American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land Paperback – May 22, 2018

A good, thorough, well-written account of the events in the book. A quick and enjoyable read.

The author is a fantastic researcher who brings us this true story. Especially for those of us in the mid-Atlantic, it's especially fascinating as a study of the psyche and context of this part of the country. It's written as a mystery, unfolding and sharing the story as it evolves. Great read.

A well written account of a folie-a-deux pair of arsonists in an isolated section of Virginia. The strength of the book are a presentation of a remote corner of America. The main weakness lies in a lack of access to female actor in this drama. I got the sense that the male arsonist was not all that bright, and that the real story of these crimes lay in the heart of his paramour. Unfortunately, she clammed up and was not open to the author. It is an interesting story that is well told, but the soul of the tale is missing.

“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.

Fire is fascinating.Fire is also scary. Whether it’s a forest fire or a house fire it has the capacity to really make a person fearful. I remember standing in my living room watching the fire burn the mountainside across the river. My husband spent the days outside, wearing a mask against the smoke, prepping our property in case the embers started flying and caused the fire to jump the river.Imagine living in a small community that has perhaps seen its best times but continues to struggle along and suddenly houses start burning. Sometimes two and three a night. You don’t know where the next fire is going to be. Is the wind is going to whip up and cause the fire to blow an ember into your yard and start your house on fire? Will I go to sleep only to be awakened by sirens yet again?Worse, you are one of the volunteer firemen. Do you realize that most of the country gets its fire response from volunteers? Many of those fire companies are struggling as the young people move out of rural areas and the population ages. So again imagine those volunteer fire companies, with men and women who also have to work having to go out night after night to put out one, two or three fires.This went on for around 5 months. The area lived in a state of tension as neighbors wondered, police wondered and the FBI wondered who could be setting the fires. The area is very rural, the houses were mostly abandoned; they authorities tried to predict where the arsonist would strike but there were just too many possible targets. Until one night they got lucky.Ms. Hesse writes in a very compelling manner. Her book started with a feature for The Washington Post where she is a feature writer. She instructs her reader in the economic conditions of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, about the various types of psychiatric conditions that could lead to someone becoming and arsonist and on areas of fire science and at no time do you feel overwhelmed or bored.I am not spilling beans by telling you there are two arsonists – a couple – as it is disclosed in the synopsis. The information is given in the opening of the book so you know from the outset who is committing the arson fires. The male, Charlie is deeply profiled and you really get to know him as the pages turn. The woman, Tonya is more of an enigma. She did not make herself available to Ms. Hesse as broadly as Charlie did so this does leave you with some questions at the end. If you have a person that refuses to answer the questions it is just going to leave some things hanging. Such is the problem with real life.I read this in one sitting. I did find it utterly fascinating. Now, I do live with a fireman and he’s been answering calls for the entirety of our marriage so I am sure that played a role. Not to mention all of those flames this summer.As I wrote, fire is fascinating.4.5

This reads as more non-fiction than true crime . I base this assessment on the fact that the writer is a journalist and the book is meticulously factual not sensational. A good read