Fiction
2017 Alfred A. Knopf
Finished on February 20, 2022
Rating: 4.5/5 (Great!)
Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt thou the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.
~ Hamlet
Publisher's Blurb:
From The New York Times best-selling author of The Weight of Water and The Pilot's Wife: an irresistible, ferociously suspenseful new novel about a young woman tested by a catastrophic event and its devastating aftermath--based on the true story of the largest fire in Maine's history.
In October 1947, after a summer-long drought, fires break out all along the Maine coast, racing out of control from town to village. Twenty-four-year-old Grace Holland is left alone to protect her two young toddlers. After an unimaginable night in which the fire forces them to huddle together in the sea, they emerge at dawn to find their lives forever changed: homeless, penniless, left to face an uncertain future in a town that no longer exists, Grace must learn to drive and find a job, a place to live, and a way to care for her family. In the midst of shattering loss, she discovers the power of her own resilience, along with exquisite new freedoms and joys. Tragedy has given her a chance to remake her own life.
Great book!
I received the ARC of this book in early 2017, shelved it and promptly forgot I owned it. I've been trying to read some of my older books and was happy to find Shreve's final novel (she passed away in 2018) on the bottom shelf of my TBR bookcase. As usual, I went into the book cold and was quickly pulled into the story. I love an author who can transport me into a character's world as early as the first page and it's been a long time since I've read anything that has held my attention so firmly that I read until 3 am.
My heart went out to Grace and I was rooting for her as she found her way in her new life after the tragic fire, which destroyed not only her home, but the entire town. The Stars Are Fire is not a thriller per se, but the tension is so gripping that I literally could not put the book down. Not only did the linear timeline added to the tension, but I found it refreshing to read a novel that didn't rely on dual narratives with alternating time periods.
It's a shame that this is Shreve's last book. She was a wonderful storyteller and I enjoyed (and plan to reread) The Pilot's Wife, Fortune's Rocks, Body Surfing and Testimony. I didn't care for Sea Glass, Light on Snow, A Wedding in December or The Weight of Water, but I'm eager to try the remaining half dozen titles that I have yet to read.
The Stars Are Fire is a thought-provoking and richly satisfying historical novel with plenty of material to discuss with a book group. Highly recommend!
We read this for our book group and I liked it a lot. I miss Anita Shreve - she died much too young.
ReplyDeleteYes, 71 is too young. I'll bet you had a good discussion about the book with your book group. I'm envious!
DeleteI haven't read an Anita Shreve book in far too long (like, over a decade at least). I like that you go into books cold like I do. I think it makes me enjoy the story more.
ReplyDeleteHelen, I rarely ever read the publisher's blurbs and usually pick my books based on recommendations from fellow bloggers. I subscribe to Shelf Awareness, which is also a good resource, but my purchases are mostly due to bloggers. I suppose there have been times when I've read the back cover blurbs, but then those books sit on my shelf for months, if not years, and the plot is long forgotten when I finally get around to reading the book. I agree that it makes the story much more enjoyable.
DeleteIt's been a really long time since I read a book by Anita Shreve. I think I was aware of this book, but didn't remember the storyline. Sounds good.
ReplyDeleteKay, I read Testimony last year and thought it was so good that I made a mental note to read more by her in the coming months. I was so pleased with this one and now need to add some of the other titles to my library list.
DeleteI have a hit or miss reaction to some of her books but this one sounds pretty good.
ReplyDeleteTi, she's a hit or miss writer for me, too. Looking back at the books I've read, it's been about 50-50 (loved or disliked). We'll see how her remaining books work for me. Hopefully, they'll be just as good as this one.
DeleteI've only read The Pilot's Wife and thought it was okay. But my tastes skewed much more heavily toward fantasy back when I read it. I love Maine so I might give this one a try.
ReplyDeleteJen, I highly recommend this one and Fortune's Rocks. I'm ready to reread that one, it was so good!
DeleteI think I read everything she wrote for a while there, and I enjoyed them all. I haven’t read this one though. Sad she’s gone.
ReplyDeleteDeb, this one is inspired by a true story and I found it incredibly difficult to put down. Yes, it's very sad she's gone. BTW, I deleted two more comments by you that were very similar in nature. Must have been a posting glitch.
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ReplyDeleteI loved this book. I think it was my favorite of all of Shreve's books (although there are probably at least six I haven't yet read!). How do you function the next day if you stay up till 3 a.m. reading? I'm impressed! I'm completely useless if I don't get my 8 hours of sleep! :-)
ReplyDeleteLaurel, I don't know if it's my favorite (Fortune's Rocks is so good!), but it's at the top of the list.
DeleteTo clarify, I didn't stay awake until 3, but rather woke up around 1 and read until 3. That happens fairly often, but now that I no longer have to get up at 5 to get ready for work, it's not a problem. We typically don't get up before 7 or 7:30. :)
I liked The Pilot's Wife. Until you stated this was her last book I had forgotten she died! Bummer.
ReplyDeleteTina, it's sad that she's gone, but I'm happy that I still have several remaining to be read from her backlist.
DeleteI've enjoyed so many of Shreve's novels, but have not read this one...yet. It's sad that there won't be any more.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, this one's a winner! I plan to look for more next time I'm at the library.
DeleteI listened to the audio of this back in 2020. The danger of the fire was quite dramatic ... and now I'm trying to recall the twist at the end ... is it that her husband reappears after she's rebuilt her life? Shreve was a good storyteller ... though I only read one other of hers long ago ... The Weight of Water ... which was good.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I agree! Those first few pages about the fire were so intense. I won't comment on the twist at the end of this book since it might reveal spoilers, but I'll try to remember to mention it in a comment on your next blog post. :) I didn't care for The Weight of Water, but I loved Fortune's Rocks.
DeleteResistance is my favorite by Shreve. I still have it on the good shelves, along with The PIlot's Wife. I hadn't heard of this one at all. Sounds good. When we were in Australia we went on a bus tour along the Southern coast in Victoria and passed through an area that had been ravaged by fire. The bus driver told a story about a town that had been wiped out and how the residents had to run to the sea and stay there all night while their town burned. What a horror.
ReplyDeleteNancy, thanks for the rec about Resistance. I'll have to get a copy. I have Fortune's Rocks and Testimony on my keeper shelf. I must have borrowed The Pilot's Wife from the library. That might be a good one to read again.
DeleteThe fire scene in this book was very intense. I can't image the horror. We have often said that if our there's ever a fire in our forest, we'd head to the cove since the highway would be gridlocked.