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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
This true crime/ arson spree occurred on the eastern shore of Virginia in Accomack county. This book was interesting as I have been to the area, widely known for Chincoteague Island and the wild horses. I remember reading about the fires in the papers but wasn’t familiar with the whole story or the outcome.
Well written and intriguing, but am still puzzled over WHY the arsonists did what they did. I don't expect to get every answer from this kind of crime nonfiction, but was hoping for a bit more by the end.
This was an interesting story but not that well written.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
I liked how the story unwound. It kept the story engaging.
Two people down on their luck fall in love and set fire to dozens to structures. Arson as a way to prove your love. Novel. This true-crime story had all the law enforcement and fire departments across the region baffled.
Good piece of nonfiction written by a reporter about an eastern shore couple who almost burned down the county.
A few months ago, my friend Kenneth suggested I check out Book of the Month and I chose American Fire as one of my selections.
On the surface, American Fire is an exploration of who set nearly eighty fires in Accomack Country, Virginia in 2012 and 2013. But it is so much more than that, too. It’s an examination of rural America. Accomack used to be one of the wealthiest counties in the United States. Now, like so many other rural counties, it is more desolate as fortunes have shifted.
But there’s even more to the story, and that is the story of the arsonists, Charlie Smith and his girlfriend, Tonya Bundick.
American Fire is somewhat slow paced, and didn’t have me turning pages at a frenetic pace, but it did keep me interested. The sheer number of organizations involved in not only fighting the fires, but also trying to find the arsonist(s), is mind boggling. We get insight into the approach of the law enforcement agencies, the profiles they put together. The nearly overwhelming exhaustion of multiple volunteer fire departments fighting fires night after night. The home grown arson-finders.
And then, what is possibly the most interesting part. The motivations of Smith and Bundrick. How did they go from madly in love to setting 86 fires? And once you’re in an interrogation room, how far does that love go?
Monica Hesse began following this story for the Washington Post, and what she saw there sparked an interest in her that became American Fire. The writing is straightforward and clear. She includes first hand accounts where possible. Without being dramatic, you feel the frustration of the first responders.
I don’t remember hearing about this case when it happened, although as I’ve done some googling, it was written up in the Washington Post, among other places. I found the book to be fascinating, although as I said, a bit slow paced. Still, this is one I recommend if for nothing more than its glimpse into the human psyche.
On the surface, American Fire is an exploration of who set nearly eighty fires in Accomack Country, Virginia in 2012 and 2013. But it is so much more than that, too. It’s an examination of rural America. Accomack used to be one of the wealthiest counties in the United States. Now, like so many other rural counties, it is more desolate as fortunes have shifted.
But there’s even more to the story, and that is the story of the arsonists, Charlie Smith and his girlfriend, Tonya Bundick.
American Fire is somewhat slow paced, and didn’t have me turning pages at a frenetic pace, but it did keep me interested. The sheer number of organizations involved in not only fighting the fires, but also trying to find the arsonist(s), is mind boggling. We get insight into the approach of the law enforcement agencies, the profiles they put together. The nearly overwhelming exhaustion of multiple volunteer fire departments fighting fires night after night. The home grown arson-finders.
And then, what is possibly the most interesting part. The motivations of Smith and Bundrick. How did they go from madly in love to setting 86 fires? And once you’re in an interrogation room, how far does that love go?
Monica Hesse began following this story for the Washington Post, and what she saw there sparked an interest in her that became American Fire. The writing is straightforward and clear. She includes first hand accounts where possible. Without being dramatic, you feel the frustration of the first responders.
I don’t remember hearing about this case when it happened, although as I’ve done some googling, it was written up in the Washington Post, among other places. I found the book to be fascinating, although as I said, a bit slow paced. Still, this is one I recommend if for nothing more than its glimpse into the human psyche.
The story was fairly interesting. I enjoyed the way the author wove the social, political and socioeconomic circumstances of the time into the story. I listened on audible and the narrator could not have been worse. A Minnesota Siri? My GPS speaks with more inflection. It really took away from my enjoyment of this book.
2.5 stars.
Interesting enough story. Dragged at times. Didn't like the writer's heavy-handed style of imposing meaning and weight on various aspects of the story.
Interesting enough story. Dragged at times. Didn't like the writer's heavy-handed style of imposing meaning and weight on various aspects of the story.