📖 Overview
A bushfire threatens to engulf a small community in South Australia's Adelaide Hills, setting off a chain of events that will transform multiple lives. The story takes place over 24 intense hours as residents face impossible decisions about whether to stay and defend their homes or evacuate.
The narrative follows veterinarian Lucy, her partner Jamie, and several neighbors as they navigate the crisis individually and as a fractured community. The deep connections between humans, animals, and the land become apparent as the fire approaches and survival instincts take over.
At its core, Fire Fire is an exploration of human behavior during crisis and the complex relationship between people and their environment. The novel raises questions about climate change, community responsibility, and what truly matters when everything is at risk.
👀 Reviews
The book seems to have minimal reviews and reader feedback online. On Goodreads, Fire Fire has only a handful of ratings and an average score of 3.5/5 stars.
Some readers appreciate Hornung's unique writing style and descriptions of life in a remote outback township. A few reviews mention connecting with the raw emotions and family dynamics portrayed.
Common critiques focus on the slow pacing, particularly in the first third of the book. Some readers found the numerous character perspectives confusing and hard to follow. One Goodreads review notes that "the shifting viewpoints made it difficult to get invested in any single character's story."
Ratings:
Goodreads: 3.5/5 (8 ratings)
No ratings available on Amazon or other major book review sites
Note: Due to the book's limited online presence and small number of public reviews, this summary reflects feedback from a very small sample size.
📚 Similar books
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
A post-apocalyptic tale centers on a man and his dog surviving in a decimated world, exploring themes of isolation and human-animal bonds.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy A father and son traverse a burned American landscape while forming connections with other survivors in their fight for existence.
Into the Forest by Jean Hegland Two sisters adapt to life in their remote forest home after civilization collapses, learning survival skills and deepening their connection to nature.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel A pandemic reshapes human society and forces survivors to navigate between preservation of art and basic survival.
The Last Dog on Earth by Adrian J. Walker A man and his dog face the aftermath of societal collapse in London while forming alliances with other survivors and confronting the changes in human nature.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy A father and son traverse a burned American landscape while forming connections with other survivors in their fight for existence.
Into the Forest by Jean Hegland Two sisters adapt to life in their remote forest home after civilization collapses, learning survival skills and deepening their connection to nature.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel A pandemic reshapes human society and forces survivors to navigate between preservation of art and basic survival.
The Last Dog on Earth by Adrian J. Walker A man and his dog face the aftermath of societal collapse in London while forming alliances with other survivors and confronting the changes in human nature.
🤔 Interesting facts
🔥 Author Eva Hornung previously wrote under the name Eva Sallis until 2008, winning several awards for her earlier works.
🔥 The book explores the devastating impact of the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires, which burned more than 46 million acres and killed or displaced nearly 3 billion animals.
🔥 Hornung based much of the novel's detail on her personal experiences living in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia, an area severely impacted by bushfires.
🔥 The narrative weaves together Aboriginal fire management practices with modern-day firefighting techniques, highlighting the contrast between traditional and contemporary approaches.
🔥 The author spent extensive time interviewing firefighters, wildlife rescuers, and local residents to create authentic representations of the bushfire crisis in her novel.