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sararahjane 's review for:
American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land
by Monica Hesse
I happily read the whole book, but it won’t stick with me. The author reeaally wants this story to have big things to say beyond the series of arsons in a small West Virginia town that it focuses on, but it never really got there for me and it was heavy-handed. E.g. “I got to Accomac County and the metaphors were endless.” And “Suddenly her story wasn’t just about arson, it was about love, declining industry, ...” The central characters never felt fully fleshed out to me either. As a crime story, it’s pretty amazing, and that was enough to enjoy the quick read.