When It All Burns// Jordan Thomas

 

🏊 Hey August!🩱 

 

Our September selection is Heretics Anonymous, by Katie Henry. We have several copies on the way, but just in case you don't need a copy and you haven't already let me know, would you please leave me a quick note in the comments below so we can keep the call list updated? Thank you for your help! 

 

 

 

Onward!

 

 

In When It All Burns, wildland firefighter and anthropologist Jordan Thomas recounts a single, brutal six-month fire season with the Los Padres Hotshots—the special forces of America’s firefighters. Being a hotshot is among the most difficult jobs on earth. Thomas viscerally renders his crew’s attempts to battle flames that are often too destructive to contain. He uncovers the hidden cultural history of megafires, revealing how humanity’s symbiotic relationship with wildfire became a war—and what can be done to change it back.

Overall, this book was well received, how well it was received had us almost exactly divided down the middle. On the side of those who really loved it, it was an eye-opener all around. They enjoyed reading about the rigorous hot shot training, the interrelationships between the crew, and family dynamics. It was tougher to get through the scary working conditions, the exhaustive schedules, and appalling pay and lack of benefits. They really soaked up the outlined wildfire background and the history of the indigenous people, and honestly, would have liked to read more from this author across the board.

While the less enamored half of us agreed with almost all of those points, and certainly felt that the material was important and should have been included in the book, we thought the bits about the history of wildfires, and especially the parts about the indigenous people, got long-winded and repetitive. We would rather have read more about the hot shots themselves, their training, their friendship and families, and how they got on together. We all liked Thomas, and are thankful there are people in the world that are willing to do this terrifying, monumental job.

In the end, we thought it was nice to know that we, as a population, are learning something about wildfires and indigenous people and their timeless traditions of fighting/managing fire. We have so much to learn from one another.

  

 

Did you enjoy When it All Burns? Fans of the book also enjoyed, They Poisoned the World, by Mariah Blake, Wildfire Days, by Kelly Ramsey, and There is No Place for Us, by Brian Goldstone. All of these titles are available within the Viking Library System~ reserve your copy today!    

 

The votes are in! 👇

Would we recommend this to a friend to read?  Yes

 
Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?  Yes

                                                                                                                                             Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating:  4 stars