Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Christy Lefteri - 4.5 stars rounded up!

A fire races through the forest in Greece, changing everything, especially for those who lived through it. Tasso, an artist, and Irini, a musician, live on the outskirts of the forest with their daughter, Chara. When the fire comes, Irini and Chara flee to the see, while Tasso goes to find his father, who lives deeper in the forest. When they finally are able to return, Irini comes across the man who started the fire and makes a decision that she will live with forever.

This is a beautifully written story, told in different timelines, with The Book of Fire used to describe the past events leading up to and after the fire, while the rest is the family coping with their present. There are heart wrenching scenes of survival and guilt. But there are also the kindnesses shown to the family from strangers and eventually to each other. The author's note is important to read, so don't miss it.

BOOK REVIEW: The Book Of Fire by Christy Lefteri
2024 Publication Date: January 2

⭐️⭐️

T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books Of 2024

Pages: 336
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Sub-Genre: Literary Fiction
Time Period: Contemporary
Location: Greece
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group | Ballantine Books

BOOK QUOTE:
"There is something about stories that allows us to process the present. We listen to tales of tribulations overcome so that we might imagine we can survive ours..." — The Book Of Fire by Christy Lefteri

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All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-should-i-read

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The Book of Fire had a medium-slow pace.

POV: The Book of Fire is told through Irini’s 1st person POV. The fire section of the book is told in 2nd person (it is told as a story and is broken up throughout the book).

Trigger/Content Warning: The Book of Fire has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Fire/Fire Injury
Death
Suicide (not the actual act but after it happened. There is also a scene where someone recounts encouraging someone to kill themself by handing them a rope)
Grief
Death of a parent
Injury/Injury Detail
Xenophobia
War (was told as part of Irini and Tasso’s story; it was Irini’s great-grandfather recounting a war he had lived through as a child)
Depression
Anxiety/Anxiety Disorders
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Body Horror
Hospitalization
Medical Treatment & Procedures
Scars
Death from Exposure
Animal Injury
Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in The Book of Fire.

Language: There is mild to moderate swearing in The Book of Fire. There is also language used that might offend some people.

Setting: The Book of Fire is set in Greece.

Age Range: I recommend The Book of Fire to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Irini and Tasso are living their dream in Greece. Tasso is a talented artist, and Irini is a music teacher. They live in an ancient forest with their daughter. The dream was shattered when a forest fire decimated their village and the forest their house bordered. Now, Irini is struggling with the aftereffects of the fire. So, when she finds the man responsible for so much death and destruction by an old tree, she walks away. While the police investigate, Irini must summon the inner strength and courage to get her life back on track. And that means coming to terms with what happened and trying to forgive the man who started the fire and destroyed her life. Can she do it?

Main Characters:

The main character in The Book of Fire is Irini. The book is told from her POV. Her actions (or inactions) in this book have far-reaching implications. Her character growth consisted of her growing past her anger at the man who started the fire and starting down the path to forgiveness.

My review:

This is the first book I have read by Christy Lefteri, and I can confidently say it won’t be my last. After I finished The Book of Fire, I added all her books to my TBR on Goodreads.

The Book of Fire’s storyline centers around Irini, her family, their healing (emotional and physical) from the fire, and Irini’s book that she wrote called….The Book of Fire (which recounts the fire and the days after). The storyline was well-written, and I could connect emotionally to the characters. More than once, I broke down into tears because of what happened and what Irini was going through in the book.

What got me the most was The Book of Fire segments. I was horrified by what Irini, Chara, and Rosalie (the dog) went through and how close to death they all came. Chara’s injury was horrific. I also admired Irini’s outward calmness. If she hadn’t been calm and given into the turmoil in her mind (over her husband and father-in-law), I think the outcome would have been different.

This book gave what I thought was a realistic look into the trauma after an event like that. Irini and her family didn’t get off scot-free and only had a house burnt down. No, Tasso’s career as an artist was threatened by the severe burns to his fingers. And Chara’s burn on her back was horrific (as I stated above). Tasso’s father is presumed dead, one of the hundred killed when the fire ripped through the village. The trauma ran deep in this book, and there were times that I wondered if they would be able to start the healing process.

When Irini found the man who started the fire, she went through his belongings and walked away. She did feel guilty and called the police, but still. The path to forgiveness and understanding it was a tragic accident was laid during her interviews with the police. But, there is a twist in this storyline that, even though I saw it coming, still surprised and unnerved me.

The end of The Book of Fire signified hope for me. I won’t go into it because of spoilers, but I did like how the author got Irini to that point. I believe the start was the healing of the jackal pup, and it just went from there.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Christy Lefteri for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Book of Fire. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

I read "The Book of Fire" by Christy Lefteri on NetGalley. The main character, Irini, is a wife and mother living in a forest in Greece. One day a developer lights a fire which quickly loses control and ends up causing death and destruction. Irini's daughter and husband are both burned in the fire and her father-in-law died. One day she finds the man who started the fire in the forest and he is hurt and she leaves him. This book was sad, sweet and touching and shows the impact that man has over nature.

Soooo obviously Rosalie, the greyhound, is my favorite character in this book. Great choice in breed, Christy Lefteri, as there is nothing quite like the love of a greyhound.

“There is something about stories that allows us to process the present. We listen to tales of tribulations overcome so that we might imagine we can survive ours.”

“Autumn was my favorite season, the way the trees looked like flames upon the hill and the air was crisp. I loved sensing the coming cold, the whisper of it on the wind.” Yessssss me too.

This story is beautifully written and touches upon healing in the wake of tragedy, love and loss, and the power of forgiveness. You can feel the real human emotion in these characters as they heal from the fire that ripped apart their forest and homes and took their loved ones with ruthless abandon.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri

This terrific book within a book is a compelling read. As an out of control fire in Greece ruins a forest, homes, lives and personal treasures, we follow Chara, Tasso and Irini trying to piece back together their former existence.

As people struggle in the sea to stay alive, Irini tells a story of family lore and survival that is the sub-story that keeps her daughter paddling to stay afloat. The author shifts to the third person, never using characters’ names while this continuing tale is told.

Lefteri has put together an interesting group of characters which come and go, making the reader to never want to put the book down. While the government, fire brigade and weather changes are all to blame for the extent of the fire, fellow citizen Mr. Monk is the fall guy for the catastrophe, and is important in the story for many reasons.

A five star read in my view, this book of unusual depth is another winner for author Christy Lefteri and Random House.

Lefteri simply cannot miss. This story of family, displacement, and fire got under my skin and I won't soon forget it. The way the story unfolds is slow yet powerful and I highly recommend readers prioritize this!

The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri is a story of tragedy and the resilience of the human spirit. In present day Greece, deep in an ancient forest, Irini lives with her husband, Tasso and their daughter, Chara. One fateful day, a fire rages out of control, changing their lives forever. In the aftermath, as the village tries to rebuild and injuries begin to slowly heal, Irini stumbles across the man who started the fire. He is dying but whether it was by his own hand or someone else’s is unclear. In her anger, Irini makes a decision that will haunt her. As the local police investigate the man’s death, Tasso mourns for his father who has been missing since the fire and Irini struggles with her decision and the meaning for their future. Can they rebuild their lives? Can they find forgiveness within themselves to move forward?
Ms. Lefteri’s books are always gorgeously written with haunting images and deeply intimate with emotions and struggles. After falling in love with her writing since The Beekeeper of Aleppo (2019), I eagerly looked forward to The Book of Fire. Inspired by the fires that devastated Greece a few years ago, The Book of Fire is about the search for meaning in the wake of tragedy. It is a look at the human toll in all events, either natural or man made, people must learn to pick up the pieces and rebuild. Irini is deeply relatable as she makes a decision that most of us would probably have made in the heat of anger and the need for retribution and her coming to terms with her decision. Overall, I enjoyed The Book of Fire. If you enjoy deeply moving stories about the human spirit, I recommend The Book of Fire.

The Book of Fire is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri is a novel that reads like a memoir. It is about the recovery time for a family, mostly the wife and mother, after a three million acre fire that burned their home, killed quite a few neighbors, including her father-in-law, and laid waste to their lives. The fire was caused by one man who wanted to burn five acres so he could develop it. The whole thing got out of hand. It was devastating. Would they recover? Possibly.

This was a heart-breaking book. From the time an older woman who was sharing her box with them, enabling them to float easier in the life-saving water, died to the moment her husband regained use of his hands after serious burns had side-lined him, it was one heart-break after another. She tried to be strong and looked around her at the people who had lost more than her and remembered. Something happened that broke her faith in herself and would follow her as long as she lived. It was an emotional and intriguing read.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Book of Fire by Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine #ChristyLefteri #TheBookOfFire

Irini, her husband, Tasso and their daughter, Chara live in small village in Greece. One afternoon a fire demolishes their home and their life as they know it. Their neighbor is accused of starting the fire that destroyed acres of land and many lives. One day not long after the fire, Irini comes across this neighbor near death. She makes a fateful decision that she will have to live with for the rest of her life.

Irini is such a strong woman and she is trying to hold it all together after a terrible disaster that nearly destroyed everything. My heart went out to Irini as she experienced heartbreak, anger, despair and yes…love as well.

Even though I did not enjoy this book as much as The Beekeeper of Aleppo, I was still captivated and emotional during this tale. This author can create some unique situations which will have you questioning what you would do in this happened in your world.

Need a beautifully written story about loss and strength…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Lefteri writes in such a lush descriptive manner adding to the devastating impact of a fire and its aftermath. The narrative also questions one's moral compass, definitely a read lingering with the reader long after the last page is turned. A bittersweet story filled with immense loss yet joy and love. Fabulous characters bursting with equal caring gestures. A book makes you question lots as well making you have faith in mankind again giving you hope. A must-read for sure. Lefteri never disappoints.

A lyrical and heartfelt story about family, loss, displacement, community justice, vengeance, forgiveness, environmental change and learning to move and start over after difficult challenges. Told with the author's unique grace and empathy, this story follows a family and small village who lose their homes after what is supposed to be a controlled burn gets out of hand. Great losses lead to hasty actions, regrets and slow acceptance. This was great on audio narrated by Alix Dunmore with an author's note included at the end. Highly recommended! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

CW: suicide, disfigurement

I really enjoyed the author's previous "The Beekeeper of Aleppo" and was excited to read this one. This novel is set in Greece amid a fire that destroys a village and the surrounding wildlife and forest. The idea of this novel is beautiful with tragedy and redemption. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with the characters in a way to make this one successful for me. Many parts felt redundant and taxing. I love the idea of the plot though and appreciate having read it.

A beautiful tale of a forest scorched, along with many deep emotional bonds, lives, tied to the land, to the animals and trees loved for generations. "The Book of Fire" by Christy Lefteri, was a meaningful, sensitive and thoughtful examinations of families uprooted, survival, guilt, and burned histories, followed by the gradual recovery and rebuilding. Many generous hearts depicted, community, and family ties, as well as finding forgiveness and a new path. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the early reader copy. All opinions are my own.

The Book of Fire feels very timely to me after seeing and reading about the tragic events in Maui recently. The book was written some months before that happened, but the stories we've read and heard about the Maui fire resonate loudly in this novel making it seem very close and real. This book, however. is a fictional story about a Greek island. Like many parts of the world, Greece has experienced an uptick in the amount of wildfires ravaging its forests. The story itself reads a bit like a fairy tale as you enter the idyllic world of Irini, her husband, and her daughter. Before you know it, the style of writing changes, first person, then third person, then back again, with each timeline depicting life before, during, and after the fire. Some parts of the book you will read like you are outside of it, looking in. But then, you are within the story, feeling what the characters are feeling and facing the dilemmas they are. I did find myself saying, "What would I do?" more than once. This story touched me, and I hope you will give it a try. It publishes January 2, 2024.

A Greek Island goes up in consuming flames set by a wealthy vacationer, leaving islanders suddenly running to and jumping into the sea to save their lives, others getting trapped and dying, and almost all of the lovely island forested growth, olive trees, pine trees and wildflowers ending in ash. The story divides into three timelines: the night of the fire, life on the island pre-fire, and the desolation and the grief of survivors post-fire.
A couple and their pre-teen child form the centerpiece: Tasso, a local forest and wildlife painter, Irini who plays multiple musical instruments and comes from a family of artisan instrument creators and Chara, their daughter. Tasso, who goes back to rescue his Dad, emerges from the fire with completely burnt hands, all of Irini’s instruments and family heirlooms burn away, and Chara has literally Char mapping burn marks along her back in the shape of a tree.

Each also bears the psychological scars of the fire as they take up residence in Tasso’s dad’s house – his dad lost but the house miraculously unscathed by fire. The story gets told as Irini processes her grief by taking to writing a journal about what happened.

Irini also stumbles upon the deeply injured man who started the fire: a land prospector hoping only for a controlled burn to enable the building of another high-end vacation home high up in the mountain. But thinking of all the desolation he’s caused, Irini tells no one that she’s stumbled across him when her dog went off leash. Tried to kills himself out of guilt or attacked for retribution? The local police get involved in an investigation.

For anyone who’s been touched by tragedy and tried to slowly piece together life and find meaning, and even joy, in its aftermath, this book will deeply resonate.

Thanks to Random House, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and that, like me, you were able to spend some time immersed in a good book! :-)

Kicking off the new year, I’ve been busy with my studies, but I did get the chance to squeeze in one of the January 2024 ARCs on my list, so I’m happy about that.

I chose to start my reading year with a new release from an author whose works I’ve loved since reading her debut novel, The Beekeeper of Aleppo, a few years back. In my opinion, Christy Lefteri is an underrated and under appreciated author whose works everyone should be reading. She writes in a way that is atmospheric and poetic, with beautifully-rendered descriptions of time and place that make us, the readers, feel completely immersed.

Lefteri sets her third novel in a Greek village where a devastating wildfire has ravaged the once-idyllic forest, destroying nearly everything — living and non-living — in its path. A close and loving family used to live in that forest: Irini, a talented musician who could play the most beautiful songs with the instruments handed down over generations from her father and grandfather; her husband Tasso, an artist who could paint the forest so realistically that the sights and sounds of nature seemed to come alive just looking at the paintings; and their 10-year-old daughter Chara, a happy and playful girl whose name means “joy.” Along with their devoted greyhound Rosalie, the family lived in a picturesque environment surrounded by the beauty of nature. However, on a fateful day that starts off just like any other day, their paths cross with the fire and within hours, their lives are changed forever. Their bungalow in the forest is destroyed (along with all of Irini’s instruments), Tasso’s hands are burned to the point that he can no longer paint, Chara endures second-degree burns that leave horrific scars, and Irini’s father-in-law Lazaros goes missing (he’s presumed dead). Many of their friends and neighbors are either dead or missing, while those who survived are physically and emotionally scarred for life. As if that were not enough, everywhere they turn, they are forced to witness the charred remains of the destruction around them — the trees burned down to stumps, the barren ground where abundant plants and flowers once grew, and the pervasive, choking smell of burnt things. Months later, the family (and the village) haven’t completely come to terms with all they lost, but are actively trying to rebuild and move on with their lives. It is during this time that Irini inadvertently encounters the man responsible for destroying their lives — a land speculator she refers to as Mr. Monk, who had started the fire on a small piece of land he didn’t own in the hopes of acquiring it (illegally), not expecting it to rage out of control like it ended up doing. Mr. Monk is mysteriously injured and appears to be on the brink of death — when Irini finds out who he is, she makes a last minute decision out of anger, which follows her for the rest of the story. The investigation that follows will bring to light some painful truths about the community and its interactions with its surrounding environment.

As she did with her previous two novels, Lefteri once again delivers a hauntingly beautiful, emotional story that is at once heartbreaking and poignant, but also hopeful in its portrayal of humanity in the wake of tragedy. Lefteri has a gift for writing about real-life (often controversial and difficult) issues relevant to society in a way that is thought-provoking and meaningful, yet not heavy-handed or preachy — in The Beekeeper of Aleppo, it was immigration and refugees fleeing from the situation in Syria; in Songbirds, it was the exploitation of foreign domestic workers in Cyprus; now in The Book of Fire, she explores the relationship of humans with nature and the wide-ranging effects that our actions can have on our environment. I live in Southern California and remember the deadly 2018 wildfires that Lefteri mentions in her Author’s Note (which, by the way, is a must-read in and of itself) as well as the many other fires that have occurred in the region the past few years, so this story definitely resonated with me. The dilemma that Irini faces in the story is a difficult one and I will admit that if I were in her shoes, I would have probably struggled as well. I finished this book a few days ago, yet I’m still thinking about this story and its endearingly-drawn characters. Needless to say, I will definitely be on the lookout for what Lefteri comes out with next!

Received ARC from Ballantine Books via NetGalley.

A small Greek Village has a forest fire destroying the lives of animals and the community. A music teacher, her artist husband and their daughter are not left unscathed physically and mentally. A novel about what it means to be well. An examination of how the careless actions of others reverberate. Consequences of actions and a reflection on global warming round it out Big themes told through the stories of other fires as well as this one. this will stay with you.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

This book was so beautifully written that I read it all in one sitting.
Irini, who teaches music, her husband Tasso, a gifted artist who paints the forest near their home, and their daughter live near the sea in Greece. One day their lives are forever changed when a forest fire races through the dried timber, forcing everyone from their homes and into the sea. Many people lost their homes as well as their lives. Irini and her family survived, but her daughter's back was horribly burned, as were her husband's hands. Plus Tasso blames himself for not finding his father in time, and sinks into a horrible depression. Their home was demolished, but they return to live in Tasso's father's house, along the charred remains of the forest.
The surviving villagers are furious when they discover that a greedy developer was responsible for the fire, which quickly got out of hand. One day when walking through the remains of the forest, Irini comes upon him, wounded, and sitting at the base of the tree. The actions that she takes that day will forever haunt her.
This author, who also wrote The Beekeeper of Aleppo, captures human culpability, grief, loss, resilience, and recovery in beautiful prose.

THE BOOK OF FIRE
Christy Lefteri

There are only two points in time for her. Before the fire and after. Everything and everyone is split in two. Grief is the distance between the two parts.

Irini lives in an almost magical forest in Greece. She lives a wonderful almost magical life with her husband Tasso, an artist, and her daughter, Chara which means Joy. She lives an almost magical life and her days are often filled with that that elicits peace and joy.

One day a destructive and deadly fire spreads through the forest. Claiming everything and everyone in its path. Displacing people, causing irreversible destruction, and changing the lives of the people of the forest forever.

Months after, the cause of the fire is known. It was caused by a local farmer, simply trying to clear a small patch of land. One day on a walk Irini stumbles upon the man who started a fire and she makes a decision that will confuse her by clarifying how she feels, who she is, and most importantly who she is not.

I love the themes in the book and the questions it elicits. This will make a fantastic book to discuss, and I could see it being a pick for a celebrity book club somewhere. There is a lot to discuss, and the discussion could get as heated as the fire in the book. You may feel one way about Irini’s decision, and I feel mine.

This is my first experience with Lefteri, and I found her writing to be absorbing and romantic. Fire plays a big role in the book but is not the point of conflict. I loved the role it played and the role it didn’t.

Upon reading THE BOOK OF FIRE I am inspired to read Lefteri’s backlist. I am a big fan. I gave THE BOOK OF FIRE four stars and can’t wait to discuss it with you in the comments.

Let’s chat!

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Audio, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Ballantine Books for the advanced copies. It was a pleasure!

THE BOOK OF FIRE…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️