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Comments (26)

What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 26 items
Apr 11, 2020lavasushi rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Another book that I finished but wasn’t captivated by. Just seemed like to many tragic situations and wonderful accidents coincide.
Sep 03, 2019CuriousQT rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Outstanding! Rich in detail, compelling story set against war. Sad that this is her final novel.
Jun 12, 2019ArapahoeKati rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A solid four stars. I've struggled to read other books by Shreve but I was up late a few nights reading this one.
May 30, 2019
I loved this historical fiction set against the actual fires that devastated Maine in 1947.
Jan 20, 2019Zoelexi777 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
What a great read. It captured my attention immediately. I couldn’t put the book down. Grace the young wife and mother is forced to make difficult decisions affecting her and her children’s future following the fires of 1947 in Maine.
Aug 03, 2018ArapahoeAnnaL rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A historical novel, the Great Fires of 1947 in Maine, with a page turning plot that brings up interesting ethical questions.
Jun 05, 2018Martha C Benner rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Enjoyed this book so much. I started it and could not put it down until it was done. A great story and you could feel the pain and pleasure of the people in this book.
Apr 23, 2018trincarl07 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Loved the book, loved the description of the fires. You can almost feel the dryness of the surrounding as the town lit up. Anita is soon becoming my fav author.
Mar 08, 2018
Take a 1940's woman, give her a perfect life near the beach, a handsome husband, two adorable toddlers, a best friend, then have a fire sweep through and upend her life overnight. This is a quick read owing to Shreve's lyrical writing…
Jan 30, 2018EmilyEm rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
The New York Times reviewer of this book says: ‘The historical record of Maine's Great Fires is a literary opportunist's delight.’ Shreve sets her novel with the 1947 fires at its center with Grace Holland, a young mother and fire…
Jan 21, 2018Librarian5280 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
One of the best of 2017.
Jan 13, 2018helenlorraine rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Intrigued with the historical details of the fire. I found the female characters interesting, the male characters less so. The ending wrapped up too neatly for all. I am a fan of A. Shreve, loved The Weight of Water.
Nov 27, 2017ArapahoeJillK rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable read with an interesting writing style. Strong female character faces a devastating and historical Maine wildfire.
Nov 15, 2017xiaojunbpl12 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Well crafted story, perfect, except a quick mention of Gene in love with a French woman during the war, which doesn’t work for him, only served to tell readers everything. Grace may be one of the most memorable genuine female characters…
Aug 20, 2017molly rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I absolutely loved this novel. I love her writing style too; her very clipped sentences. The story is very moving and is told with no excess of words. This surely is her best novel yet. Don't read Publishers Weekly or Library Journal…
Aug 04, 2017me_with_66chickens rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Great historical fiction, 1950s everyday woman's survival tale!
Aug 03, 2017njon38 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Inspired by stories of the largest fire in Maine history occurring in 1947, the protagonist is a young mother of two kids who saves her family while losing all of their material possession. The husband is missing and Grace discovers her…
Jul 07, 2017Reux rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This is my first book by author Anita Shreve. I found the narrative gripping. Her prose is so evocative. While reading, when I had to leave the book to do something else: the story would stay in my head. I felt like, when you have a…
Jul 04, 2017brangwinn rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
This is similar to The Pilot’s Wife in that the marital relationship is strained. Only in the post-war 1940’s its worse, because there are so few opportunities for a wife to succeed on her own. Married to a man who doesn’t love her, Grace…
Jun 26, 2017bronteside rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
The unexpected jolt in the plot line bumps this tale from the ordinary To the very readable category. Protagonist Grace's journey from servile housewife to confident survivor Transforms the reader into a kind of shameless cheerleader…
Jun 21, 2017TraceyThomson rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Quite short at 241 pages and so easy to read. I finished this in one day, most of it sitting in a comfy library chair and looking out over the sea - a good spot to read a story set in Maine! It's very easy to slip into Anita Shreve's…
Jun 11, 2017sues05 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I've loved this author in the past, but her most recent books have just not delivered for me.
Jun 03, 2017mjk236sb rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This book is well written and takes you into the life of Grace as she faces her struggles in the back drop of the fire in Maine in 1947. The descriptive writing soon takes you into the life of Grace and the loses that she endures in her…
May 28, 2017jazpur rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
A bit close to the bone maybe for Christchurch readers after recent events. However, this is an historical study of life in Maine in 1947. The people, their attitudes and the results from the decisions they made in the aftermath of their…
May 15, 2017PimaLib_JeanSC rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Well written and a quick read, but an average story.