past decade, these fires are truly scary and a force to be reckoned with. It opened my eyes to truly what these firefighters go through during those times. And opened my eyes even more to just the things that we, as public civilians, can do help to help prevent fires.

As a NJ volunteer firefighter and member of the NJ Forest Fire Service, I was awed by this memoir by Clare Frank -- a firefighter from California who truly exemplifies what a firefighter should be.

Yes, she made mistakes in her career, but she owned them & always worked for the better good of all she served. If you love, know, are, or have ever had your life touched by a firefighter you should read this book. And, honestly, if you don't fall into one of those categories you should ABSOLUTELY read this book because you have NO IDEA what they & their families (both personal & professional) go through on a daily basis. I thought I had an inkling, but with each flip of the page I became more enamored and amazed by Clare.

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us Clare Frank!

My husband is a firefighter, so I was really interested to see from the perspective of a woman firefighter, especially one who made it so far up the ladder of the job line.
It's a really great look into Clare and her life within the fire service. It definitely is a tough job and we see that through her story.
I really liked how passionate she was about the job even when it was hard.

A great read, and a great look into the fire service.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Living in the west and experiencing the effects of wildfires, I was intrigued to read Burnt and Frank’s story. This memoir was thorough - connecting all the dots of Frank’s career with Cal Fire and her many endeavors beyond firefighting. I really appreciated the first hand perspective of wild land fires and confirmation of their ongoing intensity. I hope that all readers can see the evolution of climate change through her story and take wildfire risk seriously.

This was a phenomenal memoir. Mostly due to the attitude of the author. She opted for a fast paced run through her life and career, never dwelling on any one moment. I liked the introspection from being retired that she added to her actions as a youngster. Not regret but acknowledgement on how times have changed. Overall a fascinating look at a memorable firefighter.

As someone who was also a female firefighter - I had high hopes in this book. Unfortunately I had a really hard time connecting with the story and really getting invested. I appreciate the author writing about her experience in a male dominated industry, because that perspective is one that should be recognized more often. This book wasn’t a favorite of mine, personally.