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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Took me a while to warm to the audiobook's narrator, but Hesse had me hooked on the story from the start. Ignited (hah, sigh) a desire to read/listen to some more true crime.
Re-read: May 21-24, 2018; audio; 5 stars again
Re-listened for book club prep. Excited to discuss this one.
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Original read: September 12-14, 2017; audio; 5 stars
(Side note: what was I doing that I listened to this in 3 days??)
Re-listened for book club prep. Excited to discuss this one.
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Original read: September 12-14, 2017; audio; 5 stars
(Side note: what was I doing that I listened to this in 3 days??)
Fascinating account of the spree of fires set in the Eastern Shore of Virginia during 2012-2013, and the couple convicted of the crimes. Monica Hesse temporarily lived in Accomack County to research the story and interview the town's residents, which provided a rich portrait of a small town in a little-known corner of the state. The fires themselves are interesting: more than 70 fires were set in 5 months' time. The targets were usually abandoned or dilapidated barns, sheds, houses, and detached garages. A historic (closed) hotel was burned, too. When the cops finally caught the perpetrators, a local couple named Charlie and Tonya, they were shocked. Here were two people that were well-liked, seemed happy, and were active participants in town events. They could often be found in the local bar, Shuckers, on a Friday night. What could cause this seemingly well-adjusted couple to commit so many counts of arson?
Hesse explores the personal histories of Charlie and Tonya, giving the reader a good idea of what might drive these two to set the fires. She also draws the scope of this story outward, tracing the dissatisfaction and decline of small towns across America as the farming industry has gone corporate, the railroad no longer brings in business, and rural populations are shrinking rapidly. In this way, she makes this not simply a true crime account but also a study in socioeconomic trends and their effects on the American people. I liked this book a lot and I would recommend reading it, especially if you live in VA. I couldn't believe I'd never hear of this story before the book came out.
Also, if true crime is normally not your cup of tea (i.e. too violent/depressing), this is probably a good pick for you-- there is no murder and not much violence. The fires are generally all set in abandoned structures, rather than inhabited homes.
Hesse explores the personal histories of Charlie and Tonya, giving the reader a good idea of what might drive these two to set the fires. She also draws the scope of this story outward, tracing the dissatisfaction and decline of small towns across America as the farming industry has gone corporate, the railroad no longer brings in business, and rural populations are shrinking rapidly. In this way, she makes this not simply a true crime account but also a study in socioeconomic trends and their effects on the American people. I liked this book a lot and I would recommend reading it, especially if you live in VA. I couldn't believe I'd never hear of this story before the book came out.
Also, if true crime is normally not your cup of tea (i.e. too violent/depressing), this is probably a good pick for you-- there is no murder and not much violence. The fires are generally all set in abandoned structures, rather than inhabited homes.
Fascinating story but would have been much better as a 20,000 word magazine piece. Seemed like the author was inserting fluff just to fill the pages at times.
"So much of life is intangible, and places don't feel like they're disappearing to the people who are living there."
An interesting story, although not as good as I had expected it to be. There were some parts where I felt vaguely disinterested, and I wonder if the audio format is to blame for that, if reading a hard copy would have proven better for this title. Overall though, a decent piece of news to hear about in depth and a twisted scenario of love and crime.
3.5 stars, it’s almost 4 but somehow this author made the most exciting event boring. I guess as a journalist she was sticking to the facts but I felt it definitely could have been more exciting with another author.
A very intriguing story if a bit heavy on unnecessary tedious details. I really enjoyed it.
A compelling and empathetic portrait of two flawed people with an outside influence on a crumbling American town.
This story captured my interest when Monica Hesse’s multi-part feature first appeared in the Washington Post. Unfortunately there are few new details here and little additional insight into how and why this bizarre criminal collaboration occurred. Much of the story feels padded; the first section in particular, before the arrests, kind of drags along. Hesse does do a very good job of conveying a sense of time and place. By the end of the book, I felt I had actually visited Accomack County. Recommended for true crime fans who haven’t read the Post article.