[close]
The Maine summer of 1947 was one of extreme drought that produced such dry conditions that by October, wildfire raced through the eastern coast of Maine laying waste to over 200,000 acres. The fires began inland in the forests and blew towards the ocean destroying a dozen towns in their wake and killing 16 people. Grace Harrow is the mother of two young toddlers who runs to the frigid beach to escape the flames which consume their home and all possessions. Grace’s husband Gene is fighting the fire with volunteers and is nowhere to be found after the fires have been extinguished. Shreve’s story is a fast moving chronicle of survival and of one woman’s determination and resilience to make a life for her family after all appears lost. Shreve is the author of several best sellers, perhaps most notably, The Pilot’s Wife, an Oprah Book Club selection. Highly recommended.
