House on Fire is an anxiety-wrenching journey of a daughter (Benadette) dealing with her father's dementia, and her mother's request to help her father go "peacefully." We switch from the past to the present, seeing how Bernadette and her family's dynamics have evolved to their current state and how Bernadette is trying to find the right solution to help both her mother and father.

Throughout this book, I felt frustrated for Bernadette because she has a solution that her mother and sister do not agree with due to a promise made when they were literally children. I was hooked from the begining paragraph to see how this would resolve.



Special thanks to NetGalley, and Victory Editing for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the author D. Liebhart, the publisher Victory Editing, and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you also for being my FIRST ARC!! <3

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This book is described as ideal for fans of Jodi Picoult and promises a two-week roller coaster of emotional life events. I've read Picoult's "Small Great Things" and enjoyed it, despite the predictability. I came into "House On Fire" with expectations of a similar ride, that I'd be in for a tale about morality and how there's no clear right or wrong path forward, that life is never black or white but is full of shades of gray and that a terrible thing, like murdering/euthanizing your father could be simultaneously terrible and completely logical. I was ready to cry with the main character, Bernadette/Bernie/Bee, as she mourned the gradual loss of her father as he slipped further into dementia. I too have dealt with the loss of a father and maybe I was even hoping to find a friend, of sorts, in Bee.

I did not.

Very mild, but nonspecific, spoilers ahead, covered by a spoiler tag just in case. Spoiler tag also includes 6 quotes from the book that I found relevant to why I did not find a friend in Bee.

<spoiler>The two weeks we see of Bee are miserable. This girl can't catch a break. She's got love life troubles, friend troubles, home life troubles, kid troubles, work troubles, money troubles. This poor woman goes through two weeks of hell, and yeah, her life absolutely sucks. There's really nothing good that happens to this chick in these two weeks. While talking to a friend about this book, we called it misery porn. Some stand-out quotes include:
1. Forty-seven years old and I was still looking for my mother to put me in front of my [older] sister, to crown me the good daughter.
2. Hope is not a victimless crime. Hope can be a lie. It doesn't heal nor save. It's not innocuous. It can do harm.
3. I took a deep breath. She always knew, or at least through she knew, the right answer. I second-guessed myself so much it was like a hobby.
4. What a fool I'd been to think that I'd ever been in control of anything, that I'd ever been anything but powerless.
5. I'd used him, taken something without giving anything in return. I felt guilty but not guilty enough to wish that I hadn't done it.
6. "You think I forgot?" I said. "In case you haven't noticed, life isn't in the business of giving people what they want. Or maybe that's just me."</spoiler>

Because of this, to me, it often felt defeatist and nihilistic. We've all dealt with shitty periods of our lives, but this felt like an extreme. I feel confident, however, that some readers may find solace or comfort in these pages, and see something relatable.

I did find it interesting that we get glimpses of flashbacks throughout the main storyline, and we visit Bee over different points of her life. I'm not sure what it added to the story, other than getting to know Bee a little better, and her relationship with her partner, Shayne. Shayne is honestly a saint. He's not perfect, by any means, but he genuinely loves Bee in a truly selfless way. Nonetheless, I liked getting snippets of Bee and Shayne's story over the years. I just wish it had been a little happier. Each moment, from their wedding day to their conversation about having kids to Thanksgiving 2013, felt more <i>bitter</i> than <i>sweet</i>.

While this book wasn't for me, it wasn't a bad book. It was just depressing, in my opinion, but sometimes we need that, like sometimes you need to watch The Notebook.

The way this book was so transparent about dementia was heartbreaking, but also necessary.
It took me back to high school when my great grandma was moved into a retirement home for end of life care. It reminded me of how hard it was on my family making those decisions and being there, but also being on the outside.
It really broke down what it’s like to deal with the rest of your life while a piece of your foundation is crumbling.

How far would you go to keep a promise? As a young child, Bernadette promised she’d never put her father in a nursing home, but as his dementia worsens she sees that her mother is in danger and there aren’t many other choices. Her mother has different ideas and when she asks Bernadette, an ICU nurse, to help him peacefully go from this world to the next, she can’t believe what she’s hearing. Bernadette knows it’s not assisted suicide, it’s out and out murder, but would it be the kind thing to do?
This book covers some rather heavy subject matter (dementia, euthanasia, childhood mental illness, family dynamics, and death), but Liebhart does a wonderful job bringing each depiction to life along with her flawed, multidimensional characters. Once started, this book was quite difficult to put down and I’m sure I’m not the only one that stayed up way too late to finish it! Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I really felt that this book was going one direction with the decision that the nurse had to make regarding her family situation, however it went in many different directions and showcased a lot of drama as opposed to tying up the main one. I think the boat was missed by having this not be a focus on ethics in regards to euthanasia and how it affects a family and the legality, etc. This would have better cemented in the relationships around the nurse and better highlighted everything else she had going on. I know House on Fire was the metaphor, but I felt that it just missed and was just rushed to conclusion. I liked the author's writing style, though, and would be interested in trying something else from her repertoire eventually. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

House on Fire eloquently captures what it is like to love someone with dementia and their caregivers. The disagreements within families regarding their loved one's care, the repetition, and the exhaustion that anyone who has been through this tragedy will recognize are all present and foreboding. Not only does Bernadette Rogers have her ailing father and floundering mother to support, her son's challenging and violent behaviors have her entangled in a court case she can't afford.

The mood and relationships are what makes House on Fire memorable. Bernadette's interactions with her sister and best friend seem genuine and interesting. The book is set up quite strong, but seems to flag a bit midway through. The major plot event with the best friend seems to come from nowhere and go nowhere, and Bernadette and her ex husband are stuck in an unfulfilling cycle. Despite these drawbacks, the capture of a life when you love someone with dementia is impressive.

Note: I received a free ebook copy of House on Fire from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“house on fire” is a novel about the bonds of an atypical family as they struggle with the realization that the patriarch of their family has dementia. bernadette has an estranged relationship with her husband and an unruly child, her sister colleen has a slew of children with her roman catholic husband, and her mother helen is contemplating assisted suicide (which is not legal) for her ailing husband.

there were a few wonderful moments where the struggle of dealing with dementia is very powerful and expertly written. however, i did not care to hear so much about bernadette’s best friend. the end was very hastily written and it concludes far too quickly with little resolution. the prose is wonderful, the flashbacks add to the piece rather than detract, but the ending is a huge let down.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I will start with why it surprised me: the theme. Due to personal history, in my whole adult life, I have never finished a book about dementia, Alzheimer, or memory loss. Until three days ago, when I finished this. This book treated this theme with such a care, an understanding, and just with so much love, that I picked it up and never, not once, felt the need to putting it down because it was becoming too much. It was raw, yes, but also beautiful. And it gave me a nice peaceful feeling of, for lack of a better term, catharsis.

I really liked it. And I was not expecting to like it so much, because as an almost thirty woman who does, yes, love her family to pieces, this was about the only thing I had in common with Bernadette (the protagonist). And still, it spoke to me on so many levels! And who knew that the story about a middle aged nurse whose father is battling dementia, whose mother is his primary caregiver, and who feels (together with her siblings) beholden to a promise made when she was only a child: not to put her father in a home. A middle aged nurse, might I add, who loves her family to pieces, and would really like to help, but who can’t bring herself to euthanize her father, either. Not now. Who knew it would speak to me so much.

And also (and I promise I am done raving about the book, for now at least) a story about big, larger than life themes, such as human dignity, paganism, family, and love. With oh so many discussion prompts for book clubs or, if you who are reading happen to be a social sciences teacher, in the classroom!

D Liebhart’s novel “House on fire” portrays the impact of dementia, not only on the patient but for their caregivers, extended family and those who care about them. Heartbreakingly sad, it depicts the everyday life of one family faced with the loss of their father and husband. I loved Bernadette, our main character, her agonizingly difficult decision, all while tending her own special needs child. The author paints a realistic portrait of the impact of dementia in all its cruelties to all members of the family! The author draws you into this family, their everyday lives, their history and into the toll of a promise made. My heart was hooked into this family from the very first line of this novel to the last. The characters in this novel will stay with me for a long time. The dilemma of the promises we make to our family members, the reality of end of life care in the United States and the ethical dilemmas sorrounding end of life care and/or assisted suicide options are all depicted through this remarkable, everyday real life family. Poses the core question of when is ending a life for a terminal family member an “act of love” vs a “ murder.” Book clubs can have a field day discussing the characters, their relationships, the dilemma and let’s not forget that ending! I am grateful to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this uncorrected proof in exchange for my honest review. #houseonfire

House on Fire by D. Liebhart
Wow, this is a heavy book. It is well-written and it paints a vivid picture of life in California, from the Pacific coastline to the valley. There are moments of beautiful, insightful writing.

There are also complicated family relationships and really heavy subject matter: dementia, euthanasia, death, and youth mental illness. There is a lot of fighting between Bernadette and her mother and sister, particularly about whether euthanasia is the right solution for their dad, who is suffering from dementia.

I feel so sorry for Bernadette.  Her life is so hard, and so much is going wrong.

Thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for my ARC. Expected publication is on March 31, 2023

I was drawn into this book from the first line..."My mother asked me to kill my father on Christmas".

This is the story told from the point of view of Bernadette, a nurse, whose father has dementia. Her mother asks her to euthanize him because of a promise that the family made many years ago to never put him in a nursing home.

I was interested reading about Bernadette and her family dynamics, the communal living on the Farm, and her relationships with Shane, Jax and Kara. The handfasting ceremony and the coming of age ceremony were both fascinating to me.

I felt that the focus should have been on the hearbreaking choice Bernadette had to make regarding her father. At times, it felt like the main plot shifted and it was about Bernadette's son Jax and the difficulties she had raising him or her friendship with Kara or her career as a nurse. I felt like the main storyline wasn't in the forefront at times and the focus was lost.

I also thought the ending felt very rushed. And honestly, I was a little let down by the ending itself.

All in all, this was a well written book that kept my interest. I would definitely like to read more by this author.

Thank you to Victory Editing and Netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review. Publishing Date is March 31, 2023.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
House on Fire releases March 31, 2023

Set in Los Angeles, this story is predominantly told over Christmas through the first week after New Year’s with some flashback chapters scattered throughout.
Themes include: tragedy, family dynamics, dementia, euthanasia, and more.

This started out pretty strong with a compelling first line, but as it went on, it didn’t quite hook me like I wanted it to.
I was looking forward to an introspective account of dementia — the rights and wrongs of keeping a promise (with some underlying unethical choices), and how painful it can be to witness a loved one so close to you slowly forget pivotal memories while for the most part not even being aware of the complexities of what is happening to them.

Bernadette’s experience as a nurse in the trauma/neuroscience ICU was a great anchor for this particular story, but I found that the plot of her father and his rapid decline from dementia was overshadowed by her son who is mentally ill/has behavioural issues (ODD: oppositional defiant disorder).
I had a hard time understanding the ways in which Shayne liked to live on the farm with the paganism, which honestly wasn’t much my cup of tea. The vast differences in how Shayne and Bernadette lived made it harder to believe in their compatibility.

I found that the additional plotline and extreme development for Kara wasn’t necessary, and again, took away from the main plotline of how Bernadette and her family were coming to terms with her father and his dementia.

The ending for me wrapped up too fast and easy.

Mentions of: death, dementia, car accident, underage sex, teenage pregnancy, self harm, miscarriage, terminal patients


“Tragedy prefers the blindside.”

“I want to go out in an instant. I don’t want to disappear in little pieces, like God is crushing stars between his fingers until the whole sky is dark.”

House on Fire
A Contemporary Family Drama
by D. Liebhart
Bernadette Rogers swore she’d never put her father in a nursing home. Does that include euthanizing him to keep her word? Her mother thinks it does. Bernadette isn’t so sure. And even if she were, it’s not like you can walk into a drugstore and buy Nembutal.
Neo-hippie turned ICU nurse, Bernadette’s no stranger to the blunt realities of death but her mother’s request to help her father—who’s disappearing into the abyss of dementia—go “peacefully” blindsides her. Her mother thinks it’s assisted suicide. Bernadette knows better. Even if they do it for all the right reasons, it would still be murder.
What was supposed to be a relaxing two-week break with her best friend becomes an emotional rollercoaster as Bernadette is forced to make an agonizing decision about her beloved father and figure out just how far she’s willing to go for love.

OMG. This book really did make me think even after the end. I felt so involved in this one. I was in tears reading parts of the book. I just felt the whole thing, money to help him, promises the father forced to be made by my young children. The unfairness of it all.
I never read a book that I felt so invested in.



How far would you go to keep a promise?

Very entertaining. Drew me in to the story. Loved it.
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.