Notes on Surviving the Fire
A razor-sharp, darkly funny literary novel about male violence, a woman's vengeance, and whether killing can ever be justified
by Christine Murphy
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Pub Date 25 Feb 2025 | Archive Date 11 Mar 2025
Headline | Wildfire
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Description
'A biting, savage, unflinching story . . . Murphy writes with the nimbleness of a hunter: muscularly and with precision, while also propelled by undercurrents of cold, simmering fury and hot, big-hearted empathy.'
AUBE REY LESCURE, Women's Prize-shortlisted author of RIVER EAST RIVER WEST
'. . . a furious, fast-paced, emotionally resonant and memorable novel. I'll be thinking about this one for a while yet.' - ILANA MASAD, Los Angeles Times
Sarah grew up in the forests of Maine, following her father on hunts. They approached each kill with something close to reverence, honouring the sacrifice the animal made and the sustenance it provided through winter.
Now, she's a final year PhD student in southern California, caught in an entirely different landscape of extreme wealth and raging wildfires. She spends her time worrying about how she'll be able to get a permanent academic position, and also doing ketamine and watching 80s movies with her best friend, Nathan.
Nathan was the only person to believe Sarah when she was assaulted by a fellow student during her first year. When he's found dead of an alleged heroin overdose, Sarah is convinced it is a murder but, once again, the police don't believe her. As she digs into the case, she stumbles upon a disturbing pattern in the deaths of other young men on campus and begins to piece together a possible link between the victims.
Now, Sarah must confront a different type of killing to any she's ever known - and decide if it can be justified.
Advance Praise
'A biting, savage, unflinching story of how the culture of sexual assault is systemically tolerated and tucked out of sight into the dark corners of ivory towers. Part campus satire, part murder mystery, and most importantly a tale of formidable survival, NOTES ON SURVIVING THE FIRE asks: who among us is a perpetrator, and how do we keep on living once we know? Christine Murphy writes with the nimbleness of a hunter: muscularly and with precision, while also propelled by undercurrents of cold, simmering fury and hot, big-hearted empathy.'
AUBE REY LESCURE, Women's Prize-shortlisted author of RIVER EAST RIVER WEST
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781035411399 |
| PRICE | £20.00 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 368 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Liz W, Reviewer
Absolutely absorbing narrative that grips from page one, is utterly riveting, beautifully written and chock full of emotion.
It is a survivors story at its heart with some deeply insightful and genuinely thought provoking drama all wrapped up in a psychological mystery of many layers.
This is a true example of the power of language when it makes you think outside the box, take a view of the world and at the same time is entertaining as fiction should be.
I loved it. Hope it's a huge hit.
The_Secret_Bookreview ., Reviewer
Dark, sharp, and thought-provoking, Notes on Surviving the Fire follows Sarah, a PhD student grappling with trauma, injustice, and the mysterious death of her best friend, Nathan. When his overdose doesn’t add up, Sarah investigates, uncovering sinister patterns on her campus.
Murphy’s staccato prose mirrors Sarah’s raw, detached perspective as she battles institutional failures and questions the morality of revenge. Themes of rape culture, survival, and violence as justice are explored with stunning depth.
Gripping, emotional, and unflinching, this is a must-read for fans of dark, introspective fiction. Highly recommend.
Read the full review on my website - The Secret Book Review.
Paulina M, Reviewer
I have to say, I don't know where to even start with this review. The Notes on Surviving the Fire was nothing like I expected.
When I started reading this book the way I described it to people was: a woman's best friend dies under mysterious circumstances and she's sure he was murdered. She has a past of hunting animals so I'm pretty sure she'll start hunting some horrible men... Honestly I would have enjoyed that book, and 'good for her' type of books are certainly in fashion right now...
What I got with this book was so much better than I could have expected. It's not a good for her book, it's not a revenge story, it's not even a book about healing. It's about finding yourself after something horrible happens. It's about not letting people who hurt you control what happens for the rest of your life. And it's about our complexity as humans.
This book made me cry multiple times, it made me feel things I didn't expect to feel and it healed a little part of me that I didn't even realise needed that.
This story is about some extremely sensitive topics so it might be a good idea to check for some trigger warnings but it's a story so worth reading. I know it'll stay with me for a while.
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