"The Book of Fire" is a powerful story of resilience. It focuses on a forest fire that devastated a mountain village in Greece. Irini and her family are among those who lost their homes and loved ones to the fire. While Irini was not physically injured by the fire, she has been emotionally wounded by the tragedy, especially its impact on her husband Tasso and their daughter Chara. Tasso was an accomplished painter, but his hands were badly burned in the fire, and he has sunk into a deep depression due to the losses he suffered -- the death of his father, the destruction of the forest that was a major source of inspiration for his paintings, and his burned and bandaged hands which he believes will never allow him to paint again. Chara had second degree burns to her back, but she is faring better than her father, having found things to focus her hope on. However, she is still struggling with the changes the fire has brought, and she has lost her innocence and much of her joy.

To help cope with the tragedy of the fire, Irini has created "The Book of Fire", recounting the events of the day of the fire and its aftermath as if it was a story, creating some emotional distance but allowing her to remember. She describes a woman, her husband, and her daughter first noticing the fire, attempting to flee (and the woman and daughter getting separated from the husband, who is trying to find his father), jumping into the sea to escape the flames, waiting and hoping for rescue, etc.

In addition to the passages from the story she is writing, the book also deals with Irini and her family trying to recover from the fire, which is a challenge due to Tasso's depression, but also because Irini finds herself facing a major moral dilemma. It has been revealed that the fire was started by a land developer who lived farther up the mountain and who set an illegal fire to burn part of the forest so he could build a hotel (having failed to get permission from the Greek government to clear the land legally). However, with hotter weather and years of drought, the fire got out of control. The fire brigade misread the threat and did not respond sufficiently to stop the fire before it devastated the village. Government underfunding also contributed to the increased risk and inadequate response. Lazaros, Irini's father-in-law, had been warning for decades about the dangers of climate change and insufficient management of the forest. If society, as a collective, had been proactive, then the illegal fire might have been contained in time and not become so devastating. However, it is much easier to place the blame on a particular individual, and the land developer, who Irini has nicknamed "Mr. Monk", is a fitting target. While walking through the devastated forest with her dog, Rosalie, Irini comes across the body of Mr. Monk, who appears to have hung himself. However, he is still barely alive, and tries to talk to her. Irini flees and it is hours later before she contacts the police about finding Mr. Monk, at which point he is beyond saving. Irini is repeatedly interviewed by the police as they investigate the death, and she worries that the truth of her delay in getting help will be relieved. She will also learn things that call into question whether the death was suicide or murder. But does she reveal what she did and what she suspects?

In addition to current events, the story also includes memories of Irini's father and their time in England before his death and her return to Greece, as well as memories of her great grandfather, who was a musical instrument maker living in a Greek village in Turkey who was forced to leave Turkey when the Turkish government kicked out the Greek population in 1923. The memories of her father and great grandfather are some of the most beautiful aspects of the book.

I’m a huge Christy Lefteri fan, but oddly enough this book didn’t do anything for me. It’s timely and relevant with the recent Maui fires. With global warming and all the wildfire destruction of the past few years a story like this enlightens us and gets us invested in the suffering of those that have first hand frightening experience with it. This eerily felt like the fire in California several years ago where a man was denied a burn permit but decided to burn anyway and the destruction was far reaching and devastating.

The first 30 percent of the book was gripping and I couldn’t put it down. Then the repetitiveness in the threads became tiring, much too redundant. I wasn’t a fan of the the way the author referred to same characters differently in the separate time lines. There was little character depth or complexity. The story is dark with little take away. I pushed myself to finish. Being a huge fan of this author I was disappointed with this one.

The Book of Fire
I loved the author’s previous book, The Beekepers of Aleppo, and was looking forward to reading this new novel. I was not disappointed, this book is so beautifully written , there is so much emotion by all the protagonists. I started reading this novel just after the horrible fires in Maui, and reading I understood how these fires changes people’s lives. Tasso, his wife Irini, their daughter Chara and their beloved dog Rosalie had a a quiet life in their bungalow in the forest. Tasso was an artist, painting the forest life and portraits of his family, Irini was a music teacher. One day very suddenly the forest catches fire and everything around them burns to the ground and they barely escape with their lives. The “Book of Fire” is Irini’s account of what happened. The fire was set by a developer, who only meant to burn a small area to build a hotel. But due to the dry conditions and strong winds, the fire burned out of control. Irini’s writing also includes reminiscing about their families and their life before. If there ever was a 5 star book, this is one!
Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy, I will recommend this book to my book club after publication.
I received a complimentary copy, opinions are my own.

From the author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo, comes this beautiful book that touched my heart just as much as The Beekeeper.

An epic, stunning novel about one family’s search for the true meaning of home in the wake of disaster, from the prize-winning author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo.

With fires burning out of control in Greece right now, this novel is so timely.

We are in present-day Greece in this book. Deep in a forest, lives Irini, a musician, who teaches children music. Her husband paints the forest and their daughter is loved.

One day the wildfire will take their house, their forest and change everything for them. All because of one greedy man.

When Irini finds his body, she makes a decision. While police investigate, the family feels hopeless, except for their young daughter.

Such a lovely and heartbreaking story about finding our way forward after unimaginable tragedy. What makes us a community? The love for our homeland? I think maybe.

NetGalley/ Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine, January 02, 2024

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Irini lives in a small Greek village at the edge of the woods with her husband, Tasso, and their daughter, Chara. One day, a blazing fire destroys their idyllic life, leaving the woods in ashes, their home burnt to the ground and the family fighting for their lives. While Tasso goes in search of his father, Irini and Chara are hampered in their escape. Driven toward the sea to escape the flames, they find roads are blocked and the rich have built waterfront villas that are gated and locked, prohibiting escape to the water. It was chilling to read their horrific tale of fighting for survival while in the midst of the news and revelations of the Maui fires.

In the wildfire’s aftermath, Irini stumbles upon Mr. Monk, the man who started the fire and destroyed her world. He has attempted suicide, but failed. With such bitterness and rage in her heart over the destruction this man has caused, Irini needs to make a decision whether to help him, or not. The remainder of the book examines how Irini, her family and the village deal with the physical and psychological scars caused by the fire. The chapters alternate between the night of the fire and shortly thereafter, and its consequences months later.

Having read two of the author’s previous books, The Beekeeper of Aleppo and Songbirds, I was eager to dive into this story. While The Book of Fire is good, it wasn’t as great as Songbirds or as magnificent as The Beekeeper of Aleppo. My expectation was a bit higher as Lefteri’s previous books have such richly developed characters and personalities, which were absent here. While Irini told anecdotes of her past, she came across as one-dimensional and flat as her thoughts, feelings and emotions beyond despair were minimal. In a strange way, that matched the detached writing as characters mostly weren’t referred to by name, rather they were the mother, the father, the girl, the husband, the man, etc.

The writing is lovely as far as descriptions, with intense scenes of survival. The primary themes are loss, but hope, recovery and renewal seem secondary. The question of how Irini and the village ever find forgiveness, ease the burdens they carry or accept the irrevocable changes made to their lives were not intimately explored. Other themes include love of family and community, and the storyline of Mr. Monk raises the question, although briefly, of vengeance and retribution.

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The “Book of Fire” by Christy Lefteri is a heartbreaking story of a Greek village destroyed by a ferocious wildfire. It is beautifully written with believable characters that force us to face the current reality of climate change. The total devastation, unimaginable grief, and loss of life becomes very real as many of us are dealing with this today because of the wildfire in Maui. This is a highly emotional story everyone should read!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and the author for the ARC of this book.

The Book of Fire is excellent. I read over one hundred books a year and this is in my top five for the year. Christy Lefteri researches unique topics and truly writes from her heart. I enjoyed The Beekeper of Allepo with its broad range of time and geography. This book was more intimate, taking place over the course of a few months in a beautiful Greek seaside village.. The characters were so believable and human.
While reading the devastation caused by the fire in this novel, I could not help but compare it to the human tragedies happening in Maui after their recent devastating wildfires. This novel made me even more aware of the many stories that would be behind one event.
I will be recommending this book to my friends and we will be reading and discussing this book in the book club I chair once it is published. I read this book in a day because I had to find out what was going to happen, the author’s beautiful imagery and use of language makes me eager to read it again.

A beautifully written story about a family whose lives are devastated by a wildfire that sweeps through the forest destroying everything in its path.The story within the story is told by the mother as she describes how she and her daughter flee to the ocean while the husband returns to the forest to search for his father.
The author addresses climate change as the fire, while started by a man, rages across a forest that has experienced severe drought.
Recommended for general fiction readers.

The Book of Fire is a timely read given all of the fires happening around the world - I had the most recent Maui fire in mind. The first 30% really gripped me, I truly felt the pain and worry from these characters. By the end it felt a little too tame & light for me personally but overall a good message and worth the read!

Beautifully written, The Book of Fire is an intense book of love, restoration, family and friendships. Especially touching with the recent fires in Maui, this book will bring tears of frustration, fear and joy. Christy Lefteri deftly captures emotions, scenery, and drama with her vivid, descriptive writing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read this amazing ARC.

The fabulous author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo takes us to Greece in a harrowing and unforgettable novel.

We meet a small family - Irini, Chara and Tasso living in the forest along the coast of Greece. A terrible fire consumes their small village and take away their home and sense of security. Lefteri takes us through the fire itself and the aftermath. Throughout the novel she paints bold picture of the family members and villagers. Toward the end of the novel Irini meets up with the man who began the tragic fire, she is faced with a decision that changes her life forever.

Gorgeous and truly unforgettable Lefteri presents a perspective on how people would react after a tragedy. I found it truthful and poignant and much easier to believe than your typical adventure novel.

Read this book! It mirrors the current state of affairs in Greece and Hawaii and many other places.
#RandomHouse #Ballantine #TheBooksOfFire #TheBeekeeperofaleppo #ChristyLefteri

This book is an amazing find! It is at once current and age old. The devastation of fire and the truths of human nature are deep and resonates after the book is finished. The gentleness, love, healing power and devotion shown to the animals in this book.is touching. I am going to read everything this author writes. I also love the Greek connection and setting,

4.25. Timing is everything here. This book details the pain, suffering, loss as well as redemption and rebirth of a community devastated by the wildfires. It is a historical fiction based on the wildfires near Attica in July 2018 caused by a severe drought and menacing winds, with huge fast moving flames that caused many to make life and death decisions. There is a bit of focus on climate change and the impact of development on the severity of the impact if the wildfires The story catalogues the devastating impact on the community and the landscape around. It is eerily similar to what happened to people recently in Maui. I started reading this before the Maui wildfires so it really hit me harder. People were forced to flee to the sea to escape the scorching wildfires but many were harmed whether by the loss or injury of loved ones, the beautiful forests, wildlife and fauna. Ms. Lefteri’s writing is poignant and her prose is beautiful as in her other novels. She has truly captured the flood of emotions from the people involved, whether from death, grievous injury, and emotional impact. All characters were very well developed. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for an unbiased and candid review.

Christy Lefteri does it again with her poetic prose and beautiful storytelling.
The Book of Fire is a heart wrenching tale of a devastating wildfire set by a greedy land owner and how it affects the lives of the people in a Greek village.
Irini and her daughter flee their home and run to the sea to escape the flames. Tasso, Irini's husband runs back to help his father escape the fire. They cling to a wooden box in the sea for hours waiting to be rescued.
Ms. Lefteri's blends two timelines together with poetic diction. Before the wildfire there is the lively forest full of trees, smells and life, now they are left with charred grey aftermath.
This emotional story will stay in my heart as it showed deep ties between humans dealing with immense loss in many different ways.
Thank you Ballentine and Net Galley for the ARC.

this is the best book of 2023, hands down.

"the book of fire" by christy lefteri (author of "the beekeeper of aleppo") is an emotional, heartfelt, and gripping tale about a family trying to survive after a devastating wildfire takes the lives of uncountable people, as well as their homes. mother, wife, and survivor irini begins to write a story to help cope with her trauma. her daughter has a long scar and she is more solemn, her husband has badly burned and wrapped hands and arms and is in a state of fugue and depression, and then she finds a dead man in the ashen wood.

both timelines weave together seamlessly, each character is real, raw, and tangible. the prose is phenomenal, bordering poetic with that fairytale diction. i was completely immersed, drawn in, and unable to put this book down. i finished it in tears, my heart so full. i cannot praise this novel enough, it is a must read. christy lefteri is one of the finest authors of our generation. this story will never leave me and always have a place in my heart.

thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.