Bodhipaksa reviewed The Finest Fire by Annelisa J. Wagner
A heartwarming and moving read
5 stars
I absolutely loved The Finest Fire. I had the great privilege to be in a writers' group with Lisa (she's Annelisa when authoring) for a number of years, and heard her read many of the chapters out loud. So I already knew much of the story. But to immerse myself in the finished work has been a very special experience. The characters are very relatable and remind me of people I know in New Hampshire, which is where the book is set. It's essentially a book about people bruised by life coming together and creating family, interwoven with the story of a very damaged young man who's not fortunate enough to find, and perhaps not capable of creating, the warm connections with others that the other characters find so affirming. So it's a rich book: there's warmth and a happy ending, but with tragedy interspersed. Lisa's storytelling is very visual, …
I absolutely loved The Finest Fire. I had the great privilege to be in a writers' group with Lisa (she's Annelisa when authoring) for a number of years, and heard her read many of the chapters out loud. So I already knew much of the story. But to immerse myself in the finished work has been a very special experience. The characters are very relatable and remind me of people I know in New Hampshire, which is where the book is set. It's essentially a book about people bruised by life coming together and creating family, interwoven with the story of a very damaged young man who's not fortunate enough to find, and perhaps not capable of creating, the warm connections with others that the other characters find so affirming. So it's a rich book: there's warmth and a happy ending, but with tragedy interspersed. Lisa's storytelling is very visual, and I kept thinking that The Finest Fire would make a terrific TV show. I hope that happens some day, so that the author's wonderful storytelling can be brought to a wider audience. The storytelling is also very emotional. I had a lump in my throat many times, felt genuine tension, and at times almost wept with joy. Brava, Lisa! What a wonderful accomplishment! And I hope you're working on the next one!