Review: Things You Save in a Fire

Things You Save in a Fire

Katherine Center

Cassie Hanwell is a firefighter in Austin, Texas. She is scheduled to receive an award for saving a child. She is expecting the town's mayor to hand her the award at a special ceremony. But when he is replaced by someone from her past things don't go as planned onstage. As a result, Cassie's standing within the firehouse has suddenly changed, not only will she not be promoted she might even be fired.

Before things can get worse, her estranged mother asks Cassie to move to Boston to help her during a health crisis. Now Cassie has to find a new position in a Boston Firehouse where the attitudes to women are far different than in Austin. She will have to find a way to win over her new colleagues and at the same time figure out how she will deal with a mother who wants to make amends after leaving when Cassie was sixteen years old. Opening up isn't easy for Cassie; she is far better dealing with other people's problems and emergencies than dealing with her own.

Things You Save in a Fire is full of complex characters, facing a myriad of dilemmas and issues. The story is both tender and tough and one which will make you laugh and cry. The author does a great job weaving a dazzling tale of love, family, courage, and forgiveness. This was one I enjoyed reading.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.