Malibu Rising

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2021) 369 pages

The four adult children of famed singer, Mick Riva, have not seen him since he left their mother when the youngest was a baby. When their mother died, Nina, the oldest, wasn't quite eighteen, but she filed for guardianship on her birthday so that her family would not be separated. Their father hadn't responded when they attempted to inform him that their mother had died; they were on their own. He had never sent child support, and with their mother's death, Nina ultimately quit high school to work in the restaurant their grandparents had left to their mother. Now Nina is twenty five, Jay and Hud are 24 and 23, and Kit is 19.

This novel counts the hours in a day before two things occur: a large annual party the siblings hold to celebrate their triumphs, and a humongous fire that will scorch the Malibu area that same night. Reid also dips into the past to tell this family's story, starting with their parents, Mick and June. By the time we get to "today," we know that some of the siblings have earned their own fame, but they have also had their share of troubles. The fire that we know is awaiting keeps tension building up. I found the pacing good, and highly recommend this author.

Nothing to See Here

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (2019) 254 pages

Lillian grew up with a single mother who didn't seem to care about her. As a young teen, she meets Madison, finally finding a friend who brings her joy. But at age 28, they haven't seen each other in years, communicating only by mail. When Madison asks Lillian to be a governess to her husband's twin children from a previous marriage, Lillian is enticed by the opportunity to be near Madison again, and to be well-paid, after years of low-paying jobs. The children's father, Jasper, is a Senator with hopes to eventually become President. It's imperative to him that there is no scandal in his life.

The catch: Bessie and Roland, age 10, have the ability to catch fire, especially when they are stressed. And yes, they have been very stressed by the divorce of their parents and of the recent death of their mother.

The book traces Lillian's feelings of unworthiness, her attempts to bond with the combustible children, and her complicated relationship with Madison. The premise of the book sounds odd, but I thought it worked.

The Library Book

The Library Book by Susan Orlean (2018) 317 pages

In The Library Book, Susan Orlean deftly maneuvers between the origins of the Los Angeles Public Library in 1872 and its growth, and the events and aftermath of the day of the humongous fire that could have destroyed the Central Library in downtown LA in 1986. Orlean includes a strong characterization of Harry Peak, the enigmatic story-changer who was considered an arson suspect, with interviews of police, firefighters, library staff, and Peak's family and friends. The book is part history, part mystery, and part commentary on the modern library as it adapts to meet the needs of its patrons.

Additionally, we learn much about the old library and its fragility before the fire, and how many books were damaged (700,00) and destroyed (400,000) by the fire, and how a great number of the damaged books could be frozen and later restored. This was a library book that was hard to put down!

Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter

Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter, 193 pages.

PTSD before anyone knew about PTSD or realized that it could have looked like a horse who spoke to you with the voice of an angel, a horse who told you where to go with your infant son, now that your wife was dead, an angel-horse who had turned his back on Christ and knew your infant son would be the new King of Heaven. The horse could really be the angel you saw in France, or it could have been way too many shells falling too near Henry Bright while he was over there during the first World War. Josh Ritter's book is strange, haunting and beautiful, and many of the questions it asks are never really answered.

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Fire Monks

Fire Monks by Colleen Morton Busch  256 pp.

In June of 2008 one lightning storm sparked 2000 wildfires across the state of California. One of the places in danger of burning was the Tassajara Zen Buddhist Retreat Center near Jamesburg. The Center is located 1600 feet up in a remote mountain valley. The monks had protected it with assistance from firefighters twice before. This time, however, authorities could not promise them help. During the month preceding the arrival of the fire the monks and visitors set up "rain" systems to keep essential buildings wet and less likely to burn, ran fire drills so the monks knew how to handle the fire hoses, pumps and other equipment, cleared away flammable brush & debris, dug fire breaks, and secured a communication line so they could keep in contact with the "outside world" should they become cut off. When the fire moved close, fire officials ordered the evacuation of everyone at the center because there would be no outside help to protect the center. Five of the monks, including the abbott turned back and returned to the center to protect it the best they could. Amazingly, these four men and one woman managed to save the center without serious injury to themselves and with the loss of only a few structures. The story is an amazing one and also raises the questions as to why the center was denied assistance, even water drops, when water planes & helicopters were sitting on the ground unused.  It's an interesting story.

Disaster! / Dan Kurtzman

Disaster! the great San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906 by Dan Kurtzman. 296 p.

The second book I've read on this topic this month. This one is a little facile, but a much better popular history overview than the previous one. Kurtzman's book is better organized than Dennis Smith's (the other author), so it's much easier to follow what's going on.

Because most people with insurance were covered for fire but not earthquake, and because the city powers feared that no one would invest and rebuild if they were worried about earthquakes (uncontrollable) versus fire (preventable), people afterwards almost always talked about the fire rather than the earthquake. Yet nowadays it's almost always referred to as just an earthquake--I knew there was massive devastation in its wake, but until I started reading about it I had no idea about the scope of the fires.