American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land Hardcover – July 11, 2017

Very nicely written. The author left out a lot, but had she included everything the book would have been over 1000 pages. I would have read it in one night, but ran out of time after the first 180 pages and had to finish in the morning. We did not just make national news during this, but international news as well. Pretty fierce for an area that our state government doesn't even realize is part of Virginia! Most of us got little to no sleep for the entire 5 months, worrying where the next fire would be.

“The county would grow used to hearing the wail of sirens in the middle of the night, the sound of engines and tankers crunching over gravel. The county would see landmarks go up in flames and neighbors eye one another with suspicion at the grocery store. At night, the roads would transform into a sea of checkpoints and cop cars; citizens trying to get home while Accomack turned into a police state and the county lit up around them. The county went about its business. The county burned down.” --page 11It was a nightmare that lasted for nearly five months. Between November 2012 and April 1, 2013, a total of 86 fires had been deliberately set in remote Accomack County on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. For the most part, the fires were being set in long abandoned buildings located in extremely desolate areas. It has been estimated that were literally thousands of such buildings dotting the landscape in Accomack County, a sign of declining economic fortunes over the past several decades. Despite the best efforts of state and local police and fire officials very little progress had been made in determining who was setting these fires. It was an extremely frustrating, costly, and baffling situation. Monica Hesse is a feature writer for the Washington Post. She chronicles these disturbing events in her highly entertaining new book “American Fire, Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land”. I simply could not put this book down and read it in just a few sittings. This is easily the best book I have read this year.If you are like me you have probably never even heard of Accomack County. According to Hesse, the heyday of this place was in the 1930’s when a resort complex called Whispering Pines was built. It was the site of one of the fires in March of 2013. In those days Accomack boasted a vigorous farming community as well. But over the next several decades market conditions changed, people moved away, and the place began to deteriorate. In “American Fire” you will meet the two individuals deemed responsible for all of these fires. Charlie Smith and Tonya Bundick had very checkered pasts and were involved in what turned out to be a very complicated relationship. Meanwhile, you will also be introduced to the team of state and local officials charged with putting an end to this reign of terror. You will discover many of the tactics they employed to finally trip up the arsonists and put them behind bars.The story told in “American Fire, Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land” becomes even more incredible when you realize that volunteers fought the fires in all of these tiny communities. Night after night for nearly five months these heroic men and women would have to drag themselves out of a warm bed to battle the next blaze. Simply amazing! So if you are looking for a great book to take along with you on your summer vacation this year I would highly recommend “American Fire”. It reads like a novel but this is a true story. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

Exceptional perceptions of the decay of morality in rural America. Written with enough, just enough, empathy that the communal fear becomes the tension. We know who soon enough and there is a fair bit of courtroom drama witnessed and reported on. Nothing tedious, just burnishes the characters. Not so much a page-turning thriller, though there is an element of that, as a provocative peeling of layers of a relationship. Much is left unknown, particularly with respect to the mind and motive of one of the criminals. As I wrote above, I devoured it in one sitting. That was two days ago and I am still thinking about it. It is a learning experience, this book. Non-fiction but enough facility with language and observation to be dressed up to read like a novel. Get through the first few, rather dense, pages. Worth it.

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 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.

This is a stunning book. I read it (rather, I swallowed it) in three marathon sittings. The story is captivating, unfolding a troubling and urgent mystery in a once-proud region now become a backwater. It's a page-turner. But the keen insights about this county and its people, coupled with an engaging style, are what push this book into the territory of the extraordinary. I especially appreciated Hesse's ability to balance clear affection for the county's residents with honest critique. Both beauty marks and blemishes. Read it first for a compelling story. Read it a second time to appreciate this fine portrait of a lost America.

An astonishing story told in a forensic but very readable style. The author's commitment to the task of bringing the events to life is evident throughout. It's also a story of the decline of parts of rural America. Highly recommended.

A really well written and fascinating tale.

Couldn't put the book down. Loved from start to finish. As a volunteer firefighter the description of what these firefighters were dealing with felt like I was there with them.

For a true story it is highly readable and entertaining. Even the references to similar activities beyond these crimes were interesting

Arrived quickly and in great condition. An engrossing story!

Le livre est arrivé en très bon état, comme il était vendu. Jamais de souci avec la livraison, arrivé avant l'heure. Portrait saisissant d'une petite ville américaine victime d'un criminel qui va mettre le feu à la ville - littéralement, puisque chaque nuit plusieurs bâtiments, souvent abandonnés, sont incendiés. Toute la petite ville se mobilise, les pompiers volontaires vont être éprouvés et le FBI va venir assister la police locale, en dressant le portrait de ce criminel très spécial.

Really interesting story, worth the read.

Average

Hesse's reconstruction of a bizarre crime spree in rural Virginia is a compelling, chilling and poignant read.