I loved this audiobook from Christy Lefteri, author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo. It was a slow burn, which I tend to avoid, but the writing and narration, made it a compelling story that I didn’t want to stop listening to.
Set on an unnamed Greek Island, it’s told partly by Irini’s point of view before and after the fire that destroys half the island, and also from The Book of Fire that Irini writes about her experiences during the ordeal. It was a clever way of telling that part of the story, even though it was written in the third person which I don’t always like. The mystery throughout about who started fire and the aftermath was really good, and keep me listening to discover what it was all about .
As I mentioned before the writing was so good, especially the descriptions of the forest before and after the fire. It reminded me of past holidays to the Greek Islands, decades ago.
The author’s note at the end explains where she got her inspiration for the story, following a wildfire on a Greek island. As I was listening to this there was a huge fire on the island of Crete, and in the last couple of days another one in Marseille in the south of France, and one in Spain. It’s frightening!
Alix Dunmore, a new-to-me narrator, was absolutely superb, drawing me in and keeping my attention the whole time. I definitely want to listen to more audiobooks narrated by her.
Highly recommend this if you enjoy contemporary, slow burn mysteries.

Beautifully written and captivating epic but intimate story, exploring how communities and individuals behave in extreme circumstances, our collective and individual impacts on the world around us, and how we live with our choices.

A devastating fire engulfs a village and the surrounding ancient woodland, killing and injuring many people and decimating the entire village. Those that manage to survive are left with deep emotional as well as physical scars.

It emerges that a local property developer deliberately started the fire in order to acquire more land for development, and resentments run deep. On one hand, carefully controlled fire has historically been used to prevent larger unplanned fires, but this fire was started without permission, during a drought and exacerbated by strengthening winds and a misguided and inadequate emergency response, leading to huge suffering in the community.

A woman whose husband and daughter were both injured and whose father in law has still not been found, presumed to have perished, happens to meet this man for the first time and finds herself in a moral quandary. She doesn't know what has happened or how to react, but her decision will go on to haunt her.

The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri is a beautifully written and deeply emotional story, capturing loss, resilience, and hope in a powerful way. What an amazing read!

An absolutely heartbreaking story that was extremely engaging and very well written. I was hooked from the first page and when I was was t reading it I was thinking about reading it. The main character was very likeable and I liked story that jumps between two time periods so that really keeps me engaged also. I haven't read her first novel so that has been quickly added to my 2025 list!

I love Christy Lefteri's writing so I was excited to see another book which would showcase impact of an event on a family's lives.

I enjoyed the way this book was told in dual perspective as we see the aftermath of the fire in the present and then the events of the fire in The Book of Fire sections. I was really moved by The Book of Fire sections and how the impact of that part of the story was not lessened for the reader due to the way it was told.

The characters were perfectly written and the depth of human kindness in the wake of tragedy was beautifully portrayed.

Another win from a now autobuy author.

This is such a lovely book. Very emotional at times but tells a fabulous story. Another beautiful read from Christy Lefteri.

What a poignant and heartbreaking read but one that will stay with me for a long time after the last page. Depicting a family struggling to come to terms with the devastation of fire through the forest surrounding their home. Not only do they lose their home, but people extremely close to them. In this book, the fire has been started on purpose by a greedy property developer, but it is clear that the land was already suffering because of climate change.

As always with this author’s work, the descriptions are atmospheric and detailed, allowing you to transport yourself into the devastating scene. I love that the author takes gritty real life situations and brings them to the forefront in the reader’s mind.

Hard-hitting but an important read that I will recommend to many.

Wonderfully lyrical book telling the tale of a tragic fire that destroyed peoples lives . Told in two timelines , Irini and her husband Tasso , an artist ,live with their daughter Charo . The fire changes everything and this is a story of survival and change. More than that the story is a warning about the dangers of climate change, greed and forced migration that will resonate for a long time.

A massive thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc!

This book was so touching. Lefteri’s writing is one of grace that never fails to be able to emotionally provoke me one way then another.

I highly recommend this book!

I love this author's books. The Book of Fire is so beautifully written that it brought me to tears. The settings and characters are so exquisitely described that you are really in the story. Set in a small Greek village the book explores the effect of a devastating forest fire on a family and the wider community. It touches on the subject of climate change and dealing with blame and grief.

The book of fire by Christie Lefteri is a great novel and very emotional. It follows Irini and her family, describing the effect on them of a devastating fire. I really felt the pain and devastation throughout the novel as the author writes in such a realistic way. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A stunning portrait of life pre - and post the traumatic fire that destroys the lives, homes , landscapes, and livelihoods of a small village of people in Greece. The pain and agony following the fire are palpable. Lefteri uses beautiful sensory prose to depict an idyllic life with all the scents and sounds of a humming life before the fire, so we share in the pain and despair of the silence and destruction that follows. It is such an emotive story, touching our core humanity. The loss seems so futile - all the loss of life and nature due to the wish of one land developer to clear land to build. It is a sad reflection of modern society. Despite the anger that the protagonist feels towards Mr Monk, who started the fire, there is also great guilt ; guilt in feeling such hatred towards another human. Life will never be the same and the land will be scarred for a long time to come. It is impossible not to grieve alongside the characters, but in their reflections, amd their joyois memories, there is hope combining with recovery, and it is wondrous to share that too. Simply moving and beautiful. #thebookoffire #christylefteri #netgalley

I really enjoyed Lefteri's previous novels, particularly the vivid settings and strong character development. However, this one fell flat for me.

The book is set in a small forest-covered village in Greece and is told from Irini's perspective in a dual narrative (during/after the fire and present-day). Said fire occurs when a property developer attempts to burn a small area of land. Due to the dryness of the land, it quickly spreads to the point where it engulfs the majority of the village and the trees surrounding it. Months later, the man in question is found hanging from a tree, and with every surviving villager pointing the finger of blame, it's unclear whether he committed suicide or was murdered.

I always like to start with the positives so firstly, I appreciated the direction that the author was taking and its links to climate change - wildfires occur across the world but I wasn't aware of them in Greece, so it was interesting from an educational perspective. Secondly, Chara was a beautiful character bursting with wisdom and the ability to rebuild after a tragedy (something that really highlighted her youthful resilience). She brought a lot to the story and I felt the strongest connection with her over the other characters.

My main issue was how repetitive and over-explained the story felt to me. It was apparent how much of an impact the fire had on the community, land, and residents, however, I felt these flashbacks dragged on far too much, to the point where it weakened the impact. I hate to say it, but I was bored. I thought there was going to be more focus on the murder, and while this is revealed about 95% in, it's not the major storyline by any means. The pacing felt very off for me, especially the part where the characters were gathered in the sea waiting for rescue. I'm not trying to downplay the sheer horror and fear that the characters would have felt at this point, but it felt like the story was trapped in the sea for way too long. It took me months to read as I lost all interest. I think a slight change in direction could have made this a much more exciting and intense reading experience for me.

I received an ARC of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The main event in this book is a devastating fire in a remote Greek village. It is told i two shdes of the same voice - A first person narrative of the events following the fire and a 3rd person "diary" of the day of the fire and it's immediate aftermath. I struggled with this book, I found myself wanting to be drawn into the main narrative and then being annoyed by the diarist. The two threads seem to me to be told in a disjointed way. I found the diary's writing level to be almost child like - perhaps this was meant as it is the mother's attempt to explain things to her daughter and in some way also to herself. However it just did not work for me.

There is a propensity in current fiction to write in two time lines or two voices. This has to be done well to really work. If not done well it simply feels like reading the same storyline twice over and for me that is how this book reads. Not apatch on the other book I have read by the same author

This is an intriguing and thought-provoking book. It's a lovely but emotional story.

The characters are so varied and I loved following their lives through the book. The feel of community after the forest burned is beautiful and the feel of loss comes off the page.

This book is rounded up so nicely and although there have been some difficult times for some of the characters throughout the book it ends with Kindness and love and it's beautiful.

This book is deep and powerful. The writing is so vivid, the heart wrenching story makes you feel like you’re in it yourself. Would 100% recommend this book, it’s one that will stay with you forever!

I found this is a really poignant (and very heavy) read; beautifully crafted and full of inspiring characters and moments, Christy Lefteri is incredible when it comes to storytelling and making you feel like you're in a completely foreign environment.

If you enjoy books that make you feel like you are there in the story and are so vivid you feel like you can feel the flames on your back, the sun on your face, wind in your hair etc. Then The Book of Fire is a book for you. It's beautiful and unforgettable.

I did enjoy this one but i felt that it didn't go deep enough, i didn't feel that i was really interested in the characters or invested in their stories. Not the emotional read i have come to expect from Christy Lefteri.

Absolutely beautiful writing, which we have now come to expect from Lefteri.

I loved this book, filled with the emotional struggles of protecting families in the face of danger and on going health concerns, and protecting a community. The characters had a warmth to them that I loved. A wonderful book I’d highly recommend.