"Fire Exit" by Morgan Talty is a compelling exploration of trauma and resilience. The novel intertwines personal struggle with broader societal themes, using a narrative that is both intimate and expansive. Talty's prose is striking, filled with vivid imagery and emotional depth. The characters are richly developed, and their journeys are portrayed with a raw authenticity that resonates deeply. The book's pacing is well-crafted, keeping readers engaged while unraveling a poignant and thought-provoking story. Overall, "Fire Exit" is a powerful and moving read that leaves a lasting impact.

Interesting story of one persons life, his mother developing dementia, his unacknowledged daughter that he wants to educate ipabout his indigenous family history and mental history., in a gentle manner.

Still struggling with my attention span these days. In the beforetimes, I would have gobbled up this book very quickly, so don't read too much into how long it took me to read! Each time I did pick it up, I was very engaged and taken with the story. But then I'd go ages before picking it up again, and that's a me problem, not a failing of the book. The author does an amazing job of really communicating to the reader the emotional and mental state of the narrator, Charles. Recommended for those interested in indigenous issues, blood quantum, dealing with an aging parent suffering from dementia, and family drama.

Charles lives across the river from his daughter. He’s only had one chance to meet her, which did not go all that well since then he’s not seen her other than from a distance from his house across the river with his mother, sick and suffering from dementia and him, wondering, how to take care of her and how to honour her when she goes thinking he finds out that his grown-up daughter has taken off somewhere and her neighbour does not know when or where when she’ll be back or when she’s gone, these things in his mind these things make him think about death and legacy, and he thinks his daughter needs to know about him, his family his past but when he
<blockquot talk to her, she’s gone and the neighbor, not knowing when she’ll be back, begins thinking about his which is filled with tragedy, loneliness, addiction, abuse, and happiness

Charles Lamosway grew up on the Penobscot Reserve, but, not being Penobscot, he was forced to leave when he turned eighteen. All his ties, however, are on the reserve, including his stepfather Fredrick, now dead in a hunting accident.

At the novel's open, Charles lives across a river from where he can see the home of Mary, a woman he was involved with years earlier lives. Mary and Charles had a daughter, Elizabeth, but Mary ended up marrying Roger, a man of the Penobscot nation. Elizabeth was raised with no knowledge of Charles. For years, Charles has desperately wanted a connection with his daughter.

This passage beautifully illustrates Charles' thoughts and emotions:

"It was Fredrick’s love that made me feel Native. He loved me so much that I was, and still am, convinced that I was from him, part of him, part of what he was part of. That was how I felt about Elizabeth—in truth, she was a descendant only from her mother’s side, and if that were to come out and she were taken off the census, would she feel any less Native? I didn’t think so. Blood matters only enough to keep us alive. She was Roger’s daughter in the same way I was Fredrick’s son, and I knew deep down he was as good to her as Fredrick had been to me."

Charles' mother Louise is gradually losing her memories, and has suffered for years from what seems to be depression. Charles then finds out that Elizabeth's health is compromised, prompting him to tell Mary that he must tell Elizabeth the truth of her parentage. Mary opposes this, as Elizabeth would then lose her tribal membership.

This is a complex story of family and identity, and the various controversial means (such as blood quantum) the government has used to gradually reduce the numbers of indigenous people from their population statistics, and consequent allocations.

Interestingly, for a story so much about indigenous identity, and the legacy of genocide and difficult circumstances on reserves which can lead to poor health, among other things, author Morgan Talty chooses to speak about these things form the perspective of an outsider, but whose heart still turns to his indigenous connections. At the same time, Talty comments on racist legislation, while not obviously harmful to whites, still has an effect economically on the working class and the poor, and how this has affected Charles and Louise.

While Talty keeps the focus around Charles' dilemma, his excellent story is large in scope, dealing skillfully with complex emotions, complicated history and the legacy of trauma.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.

While I typically go for more mystery/thriller type novels, I thoroughly enjoyed this book that was a change of pace for me. I really felt the emotion of this book and I loved the writing style, as it was beautiful “story telling”. Thank you for the opportunity to read such an excellent book - I am grateful to have found a new favourite author!

I didn’t like nor dislike this book. I feel like it was missing something that I can’t quite put my finger on. The writing was well done and it was a gripping read, just not as thrilling as I had hoped

‘We are made of stories, and if we don’t know them—the ones that make us—how can we ever be fully realized? How can we ever be who we really are?’

A beautiful and emotional debut novel that deals with mental health, aging, family dynamics and secrets, alcoholism, and how these issues impact a caregiver. Charles has spent over 20 years secretly watching his daughter Elizabeth grow up with a different father from across the way on Penobscot Reservation. He must care for his mother as she deteriorates from dementia, manage his best friend's addictions and grapple with whether or not to tell his daughter the truth. The emotions in this book are real and raw, and you truly feel how difficult things must be for Charles. This is a beautiful novel and a triumph of a debut.

4 stars for some confusions in the way the narrative went, but overall an incredible read.

Talty's narrative is both eloquent and immersive, drawing readers in with its rich descriptions and deft storytelling, ensuring a thoroughly engaging read from start to finish!

FIRE EXIT
Thanks to Penguin Random House and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this debut novel by Moran Talty. I found it to be quite consuming and hard to put down
From the Penobscot Reservation Charles Lamosway reflects back on his life and the choices he made along the way He is a white man who was raised on the reservation, his father being native. He now lives across the river from the reservation where he watches a daughter he fathered with Mary, a Native American woman.
Even though he hasn’t been allowed to be part of his daughter’s life , he never gives up hope that they will someday form a bond.
The book winds back and forth from past to present. He grew up amid harsh circumstances but the love in his family was always present. The care he gives his ailing mother is ever present. The longing and brief glimpses of the daughter he hasn’t been allowed to see are heartbreaking,
This is a great novel, there is excellent narration and character development. I highly recommend this book.

Very well written story about the human experience.

This is a story about pain, and about guilt, and about those feelings in the face of loss. Loss of others and yourself.

It takes a while to get into the story but it is well written and to the point. It reminds me a lot of the way Kerouac writes, his stories that are just stories about life.

Fire Exit by Morgan Talty is an interesting story told from the perspective of Charles Lamosway as he watches his daughter from across the river grow and live without knowing who he is. This tortured tale of love and longing takes you through Charles life of addiction, his worry of his mother who is suffering from dementia and the past he wants to leave behind.

This was a very good story, with a few high points, but somewhat slow as there was not a real "climax" so it was more a slow burn. While I prefer books that have a definitive story, this one had many interwoven layers that built on each other, more a story of his life. It also touched on aspects of abuse and life on a reservation. Overall a good story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was an interesting journey. The life story was a bit sad but the ending was nice. To live a life watching from the other side of the river he must have felt disconnected. The way it was written I felt for the characters and their struggles. It was written like real life with hardships and human emotions that don’t always get resolved.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Charles Lamosway is just a river away from Maine’s Penobscot Reservation and a daughter he isn’t allowed to call his own. It’s a secret he has had to keep for over 20 years. However, when he starts to worry about her safety and with his mother’s dementia worsening, Charles doesn’t know if he wants to keep the secret any longer.

Morgan Talty’s writing truly brings you into the character of the introspective and sometimes ruminating Charles. You can really feel the layers of worries he faces as he cares for his mother (the past) and is always keeping an eye out for his daughter (the future). This book is one that really explores family, bloodlines, culture and the stories that are inside us, both the ones we know and the ones we don’t.

Thank you NetGalley, Knopf Canada & Penguin Random House Canada for the copy to read and review.

Fire Exit is the first non-romance book I've ready in years. The author's voice captured me from the beginning. What a tender, vulnerable tale about grief and belonging and memory and personal narratives.
I really liked how it was centred on Indigenous issues but from the perspective of an outsider, and the exploration of how subjective memory can be was both fascinating and heartbreaking at different turns in the book.
What a lovely reminder that literary fiction can be about flawed characters that still have a lot of warmth and love, even as they deal with tough circumstances. I though the author handled every issue with the utmost care and I was held in tension the entire time, waiting for Charles to tell his secret.

✨Book Review✨
Fire Exit - Morgan Talty

Thank you to @penguinrandomca and @knopfca for my NetGalley copy of Fire Exit for review.

I discovered Morgan Talty’s writing when I read Never Whistle at Night earlier this year and loved his short story in that anthology. This is his debut novel! I also recently picked up his book of short stories titled Night of the Living Rez and look forward to getting to it.

This book follows Charles, he grew up on the Penobscot reservation with his mother and his step-dad. Due to blood quantum requirements, once Charles turned 18 he could no longer live in the place he called home with the culture he was accustomed to.

He has a daughter named Elizabeth, her mother chose to stay on the reservation and marry an indigenous man so that they would not be displaced. As time goes on Charles feels like it is his duty to let his daughter know who her real father is so she can make sense of herself but her mother is set against it.

A large part of the novel also focuses on Charles taking care of his elder mother with dementia.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the concept was fascinating and certainly discussion worthy! However, I did feel like maybe this read a bit like a long short story? It didn’t read in a very fleshed out way like I would expect from a novel and I think it needed some more world/character building for me to be fully invested.

4/5⭐️ I recommend this for people who enjoy discussion around culture, blood connection, lost family ties, mental health and more!

Fire Exit is one of those novels that feels very alive. It's about Charles, who is harbouring a secret that he feels he has little control over.

My only complaint about the novel is I would have liked it to be longer, with more. I felt like I had just gotten to know many of the characters when the novel ended. It was hard to feel as much as I wanted to when I didn't know much about two of the female characters in his story.

Thanks for the Arc, I give it 3.5 out of 5.

This book was super intense. I just wish the tone had changed within the book because it made for a less interesting read but the last 1/3 of the book..... Might be the best writing I have read this year.

I truly felt like all the characters touch the soul and I cant recommend this one enough

Thank you net galley for giving me this opportunity to read this book.
This story is set in the state of Maine on a reservation.
Charles lives just outside the reservation from where his daughter lives.
Charles has watched his daughter grow up into a young woman.
Charles mother also lives close by but has dementia. Charles looks after his mother.
Charles daughter Elizabeth doesn't know that he is her biological father.
One day as Charles is sitting on his porch he doesn't see his daughter and gets concerned about her wellbeing.
Charles would like Elizabeth to know her 'real' history, but her mother is at odds about letting her know.
This story deals with dementia, mental illness and other ailments.
Personally I would say this book isn't for everyone. The author Morgan Talty really made you have compassion for the characters.
Again thank you net galley.
These are my own opinions.

Delighted to include this title in the June edition of Novel Encounters, my column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national lifestyle and culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

I really enjoyed Night of the Living Rez so I was very excited to read FIRE EXIT by Morgan Talty and I really enjoyed this novel too!! It’s about Charles who lives across the river from Maine’s Penobscot Reservation. He’s dealing with caring for his mother Louise who has dementia, his friendship with Bobby who is wanting to move away but not really, the loss of his stepfather and trying to connect with his secret daughter. I loved how Charles described what it means to be Native and how it’s not just living on the reserve. I really enjoyed how this novel focused heavily on family, heritage, connection, and culture. The audiobook narrator Darrell Dennis was excellent! Definitely recommend to contemporary lit fic lovers like me!