Quite possibly, it could happen anywhere.
From November 12, 2012 to April 1, 2013, an astonishing 86 fires were deliberately set in rural Accomack County, Virginia, a sliver of Eastern Shore land bordered on one side by the Chesapeake Bay and on the other by the Atlantic
…more Ocean. It is a place with a rapidly dwindling population, and those who live there are, for the most part, poor, uneducated, and working class.
There were so many fires—sometimes two or three in one night—that it truly felt as if the entire county was being burned down. On purpose. And even with that many fires, whomever was setting them was getting away with it. No one saw anything until scorching orange and red flames licked the sky and the bedraggled, exhausted firefighters came roaring onto the scene. Again.
Expertly written by Washington Post reporter Monica Hesse, this book is so much more than the HOW--a factual retelling of the arson spree that so spooked and mystified this community, especially when the police finally captured the arsonists: two of their own who had grown up there, one of whom had been a volunteer firefighter for years.
It is also a fascinating and poignant exploration of the WHY—why two lovers, who were planning an outrageous, over-the-top wedding, would repeatedly set fire to abandoned structures, vacant homes and historical landmarks that dotted the rural landscape they called home. This is where Hesse succeeds so magnificently because she makes the arsonists human…so human you will think you know them. They aren't monsters. They're just regular people who were having problems—from financial to sexual. But that is also what makes "American Fire" such a chilling and frightening book to read.
Written with the utmost candor and compassion, Hesse's compelling reporting—as mesmerizing as the best storytelling—makes this nonfiction book read more like a novel. And then I remember that it's all true, and I get the shivers.
Because quite possibly, it could happen anywhere. (less)
Power Reviewer
