Notes on Surviving the Fire

A razor-sharp, darkly funny literary novel about male violence, a woman's vengeance, and whether killing can ever be justified

By: Christine Murphy

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Paperback | 25 February 2025 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
288 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23.3 x 15.3 x 2.6

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A darkly funny, confronting debut novel about violence and vengeance - but also the story of a woman's journey to come back to herself after trauma

Sarah is a final year PhD student in southern California, caught in a landscape of extreme wealth and raging wildfires. She spends her time worrying about how she will be able to get a permanent academic position, and also doing ketamine and watching 80s movies with her best friend, Nathan.

Nathan was the only person to believe Sarah when she was assaulted by a fellow student during her first year. Sarah reported it to the university and to the police, but nothing happened. "He's such a good guy." "He wouldn't do that." "Were you drinking?"

When Nathan is found dead of an alleged heroin overdose, Sarah is convinced it is a murder but, once again, the police don't believe her. As she digs into the case, she stumbles upon a disturbing pattern in the deaths of other young men on campus and begins to piece together a possible link between the victims.

As a girl, Sarah grew up in the forests of Maine, following her father on hunts that he would organize for tourists. While the folks from away were eager to shoot a buck for a souvenir, Sarah and her father approached each kill with something close to reverence, honoring the sacrifice the animal made and the sustenance it provided through winter. Now, Sarah must confront a different type of killing - and decide if it can be justified.

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