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A review by pretentiousbreadcrumbs
The Arsonist: A Mind on Fire by Chloe Hooper
4.0
This true story details the events of Black Saturday, the Victorian bushfires which were caused by arson and took 173 lives.
I went into this book with no prior knowledge of Black Saturday, I was expecting a murder mystery-esque novel where we are presented with numerous plausible scenarios as the truth gradually unravels. But this is not the story of how Black Saturday played out. We know who caused it. What we don't know is why.
This book dives into the underlying social climate of the people involved in this tragedy in a way that is empathetic to this victims yet dignifying for the accused.
It's a tough read at times, but I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about one of Australia's darkest days.
I went into this book with no prior knowledge of Black Saturday, I was expecting a murder mystery-esque novel where we are presented with numerous plausible scenarios as the truth gradually unravels. But this is not the story of how Black Saturday played out. We know who caused it. What we don't know is why.
This book dives into the underlying social climate of the people involved in this tragedy in a way that is empathetic to this victims yet dignifying for the accused.
It's a tough read at times, but I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about one of Australia's darkest days.