I have read both Christy Lefteri's two previous books and loved them, both 5 star reads for me. So thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read her highly anticipated third book.

I found this to be a bit slow and I found the subject matter hard to read about. But it is a beautifully written book and I liked all the main characters.

I really enjoyed The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri. A story about a family leaving in a small Greek community surrounded by ancient woodland, when the fire starts everything is lost along with most of the population, arson, a drought and bad fire department procedures have all contributed to the loss of the community. A story of rising from the lowest point to regain a new normal and the kindness of strangers.

Highlight of my reading year so far and particularly relevant to this summer due to the extreme climate conditions we’re experiencing.

We follow a simple Greek family struggling through disaster inflicted on their community by the actions of a local businessman. Despite the devastation all around them and the grief they feel there’s a peace in the beauty of the landscape and the healing process of the body and mind. Definitely one to recommend.

Thanks to the author, Netgalley and publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Sometimes you wonder whether authors have some kind of psychic ability and are able to predict the future, because this book could not be more timely. Depicting a family struggling to come to terms with the devastation of fire through the forest surrounding there 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. However, I really struggled to get into this book. I found the change the scenes set during the fire hard to get into and that maybe because the author chose to tell them as a story which felt almost separate to her own memories of the incident. I also did not feel comfortable with the way the accused was made to be accountable for what happened. Having said that, I have never been involved in such a devastating disaster and I can’t honestly say I wouldn’t react in the same way as the villagers did.

I love that the author takes gritty real life situations and brings them to the forefront in the reader’s mind. I absolutely adored The Beekeeper of Aleppo, but unfortunately I just didn’t connect as well with this book.

There are lots of amazing reviews of this book, so don’t let my opinion sway you in reading it, as it just didn’t work for me.

Great novel. Captivating.

Bizarre timing that this was published as all those fires broke out on the various Islands.

A beautifully written but tragic story. The setting is beautiful and wonderfully described, yet devastating events cause a complete change. The story also raises the question as to what would you do if you found someone in need of your help but who you knew was the cause of many many deaths and much devastation - would you hesitate to help? Thanks to the publisher, author and netgalley for my arc

This is a beautifully written book with a duel timeline after a forest fire robs Irini, Tasso and Chara of their home in Greece.

Irini narrates the present day story of grief, and recovery after the discovery of Mr Monks in the dead forest.

Her journal - which she titles the Book of Fire - tells the story of the fire itself, their escape, and the immediate aftermath.

It’s beautifully written with art, music and food weaved through and into the narrative. It also reflects on the history of loss for Greeks and Turks (through the story of her great-grandfather), and raises questions about who really is responsible for the fire, and our collective role in destroying the plant and that which we hold dear.

A really excellent and thought provoking read.

Another good book by Christy Lefteri - she has a great talent at writing about serious topics by showing us the human experience of big events. After a summer of watching wildfires on the news, this felt a very timely book.
Some parts were hard to read with the subject matter. It was a quick read and I’m glad to have read it.

Irini, her husband and daughter live in a small village in Greece, which is devastated by a terrible fire. They barely escape with their lives. The book explores with empathy and insight the aftermath of the fire, and the very human impulse to blame someone or something. It appears that the fire was caused by a property developer attempting to clear some land in the forest. The fire then rages out of control. So is he the culprit, even if unwittingly? Or are the authorities, who don’t seem to have reacted quickly or effectively enough? Or maybe climate change? The trauma of the fire affects not just the family, but all the inhabitants in the village, and with so many fires having raged this past summer, I’m sure we can all relate to their plight. However, I wasn’t as moved by the book as I expected to be. It’s told primarily form the point of view of Irini, and it becomes repetitious as she frets over and over about what has happened. Also there are some serious missteps, which I don’t want to go into too much for fear of plot spoilers, but near the beginning Irini and her daughter are forced to take refuge in the sea, and first the child starts to tell another survivor a long narrative from her family history, and then Irini goes on to tell a long story, in order to distract her daughter. Both narratives fill in the back story but their insertion into a scene of desperate clinging to life in the sea is misplaced and just not credible. The description of the mental and physical scars is well done but some of the characterisation verges on stereotype and thus didn’t ring true. An enjoyable read but not as good as Lefteri’s previous novels.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I had previously enjoyed 'Songbirds'. This title I found more difficult to follow. The story follows a family after the devastation of a wildfire in Greece. Very topical at this time with the recent real fires in Greece, Maui etc. The story is told through the eyes of a mother, with a husband and a young daughter. both of whom were burnt by the fire. the story reflects on the past as well as the damage to the forest and local community 5 months on. Lives have been lost, homes lost, people have moved away. At times it is confusing to know when we are in the past and when we it is today.
The author describes the damage very well and the affects it has on everyone in the community. The grudges felt to the supposed perpetrator, as well as the consequences of climate change. In many ways it is a heart warming story as the family are supported by those previously unknown to them and as they come to terms with the damages.

Christy Lefteri has written another wonderful, powerful novel. Set in Greece, it tells the story of a family affected by a wild fire; emotionally rich and complex, devastating yet ultimately full of hope, and so beautifully written, I thought this was her best book yet.

"The Book of Fire" by Christy Lefteri is a poignant and powerful exploration of the profound impact of a devastating fire on a family and a village. Lefteri's lyrical prose beautifully conveys the emotional depth of the characters and the haunting aftermath of the tragedy. The story's themes of love, loss, guilt, and renewal are vividly portrayed, making it a deeply moving and thought-provoking read. Through the resilience of the family and the village, Lefteri offers a message of hope and the enduring strength of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity. This novel is a testament to the healing power of community and the potential for growth from the ashes of tragedy.

I read this book not long after large areas of Europe encountered fires due to a heatwave and I found Lefteri had managed to offer personal insight of such experiences not covered by the news: personal guilt such as that felt by Tasso for not managing to get to his father, the harrowing time faced by Irini and her daughter Chara as they waited in the water to be rescued and then the visual imagery of looking back at their land, lives and loves after the destruction of the wildfire.
The book in the first sitting is a little confusing as it flits between the past (Irini's earlier life in Greece), the immediate past (of the fire) and the present; particularly the period where Irini is struggling with her action - or rather inaction - upon finding Mr Monk, the person responsible for the devasting fire in the first place. A thought provoking read in true Lefteri style.

Tragic
I loved this book but the affect of one mans actions and the horror it leads to was so well written that it was very upsetting.
Irina a music teacher and Tasso her artist husband live happily together with their charming daughter Chara in a small Greek village. Their bungalow is on the edge of a forest where they often walk. Tasso's father is a widow who extracts sap from trees and worries about the environment as he believes that the soil id drying out.
A rich property owner wants to build a hotel on part of the forest and starts a fire to clear it, due to the wind and the dryness the fire gets out of control, forcing people to flee their homes and head for the sea. Chara is badly burnt and Tasso disappears for a time, he has badly burnt hands and suffers from guilt at not being able to save his Father.
The family all have their worries but through all of the suffering, acts of kindness shine through. Mr. Monk is man who started the fire is found dying in the forest by Irina, she does not know how to react and blames herself for his death.
A very involved novel with different timelines and stories told by Irina. Rosalie the dog is a true star.
Thank you NetGalley and Christy for a truly amazing and moving story.

I liked the premise of this book and the descriptive narration of the fires. The characters were written well and the narrative was descriptive and emotional at times.
But I didn’t enjoy the way the book went back and forwards which was a bit confusing for me. This unfortunately lessened my overall enjoyment.
I had high expectations but was left a bit underwhelmed although it is a good book.
3.5 stars

Another gripping read fro Christy Lefteri and this one certainly didn't disappoint. It was very timely giving some of the devastating fires in Europe in the summer of 2023 and really brought home the terror and feeling of desperation as Irini and her family struggle to escape the fire and then piece together their life afterwards.

I was sent a copy of The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri to read and review by NetGalley. I almost gave this novel a 4-star rating but I’m afraid it just fell short for me. The book is well written and in places incredibly intense, with well-drawn characters and vivid descriptions - I was avidly reading from the beginning. Unfortunately the story became more and more repetitive the further into the book I went, both within the memory sections and the present day. It is such a shame as it made me wonder whether to continue to the end, which I did but only because I was so close it made no sense to give up. This could have been an amazing novel had it a few less chapters and without the amount of unnecessary repetition.

The devastation of fire and man’s abuse of nature are explored to the full in this telling of one family’s suffering in the aftermath of forest fire, taking lives and homes. The failure of society to foresee the impact of climate change and human greed is evident in what is now a huge problem for all of us. This story has very light relief from these truths, and I found it difficult to sustain interest once the message was put through. The events of the fire and the torture of waiting for rescue in a sea full of desperate people were played out through a kind of storytelling which referred to people without naming them. It was like one of the ‘mother’s’ Greek stories, and I found this a little irritating played out over and over.

Thank you Netgalley and Bonnier Books for such a wonderful read.
I am such a huge fan of Christy Lefteri’s books, and this is no exception.
She writes beautifully and her characters always draw you in.
The Book of Fire is written in the present (after the fire) and in the past detailing the events of the fire, which is a good way of telling the story, but did get a little confusing at times but I just read back.
The relationships between mother, father and daughter are heartfelt and not without flaws.
This is a wonderful, sad, amazing, beautiful story.
If anyone has read just one of Christy's books and liked it I highly recommend this one.

Christy Lefteri has done it again, she is one of my “go to” authors and this book didn’t disappoint.
I quickly became invested in the characters, especially Irini, and went through so many emotions with them. Vivid descriptions of the landscape, before and after, certainly sets the scene and the devastating impact one small act can have.
Such a beautifully written, poignant story to read at this point in our time when the real world is on fire!