A beautifully written heart wrenching novel of a family who loses everything when a fire set by a developer destroys their small perfect corner of Greece. Irini tells the story- both in the present and in "the book of fire" which more or less a novella within the novel that details the horror of the day, the horror of fleeing with her small daughter Chana to the sea as her husband Tasso headed off to find his father. In the present, Irini, Chana, Tasso, and the awesome dog Rosalie are living in the aftermath when Irini, out for a walk with Rosalie, finds Mr. Monk, the man who set the fire, in the woods with a white rope around his neck. There's a mystery here, a twisty one but this is best when it focuses on the family. Irini's memories of life with her father, of her early days with Tasso, as well as the family's struggles will make you ache. What is truly hard though are the pages from the book of fire while Irini, Rosalie and Chana are in the sea. There's a great deal of kindness here. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. An excellent read.

The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri is such a moving and powerful book.
I thought this was a well written story with a very interesting storyline.
I’ve enjoyed reading Lefteri’s previous titles and this was no different.
The emotions this story had me feeling was insane. But in a good way.
Thought-provoking, emotional, sad, devastating, hopeful….. all rolled into one.
The writing style was captivating and I really enjoyed our characters journey.

Thank You NetGalley and Random House & Ballantine Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

US pub date: 1/2/24
Genre: contemporary fiction
Quick summary: A Greek town is upended by a wildfire set by a land speculator. This is the story of how the fire haunts Irini, her husband Tasso, and their daughter Chara as they work to rebuild.

I finally read Lefteri's THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO earlier this year, so I was excited to add another book by her! Like BEEKEEPER, this is an emotional read exploring trauma and healing. Each character's experiences and reactions were distinct, and I liked that we got both to see both the immediate fire and its aftermath. Irini's feelings of guilt and regret due to her interactions with the firestarter were a major plot point. Tasso's loss of his hands and painting ability felt quite dark at points but was balanced by the hope for the future seen in Chara's character. The ending to the book felt quite fitting.

I ended up reading this one in one day in the airport/on a plane, and I think the quick read helped me stay immersed in the world of the characters. This is a quiet, contemplative book, and I think readers looking for a thoughtful read to start 2024 will enjoy it!

Thank you to Ballantine Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The aspects of this book will touch all the emotions. A fire can damage material things, but leave a far greater psychological scar on the people affected. The setting is in an ancient village in Greece. When a fire ravished the land, homes and forests were destroyed and the loss of lives challenged their spirit. Valuables that can never be replaced with the beauty of Greece's landscape changed forever.

The perspective is told in duel timelines with Irini's voice as the lead. Her and her husband Tasso are talented people with her gift as a music teacher and his love for art. After the fire, so much has been lost. Their daughter Chara and Tasso left scarred with his hands unable to paint now. Depression sinks in with so much at stake. We watch the human spirit rekindle with pain and hardship taking a toll on so many as they try to heal.
Irini finds the man, who started the fire as a controlled burn, which swept out of control. He is deceased and she weighs her grief with the guilt to help him and live with her choice. His greed to destroy the land as a real estate developer burns deeper in the people of the village.
You will not find a mystery or unexpected circumstance, but a literary fiction written in the purest form of testing the callousness of others, while seeping into your heart of compassion. I felt so much love for the people and their struggles. You will weep for these characters.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was powerful in the subject matter and how people with the aftermath of a natural disaster that ends in tragedy. I thought it was beautifully written and the characters were interesting and well fleshed out. The way the author chose to tell the story was unique and compelling. If you've lived through wildfires, this might not be the book for you as it is very realistic in descriptions. Great story and highly recommend!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

I would recommend reading this book for the beauty of the way it is written alone- it felt like reading poetry.

But the subject matter is extremely heavy. TW's for traumatic experiences/PTSD and suicide.

A book written about a fire in an ancient forest. A village trauma. A world wide climate crisis.
Extremely well written and thought provoking, but heavy.

The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri

Irini, a musician, lives with her husband, Tasso, a painter, and their young daughter, Chara, in an idyllic ancient forest in Greece. Nearby lives Tasso's father and also their friends and neighbors. There are new people coming to the area, too, building huge houses with fences that block off access to the ocean.

There is also a developer who lives in a big home and this is the man who is doing a controlled burn that gets out of control. The area is ravished by the fire, killing people, animals, and plants but also leaving the walking wounded, literally due to their horrible burns but also mentally and emotionally. Homes and belongings of generations have been lost, family members and friends have been lost, and those who were injured will carry their scars forever. Many of them, like Tasso, whose hands have been badly burned, will never be able to paint as he has done in the past. Still, Irini tries to stir Tasso out of his chair, under the remaining tree, but he's so lost in his heartbreak and thoughts that he is no longer the man she loved and married. Tasso's guilt is immense because he'd tried to find his father during the fire and was unable to do so. He'll never get over the guilt since he's steeped in his depression.

It is months after the fire that Irini is walking in the burned out area of the old forest when she comes across the man who caused the fire. Here she has a choice to make and it is for you to decide what you think about her choice. Something has happened to the man, did he do it to himself or did someone do it to him? Should she help him or not?

The story is told during the time of the fire, during the time after the fire, and also through Irini's journal writing. Everyone in this area has been affected by the fire and we get to watch them cope or not cope with what has happened. Irini has lost what had made her husband the person he was but she still has him with her, alive. She struggles with the sadness of the changes in her husband, the injury of her daughter, and knowing that others lost their loved ones forever. It's a sad book with many messages to be taken from the story and each person can make their own decisions on how they feel about the reactions of the people to what has happened to them.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.

Personally I thought the dual timelines of the actual story and Irini’s journalling were confusing and frequently repetitive. I just couldn’t see the benefit to the reader.

This is a story of unnecessary tragedy which highlights greed, but also hope and man’s humanity. It was not an easy read. I loved the Beekeeper of Aleppo. Even though this one was utilizing the same framework, I didn’t find it nearly so compelling.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine Books, for an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

I did enjoy this book. It felt a little slow to me. I is a historical fiction and I didn't realize that. I would still recommend this book.

This was a time where I totally based my want to read of this book by the cover. Great decision on my part!
A heart wrenching story told in 2 ways- memory and current. It flows easily and pulls you in. There is sadness and joy, as well as some intrigue.
I would definitely recommend this read. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this in exchange for my own opinion

I was provided a free advanced copy of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
In modern day Greece one town is forever changed when an intended control burn gets out of control. For Irini, her husband Tasso, and daughter Chara they must deal with both physical and emotional trauma from the incident. While Irini is walking through the burned forest she discovers the body of man who set the fire, and makes a split second decision to flee. Now she is dealing with a police investigation on top of her family's struggles.
This is a tough story at times as we hear about the actual incident and how Irini and Chara survived that day and immediate aftermath. Then we follow them as they continue to search for meaning in the months that follow. Themes of community, meaning of home, and overcoming adversities and depression were all covered well in this story.
While hard at times this was ultimately a story or resilience and finding ones way back after tragedy.
Lefteri has a way of taking difficult topics and helping us see the human story inside the bigger tragedies. This book is set to be published on 2 January, so in the meantime you can check out another of her stories like The Beekeeper of Aleppo (which I also gave four stars)!
#NetGalley #TheBookOfFire

This book was devastating, cathartic, tense, and incredibly beautiful. Lefteri's descriptions of the remnants of a Greek forest after an out-of-control fire were raw and almost painful to read — not unlike the way she describes the emotional state of several characters who lost their homes, loved ones, and way of life in the fire as well. An element of mystery — how did the fire start? who killed the man Irini found in the forest? — threads through the novel as well. Ultimately, the reader is left with one question to answer on their own: Who is ultimately responsible?

Beautifully written, but so hard to read for me. It honestly just strikes too close to home. We live in an area that often has wildfires. Last summer we had a big one and friends lost homes.

I expected to love this book and I enjoyed the writing style. I liked the way the story shifted from before, as she was writing the book, to after the fire that destroyed the town.

I appreciate what the author was trying to do and the way she told a story from the point of view of a family in a small town after such a terrible disaster. Everyone lost something and they were just trying to get by and blame someone for their losses. I appreciated the lens that the author approached the story with and I loved the afterword where she talked about her research.

I think I wanted more of a story about Irini, her husband’s struggle to heal, her daughter’s injuries, and the impact it had on them as a family and as people. It did sort of have some of that, but then there was this issue of Mr. Monk that a large portion of the story was focused on. I understand the blame, but I just wished for more of a connection to the characters and less of this sort of witch hunt that happened, even though I understand why it was part of the story.

Overall, I think a lot of people will like this one, but it was missing something for me to really love it.

Irini Diamandis and her family survive a devastating wildfire in rural Greece that destroys 300,000 acres of forest, plus homes and businesses, and takes many lives, including the paternal grandfather's. It has left both her husband and daughter with painful wounds which will likely heal but can they recover emotionally? 'The fire has burnt our souls, our hearts. It has turned to ashes the people we once were.'

In the aftermath, it is learned that the fire was started by a wealthy man who just wanted to burn five acres of forest on the cliff top where he planned to build a boutique hotel. But the climate has become so dry and the winds so fierce that the fire quickly became an inferno, racing towards the sea in a path of destruction.

Weeks later, while walking her dog in the dead forest, Irini discovers the hated man under an ancient chestnut tree. She quickly realizes he is dying from an attempted hanging. Irini runs for help but makes a quick decision that will alter who she believes she is as a person.

Part of the story is told in the present day as the people of the village try to put their lives back together. But the other half of the book consists of Irini's journal entries as she details exactly what happened in her Book of Fire.

These kind of fires are happening more frequently in the world at large due to climate change but it seems people need someone personal to blame: the man who lit the fire, the police who blocked escape routes, the fire brigades' ineffective attempts to control the conflagration. What good does it do when the lives of lost loved ones cannot be restored? A compelling and evocative novel, told simply, with well-drawn characters.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new novel via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

The plot is set in Greece and begins with a forest fire enraging a community. The narrator of a journal titled “Book of Fire” tells the story. The journal focuses on the time during the fire and immediately after the fire which made me feel like I was witnessing the horrible event. Very well done. The story alternates between the chapters with the journal and the chapters with a current time setting. Irini’s, the protagonist, husband, Tasso, is an artist whose hands were severely burned. Their daughter’s, Chara, back is also badly burned.

There is a touch of a mystery in the book when Mr. Monk is found dead with a rope around his neck at the chestnut tree, which itself is half dead, half alive. The chestnut tree had been painted by Tasso prior to the fire and is prominent throughout the book. Chara’s scarring on her back even resembles the chestnut tree. Trees are prevalent throughout, but I especially liked the lemon tree which brought “beautiful yellow sunshine lemons.” The kind couple in the eucalyptus forest that helped the family was heartwarming. It brought some joy to the book.

The forest is a symbol throughout the book. The lushness with bright colors before the fire and the burned, desolate, colorlessness after the fire. “It was as if the whole world had died.” The burned forest itself was almost a character itself: “The immense silence of the dead forest. There are no birds singing, no leaves rustling gently, no animals moving around, no running water from the rivers and brooks.”

The husband, an artist, is devastated with the loss of the forest as if it’s a part of him. “Losing the forest is like losing a part of himself…it’s not just the loss and the trauma that makes him suffer…it’s also the guilt.” Music and art are key in the healing of the characters. The story introduces an injured jackal illustrating how animals need help in these situations as well as how animals help us. Assisting the injured jackal helped the daughter mentally heal and brought laughter. The book shows how people in devastating situations must learn to live again and create a new normal.

Much blame for the fire is cast. The man who set the fire, Mr. Monk, the fire brigade, the government, climate change. The reader is left to form their own opinion. With many wildfires appearing more and more in our world, the author has done much research for this book. I found the book very well written, and it held my attention. This is a very interesting book that made me stop and think. What would I do in this situation? I highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Thanks to the publisher, Ballantine Books, An imprint of Random House, and the author for the privilege to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I couldn't get over how timely this book is after the Maui fires last summer, it really did help me feel their pain. The Book of Fire revolves around Irini, a wife and mother who survives a tragic fire in Greece. Irini's husband, Tasso, had ben an artist who mostly painted the woods near their home. The woods and their home were destroyed and Tasso's hands were badly burned. Their daughter also had wounds that she will always live with.

It's a story of survival but also vengeance towards the man who started the fire and the redemption of the people in the village. The book is beautifully written and very descriptive and since told from Irini's POV, I feel that I understand her motivations and her confliction when it comes to the man who started the fire. Unfortunately, I didn't feel close to Tasso, in fact although he was understandable devastated by the loss of his land, his livelihood and his father who died during the fire, his total seclusion left me frustrated with him. He did such a 180 in the end, it didn't seem natural to me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my review.

I was not familiar with this title nor the author before netgalley. I had no expectations going in and found that I quite enjoyed this read. It was an interesting story and so well written, with layers in the plot and characters. i loved how the book made you really think about right/wrong and victim/perpetrator. It puts you in the shoes of the characters and really makes you think about what you would do when your family is injured and so much has been taken from you. I loved realizing with the narrator that what you see isn't always so straightforward and easy to seperate as she has to question who really is to blame for the fire. The one who started it, the fire department, those who didn't care for the forest in the first place. It is a touching story of grace, acceptance, and overcoming. i loved to see the kindness intertwined throughout the story and how little acts impacted so much.

From the author of the best selling The Beekeeper of Aleppo, this is an amazing and timely read. Set in Greece in present day, a huge forest fire caused by a land speculator of man’s neglect of the forest, burns uncontrolled and destroys forest and communities. The novel takes up the story in the aftermath of the fire and the trauma for one young family, the story of the actual escape from the fire is told in passage through from the mothers POV. Very well written, great character development (including the animals), and great story. I kept thinking of the large fire in Hawaii with the people trying to outrun the fire, jumping in the sea, and being rescued by any boat that could get to them.

Loved the idea but not the writing style

A village in Greece is reeling after a local real estate developer tries to clear a small patch of land, the fire quickly rages out of control, consuming most of the village, killing, maiming many people, destroying homes and lifetimes of irreplaceable possessions.

Irini discovers the man responsible for the fire, deceased in what is left of the forest. Should she help him? And what happened to him?

The Book of Fire is written in dual timelines told from mother Irini’s perspective.

Although I personally enjoyed many of the themes touched on in the book and found some of the scenes quite touching, this book seemed to really drag.

The paragraphs were too long, and the author got too carried away with the setting, too many descriptions.

Irini also really overexplained things to the point that it felt like YA. Also, why did Tasso spend only 1 day looking for his father? Moreover, the dialogue seemed off. Irini stated that the village had 500 people. I grew up in a village of about 2,500 people, and the first thing that happens when you meet anyone from the village is find out who you know in common.

If you enjoy books about climate change and lots of descriptions about Greece, you might really enjoy this read, but it was just okay for me.

*Thanks, NetGalley, for the free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.

How much I spent:
Electronic copy of text – Free provided by publisher