Things You Save in a Fire
by Katherine Center
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"In this charming listen, narrator Therese Plummer portrays Cassie Hanwell—a confident, talented firefighter whose solitary life is upended when her estranged mother asks her to relocate to Boston...A wonderful story of forgiveness, friendship, love, and hope." — AudioFileFrom the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new audiobook about courage, hope, and learning to love against all odds.
Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only show more female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she's seen her fair share of them, and she's a total pro at other people's tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to give up her whole life and move to Boston, Cassie suddenly has an emergency of her own.
The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie's old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren't exactly thrilled to have a "lady" on the crew—even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the infatuation-inspiring rookie, who doesn't seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can't think about that. Because love is girly, and it's not her thing. And don't forget the advice her old captain gave her: Never date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping...and it means risking it all—the only job she's ever loved, and the hero she's worked like hell to become.
Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt and healing tour-de-force about the strength of vulnerability, the nourishing magic of forgiveness, and the life-changing power of defining courage, at last, for yourself.
Praise for Things You Save in a Fire:
"Oh, how I love Katherine Center's writing...and her newest novel is a gem...a story that reminds us that the word emergency has, at its heart, a new beginning. Just read it, and thank me later." - Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author
"...a sharp and witty exploration of love and forgiveness that is at once insightful, entertaining, and thoroughly addictive." - Kirkus, starred review
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Well, this much is clear: I wouldn’t bother to save this novel in a fire. This book is a whole new kind of bad. It actually made me annoyed and, at times, angry.
Sexualised violence, PTSD, cancer, sexism, general violence, stalking, abandonment, arson, insta-love, and forgiveness (for all of the afore-mentioned) - all in this one novel and badly done to boot.
Before anything else - even being human - Cassie Hanwell is an extremely successful firefighter. No doubt in large part due to the fact that this profession in the USA is dominated by men. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in 2020 only 9% of the firefighters were female.
I couldn’t easily find my native Germany’s statistics but in the UK, the show more percentage of female firefighters is about 7%. So, I’m going to assume it’s the same problem in the USA and in Europe.
Thus, Cassie - like many women - has always had (and still has) to work harder and longer than her male colleagues. She has also experienced sexualised violence at the age of 16.
Shockingly and shamefully, according to the US National Sexual Violence Resource Center, she has that in common with approximately one in five women in the United States has experienced completed or attempted rape during their lifetime. Additionally, 81% of women reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime.
According to a report by the United Nations, globally, approximately one in three women experience physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner.
Ten years later at an award ceremony in her honour, to everyone’s surprise, when confronted with her attacker, 26-year-old Cassie thoroughly beats him up on stage. She’s given the choice to apologise or be fired (let's not go into the question of whether any of that is realistic…) but comes up with a way out: Since her mother needs help with an eye issue, she’s going to move to her into another state and take a job there - at an all-male fire station the male captain of which loudly complains about women in his profession…
Prepared by her current female captain (“Don’t ever be a girl! Be a robot instead!”), she moves and is confronted by a world I naïvely had hoped went extinct with the ‘90s.
»l looked the sheet over. “So, to succeed in my new job, I basically need to be an asexual, androgynous, human robot that’s dead to all physical and emotional sensation.”
She sat back in her chair and nodded, like, Yep. Simple.
I nodded.
“Just be a machine,” she said. “A machine that eats fire.” «
I will now go into spoilerish detail, so on platforms that support it, I’m going to use spoiler tags. On all others; beyond here be dragons!
Cassie first moves in with her estranged mother, Diana, who walked out on her and Cassie’s father on Cassie’s 16th birthday, which also happened to be the date when she was raped…
»I looked up to see Josie smiling at me. Then she reached out and tucked a wisp of hair behind my ear. “She believed you’d be okay,” she said again. “And she was right.”«
Diana, it turns out, is an emotional manipulator who knows no boundaries and has no clue what happened to her daughter. Her “eye issue” also turns out to be a malignant, aggressive brain tumour which Diana neglects to mention till she cannot hide it any longer.
Pretty much like her father, who never even tried to get Cassie help but resorted to teaching her basketball… In the present, he’s a full-blown asshole when he “asks” her to help her mother:
»“How could you say no to her?” he demanded. “She needs you.”
“Can we talk about this later?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter when we talk about it,” my dad said, rolling out his most authoritative voice. “You’re going.”
“I already said no.”
“Change your mind.”
“I’m not going to change my mind,” I said, like he was completely nuts.
“She’s your mother, and she needs you, and you’re going.”
“You’re telling me to leave my job, my apartment, my life—everything?”
“You’re young. You’ll make it work.”«
But since mommy is going to teach Cassie forgiveness, daddy will be immediately forgiven for this and everything else.
Let’s stay with forgiveness, a central topic of this novel, for a moment: Yes, forgiveness can make sense. Most of all when we forgive ourselves. Or minor infractions by others. Mommy Diana, though, is trying to teach her adult daughter to forgive her rapist, a physically and emotionally violent criminal and everyone else - all in the name of forgiveness and for forgiveness’ sake.
Even if you feel this is valid and fine: Said violent criminal who even confesses, gets away with a slap on the wrist. The same guy who stalked, threatened and even became physically violent against Cassie in fact gets back into her good graces:
»In acknowledgment of his personal growth, I got him a T-shirt that says THIS IS WHAT A FEMINIST LOOKS LIKE.«
Yea, right.
Nothing is going to deter him or anyone else around to just do more of the same. While one’s first duty is, undisputedly, to oneself, one has to keep the consequences of one’s actions in mind. If one still stands by said action afterwards, that’s fine. But in this novel there’s no consideration for what might happen later.
Let’s move on: Having just arrived on duty, Cassie and a rookie, her love interest Owen, are being “initialised” by a ritual of duct-taping both of them half-naked to a post at night:
»“Are you guys here to haze me?” I asked, lowering my arms.
Tiny gave a little shrug. “We’re supposed to duct-tape you to the basketball pole.”
I nodded and relaxed out of my crouch. Fair enough. “Okay, then.”
Tiny didn’t step forward, so I waved him toward me.
“Let’s get it over with,” I said.
[...]
Next thing I knew, they had pressed us together, standing back to back against the basketball pole, running a roll of duct tape around us to keep us there. It was late summer and starting to get chilly.«
Now, some of you might feel that this isn’t so bad. Let’s see, though: The way this plays out makes it pretty clear they suffer through it but at no point consent to this intentionally degrading and humiliating procedure. In fact, they’re physically restrained.
While it does not involve direct, immediate physical harm, it does involve subjecting individuals to discomfort and potential embarrassment. It’s just plain disgusting and unworthy behaviour for any human being.
But, hey, at least - and here we come to the issue of instant love which is about as attractive as instant coffee - both Cassie and Owen immediately fall in love with each other. Within a year, they will be engaged and about a year later married. The epilogue kindly informs us of the further adventures; two kids, lots of forgiveness and a happily-ever-after.
This is, of course, helped by the fact that Cassie considers every single firefighter a hero and expects them always to be “the good ones”: Hyperbolizing every firefighter into a hero is doing them a disservice as it creates unrealistic expectations and puts undue pressure on them. While firefighters are undoubtedly brave and selfless individuals who put their lives on the line to save others, they are also human beings who experience fear, stress, and trauma like everyone else. By portraying them as infallible heroes, we risk overlooking the mental and emotional toll that their job can take on them. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and shame when they are unable to live up to these unrealistic expectations.
»Somebody who’s supposed to be a hero.”«
By acknowledging their humanity and vulnerability, we can create a more supportive environment that encourages them to seek help when they need it instead of trying to compartmentalise or other forms of self-abuse. This very novel shows us an example of that.
»“Firefighters are supposed to be the good guys.”«
This novel is not a romance but a misguided attempt at hero worship.
Meanwhile, Owen asks Cassie to join him at a family celebration during which he magically “heals” all her issues with a kiss. Yes, I kid you not. PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder)? Just kiss it well!
Of course, Owen has lots of issues himself: As a child he played a part in causing a huge fire which cost his paternal uncle’s life. Plagued by guilt, Owen has never told anybody and became a fireman himself because daddy is “Big Robby”, a hotshot firefighter himself. Even though he, Owen, always wanted to become a cook! (Which, of course, in a reverse-Grisu move, he’s going to become!)
Due to their severe cases of mutual instant love, they don’t have to talk or interact much either. There’s no banter in this novel. There’s no chance for chemistry to develop. They fall in love, jump into bed together (fade to black) and even before Owen gets discharged from the hospital after a life-threatening injury (Cassie of course saved his life!), he proposes to Cassie… (Using a “ring” made from the still-sticky foil of a yoghurt.)
Worst of all, though: None of the above is reflected upon in the novel - the extreme sexism, bizarre initiation rituals, toxic masculinity - it’s all just accepted as preordained. It’s just like people saying “boys will be boys” after witnessing a boy harassing a girl.
No, it’s not that simple: We’re not born as assholes but we become assholes. And whoever spouts irresponsible crap like the above is an immediate part of the problem.
At least, though, it all magically works out for Cassie…
»I even read a whole book on the psychology of post-traumatic growth, and how, in the wake of the terrible, traumatic, unfair, cruel, gaping wounds that life inflicts on us, we can become wiser and stronger than we were before.
Am I wiser and stronger now?
Without question. Even in the wake of it all.«
… and she has even read a whole psychology book (gasp!) and is now a lifelong expert!
One annoyed and angry star out of five.
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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam show less
Sexualised violence, PTSD, cancer, sexism, general violence, stalking, abandonment, arson, insta-love, and forgiveness (for all of the afore-mentioned) - all in this one novel and badly done to boot.
Before anything else - even being human - Cassie Hanwell is an extremely successful firefighter. No doubt in large part due to the fact that this profession in the USA is dominated by men. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in 2020 only 9% of the firefighters were female.
I couldn’t easily find my native Germany’s statistics but in the UK, the show more percentage of female firefighters is about 7%. So, I’m going to assume it’s the same problem in the USA and in Europe.
Thus, Cassie - like many women - has always had (and still has) to work harder and longer than her male colleagues. She has also experienced sexualised violence at the age of 16.
Shockingly and shamefully, according to the US National Sexual Violence Resource Center, she has that in common with approximately one in five women in the United States has experienced completed or attempted rape during their lifetime. Additionally, 81% of women reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime.
According to a report by the United Nations, globally, approximately one in three women experience physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner.
Ten years later at an award ceremony in her honour, to everyone’s surprise, when confronted with her attacker, 26-year-old Cassie thoroughly beats him up on stage. She’s given the choice to apologise or be fired (let's not go into the question of whether any of that is realistic…) but comes up with a way out: Since her mother needs help with an eye issue, she’s going to move to her into another state and take a job there - at an all-male fire station the male captain of which loudly complains about women in his profession…
Prepared by her current female captain (“Don’t ever be a girl! Be a robot instead!”), she moves and is confronted by a world I naïvely had hoped went extinct with the ‘90s.
»l looked the sheet over. “So, to succeed in my new job, I basically need to be an asexual, androgynous, human robot that’s dead to all physical and emotional sensation.”
She sat back in her chair and nodded, like, Yep. Simple.
I nodded.
“Just be a machine,” she said. “A machine that eats fire.” «
I will now go into spoilerish detail, so on platforms that support it, I’m going to use spoiler tags. On all others; beyond here be dragons!
Cassie first moves in with her estranged mother, Diana, who walked out on her and Cassie’s father on Cassie’s 16th birthday, which also happened to be the date when she was raped…
»I looked up to see Josie smiling at me. Then she reached out and tucked a wisp of hair behind my ear. “She believed you’d be okay,” she said again. “And she was right.”«
Diana, it turns out, is an emotional manipulator who knows no boundaries and has no clue what happened to her daughter. Her “eye issue” also turns out to be a malignant, aggressive brain tumour which Diana neglects to mention till she cannot hide it any longer.
Pretty much like her father, who never even tried to get Cassie help but resorted to teaching her basketball… In the present, he’s a full-blown asshole when he “asks” her to help her mother:
»“How could you say no to her?” he demanded. “She needs you.”
“Can we talk about this later?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter when we talk about it,” my dad said, rolling out his most authoritative voice. “You’re going.”
“I already said no.”
“Change your mind.”
“I’m not going to change my mind,” I said, like he was completely nuts.
“She’s your mother, and she needs you, and you’re going.”
“You’re telling me to leave my job, my apartment, my life—everything?”
“You’re young. You’ll make it work.”«
But since mommy is going to teach Cassie forgiveness, daddy will be immediately forgiven for this and everything else.
Let’s stay with forgiveness, a central topic of this novel, for a moment: Yes, forgiveness can make sense. Most of all when we forgive ourselves. Or minor infractions by others. Mommy Diana, though, is trying to teach her adult daughter to forgive her rapist, a physically and emotionally violent criminal and everyone else - all in the name of forgiveness and for forgiveness’ sake.
Even if you feel this is valid and fine: Said violent criminal who even confesses, gets away with a slap on the wrist. The same guy who stalked, threatened and even became physically violent against Cassie in fact gets back into her good graces:
»In acknowledgment of his personal growth, I got him a T-shirt that says THIS IS WHAT A FEMINIST LOOKS LIKE.«
Yea, right.
Nothing is going to deter him or anyone else around to just do more of the same. While one’s first duty is, undisputedly, to oneself, one has to keep the consequences of one’s actions in mind. If one still stands by said action afterwards, that’s fine. But in this novel there’s no consideration for what might happen later.
Let’s move on: Having just arrived on duty, Cassie and a rookie, her love interest Owen, are being “initialised” by a ritual of duct-taping both of them half-naked to a post at night:
»“Are you guys here to haze me?” I asked, lowering my arms.
Tiny gave a little shrug. “We’re supposed to duct-tape you to the basketball pole.”
I nodded and relaxed out of my crouch. Fair enough. “Okay, then.”
Tiny didn’t step forward, so I waved him toward me.
“Let’s get it over with,” I said.
[...]
Next thing I knew, they had pressed us together, standing back to back against the basketball pole, running a roll of duct tape around us to keep us there. It was late summer and starting to get chilly.«
Now, some of you might feel that this isn’t so bad. Let’s see, though: The way this plays out makes it pretty clear they suffer through it but at no point consent to this intentionally degrading and humiliating procedure. In fact, they’re physically restrained.
While it does not involve direct, immediate physical harm, it does involve subjecting individuals to discomfort and potential embarrassment. It’s just plain disgusting and unworthy behaviour for any human being.
But, hey, at least - and here we come to the issue of instant love which is about as attractive as instant coffee - both Cassie and Owen immediately fall in love with each other. Within a year, they will be engaged and about a year later married. The epilogue kindly informs us of the further adventures; two kids, lots of forgiveness and a happily-ever-after.
This is, of course, helped by the fact that Cassie considers every single firefighter a hero and expects them always to be “the good ones”: Hyperbolizing every firefighter into a hero is doing them a disservice as it creates unrealistic expectations and puts undue pressure on them. While firefighters are undoubtedly brave and selfless individuals who put their lives on the line to save others, they are also human beings who experience fear, stress, and trauma like everyone else. By portraying them as infallible heroes, we risk overlooking the mental and emotional toll that their job can take on them. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and shame when they are unable to live up to these unrealistic expectations.
»Somebody who’s supposed to be a hero.”«
By acknowledging their humanity and vulnerability, we can create a more supportive environment that encourages them to seek help when they need it instead of trying to compartmentalise or other forms of self-abuse. This very novel shows us an example of that.
»“Firefighters are supposed to be the good guys.”«
This novel is not a romance but a misguided attempt at hero worship.
Meanwhile, Owen asks Cassie to join him at a family celebration during which he magically “heals” all her issues with a kiss. Yes, I kid you not. PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder)? Just kiss it well!
Of course, Owen has lots of issues himself: As a child he played a part in causing a huge fire which cost his paternal uncle’s life. Plagued by guilt, Owen has never told anybody and became a fireman himself because daddy is “Big Robby”, a hotshot firefighter himself. Even though he, Owen, always wanted to become a cook! (Which, of course, in a reverse-Grisu move, he’s going to become!)
Due to their severe cases of mutual instant love, they don’t have to talk or interact much either. There’s no banter in this novel. There’s no chance for chemistry to develop. They fall in love, jump into bed together (fade to black) and even before Owen gets discharged from the hospital after a life-threatening injury (Cassie of course saved his life!), he proposes to Cassie… (Using a “ring” made from the still-sticky foil of a yoghurt.)
Worst of all, though: None of the above is reflected upon in the novel - the extreme sexism, bizarre initiation rituals, toxic masculinity - it’s all just accepted as preordained. It’s just like people saying “boys will be boys” after witnessing a boy harassing a girl.
No, it’s not that simple: We’re not born as assholes but we become assholes. And whoever spouts irresponsible crap like the above is an immediate part of the problem.
At least, though, it all magically works out for Cassie…
»I even read a whole book on the psychology of post-traumatic growth, and how, in the wake of the terrible, traumatic, unfair, cruel, gaping wounds that life inflicts on us, we can become wiser and stronger than we were before.
Am I wiser and stronger now?
Without question. Even in the wake of it all.«
… and she has even read a whole psychology book (gasp!) and is now a lifelong expert!
One annoyed and angry star out of five.
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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam show less
Multiple events conspire together to cause Cassie Hanwell to move away from the city in which she's just received an award for her service as a firefighter to a new city where, she's told, they don't even think women should be firefighters. But Cassie has taught herself how to overcome almost anything--but keeping emotions and feelings at bay and always following a schedule and a plan. This method serves her well, but also poorly, in her new life. A very strained relationship with her sick mother and a crush on the rookie at her new fire station both lead to changes she could never have expected.
This book was a fun read for me, and I think it is interesting that it isn't quite as much of a pure romance as I thought it would be. The show more romance is a key factor, but it's not the only factor. Other important elements include recovering from past trauma (or lack thereof), mother-daughter relationship (focusing on abandonment of the daughter), surviving in a not-entirely-friendly workplace, and most of all, forgiveness.
I really liked the fact that the book had that last angle in it, because I think it's something that many people don't really take the time and effort to try to do. The book may have taken a fairly simplistic approach, but for what it was, I appreciated it.
There are a lot of tropes wrapped up in Cassie, but at the same time, she had some traits that I really connected with. For example, I watched as she pushed another character away, and then was truly disappointed that the other character left. She wanted this person to push harder to reach her, help her, get her to open up, whatever, even while at the same time knowing that she would never let that person in. I am like that as well, especially with my husband, though with his help, I've identified it and am working on it.
One thing that bugged me throughout the book was Cassie's mother. I had a really hard time sympathizing with her, for reasons that I won't explain, because it would broach spoiler territory. But in the end, I decided that I didn't have to agree with Cassie's assessment of her mother or the situation. It wasn't my mother, so I just let it be.
The ending had a few wrap-ups that were a little strange to me, but I enjoyed the book overall. I recommend it to fans of romance, especially those where the romance isn't quite so in-your-face.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me a copy of this book to review! show less
This book was a fun read for me, and I think it is interesting that it isn't quite as much of a pure romance as I thought it would be. The show more romance is a key factor, but it's not the only factor. Other important elements include recovering from past trauma (or lack thereof), mother-daughter relationship (focusing on abandonment of the daughter), surviving in a not-entirely-friendly workplace, and most of all, forgiveness.
I really liked the fact that the book had that last angle in it, because I think it's something that many people don't really take the time and effort to try to do. The book may have taken a fairly simplistic approach, but for what it was, I appreciated it.
There are a lot of tropes wrapped up in Cassie, but at the same time, she had some traits that I really connected with. For example, I watched as she pushed another character away, and then was truly disappointed that the other character left. She wanted this person to push harder to reach her, help her, get her to open up, whatever, even while at the same time knowing that she would never let that person in. I am like that as well, especially with my husband, though with his help, I've identified it and am working on it.
One thing that bugged me throughout the book was Cassie's mother. I had a really hard time sympathizing with her, for reasons that I won't explain, because it would broach spoiler territory. But in the end, I decided that I didn't have to agree with Cassie's assessment of her mother or the situation. It wasn't my mother, so I just let it be.
The ending had a few wrap-ups that were a little strange to me, but I enjoyed the book overall. I recommend it to fans of romance, especially those where the romance isn't quite so in-your-face.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me a copy of this book to review! show less
I love firefighter romances and this one is definitely going in my favorites!! Fun voice in this one! A firefighter from Austin is forced to relocate to Boston to care for an ailing parent. Strong female characters, great firefighter camaraderie and good family dynamics.
This one hooked me from the start with the great storytelling. Cassie is strong, one of the guys, doesn’t let stuff get her down, and is snarky and smart to boot. I LOVED all the firehouse pranking and the relationship between her and “Rookie” as they settled into their new firehouse in Boston. And as that relationship developed, it was such a great romance. Really good backstories that worked and added to the overall story, and the mystery plot line that came in show more later was awesome. This book was just a complete win from start to finish. 5/5 stars.
Trigger Warnings: rape, cancer, abandonment
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. show less
This one hooked me from the start with the great storytelling. Cassie is strong, one of the guys, doesn’t let stuff get her down, and is snarky and smart to boot. I LOVED all the firehouse pranking and the relationship between her and “Rookie” as they settled into their new firehouse in Boston. And as that relationship developed, it was such a great romance. Really good backstories that worked and added to the overall story, and the mystery plot line that came in show more later was awesome. This book was just a complete win from start to finish. 5/5 stars.
Trigger Warnings:
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. show less
First off, if Katherine Center writes it I’m going to read it, and so should you. Things You Save In a Fire is just the latest amazing novel from this marvelous author. Her stories take some monumental events in people’s lives and walk you through how they deal with them. The good, the bad, the pain, the happiness, it’s all there. Makes you laugh and makes you cry and gives you a lot to think about.
Cassie has had a lot thrown at her in her life but she has succeeded despite that. She’s a decorated firefighter, one of the best at the job. The way she has done that, though, is to push the bad parts down and ignore them. And now circumstances have come together that will make her confront her past and the things she’s been show more avoiding. Being forced to leave her forward-thinking modern firehouse in Texas where she feels so at home and join a tough, old-school firehouse in Boston where she is unwelcome is not easy. Nor is suddenly living with the ailing mother she’s been more or less estranged from since she was sixteen. Pushing the feelings down wasn’t dealing with them and meant her life was her work and nothing else. No friends, no dating, no relationships. Now she is discovering she can’t avoid those feelings when she is face-to-face with her mother and others on a daily basis.
And the Boston firehouse. Well, to say they don’t want her there is an understatement. She has to prove herself over and over and still struggles to fit in. Someone in the firehouse is trying to force Cassie out, by harming her or even harming her mother. The last piece of advice her female captain in Texas gave her was fit in, and most of all don’t date a firefighter. She’s trying, but it’s not easy. Cassie’s not the only newbie in the Boston firehouse. There’s a rookie – and there is definitely something sparking between the two of them. But she can’t jeopardize her job, and as things keep getting worse and more dangerous her she doesn’t know if she can even trust him.
Things You Save In a Fire is a story with everything – excitement, danger, mystery, emergencies, fires – but most of all it’s a beautifully told tale about learning to forgive, to love, and to stop and think and listen and face what has hurt you.
Tissue alert: a few chapters in you learn that Cassie was the first firefighter on the scene after Margaret’s accident in How to Walk Away. I had the same reaction as when I read that (marvelous, terrific, wonderful) book and it was a nice tie-in.
Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt, affecting novel about life and love with characters you will care deeply about. Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed Things You Save in a Fire and recommend it without hesitation. show less
Cassie has had a lot thrown at her in her life but she has succeeded despite that. She’s a decorated firefighter, one of the best at the job. The way she has done that, though, is to push the bad parts down and ignore them. And now circumstances have come together that will make her confront her past and the things she’s been show more avoiding. Being forced to leave her forward-thinking modern firehouse in Texas where she feels so at home and join a tough, old-school firehouse in Boston where she is unwelcome is not easy. Nor is suddenly living with the ailing mother she’s been more or less estranged from since she was sixteen. Pushing the feelings down wasn’t dealing with them and meant her life was her work and nothing else. No friends, no dating, no relationships. Now she is discovering she can’t avoid those feelings when she is face-to-face with her mother and others on a daily basis.
And the Boston firehouse. Well, to say they don’t want her there is an understatement. She has to prove herself over and over and still struggles to fit in. Someone in the firehouse is trying to force Cassie out, by harming her or even harming her mother. The last piece of advice her female captain in Texas gave her was fit in, and most of all don’t date a firefighter. She’s trying, but it’s not easy. Cassie’s not the only newbie in the Boston firehouse. There’s a rookie – and there is definitely something sparking between the two of them. But she can’t jeopardize her job, and as things keep getting worse and more dangerous her she doesn’t know if she can even trust him.
Things You Save In a Fire is a story with everything – excitement, danger, mystery, emergencies, fires – but most of all it’s a beautifully told tale about learning to forgive, to love, and to stop and think and listen and face what has hurt you.
Tissue alert: a few chapters in you learn that Cassie was the first firefighter on the scene after Margaret’s accident in How to Walk Away. I had the same reaction as when I read that (marvelous, terrific, wonderful) book and it was a nice tie-in.
Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt, affecting novel about life and love with characters you will care deeply about. Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed Things You Save in a Fire and recommend it without hesitation. show less
Wow, Katherine Center has created an incredibly strong female protagonist. Cassie Hanwell is a first responder, abandoned by her mother on her sixteenth birthday which was also the day she experienced something so horrific that she has kept it submerged for ten years. On what is to be a great day, full of applause and accolades, she comes face to face with her worst nightmare and does what any self respecting, wronged female would do. She loses it and in a moment her life changes.
Center captures the essence of this woman who has to prove herself over and over again, not just to her male colleagues, but to herself. She has to figure out a way to exist in a job that she loves while her fellow firefighters continue to doubt her abilities. show more This part of the story is relatable on so many levels. She has to decide whether breaking every rule and protocol she has been taught will bring her happiness or end her career.
Much of this book deals with the issue of choice. The choice to pick yourself up over and over again and keep going despite the battering you have just taken. The choice to “refuse to let the world’s monsters ruin everything”. The choice to find your inner strength through your greatest weakness. Good on you Catherine Center, good on you.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy. show less
Center captures the essence of this woman who has to prove herself over and over again, not just to her male colleagues, but to herself. She has to figure out a way to exist in a job that she loves while her fellow firefighters continue to doubt her abilities. show more This part of the story is relatable on so many levels. She has to decide whether breaking every rule and protocol she has been taught will bring her happiness or end her career.
Much of this book deals with the issue of choice. The choice to pick yourself up over and over again and keep going despite the battering you have just taken. The choice to “refuse to let the world’s monsters ruin everything”. The choice to find your inner strength through your greatest weakness. Good on you Catherine Center, good on you.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy. show less
I’d seen so much praise for Things You Save In a Fire by Katherine Center on various blogs well in advance of its publication date that I was eager to get my hands on a copy.
Cassie Hanwell is a firefighter in Austin, Texas who loves her job, and has worked hard to earn the respect of her crew. When a run in with a local councillor puts her career in jeopardy, Cassie reluctantly decides to move to small town Massachusetts, where she takes a position in a firehouse, and moves in with her estranged, ailing mother.
Things You Save In a Fire is a contemporary romance that also explores the themes of family, courage, forgiveness, and redemption. Center does an impressive job of balancing the romance and humour with the more serious show more elements of the story.
There is an emphasis on the complexities of relationships in Things You Save In a Fire, not only in the romance that develops between Cassie, and ‘rookie’ Owen, but also Cassie’s difficult relationship with her mother, and the relationships she needs to forge with her new colleagues in order to safely do her job.
I enjoyed the romance between Cassie and Owen, it’s inevitable from the moment they meet, but there are good reasons for Cassie to be wary of their attraction. Owen is perhaps a little too good to be true, but I was willing to embrace the fantasy.
Cassie’s resentment of her mother is tangled up with a traumatic incident she experienced on the same night her mother left the family, their relationship therefore is a complicated one. That her mother is ill adds another layer of strain to their interaction, and I liked the way the author navigated the issues between them.
Not unexpectedly, Cassie has to prove herself to her fellow firefighters who aren’t really sure that a woman is capable of the job. For the most part, the crew are welcoming if somewhat bemused, and it was very entertaining to see her repeatedly exceed their expectations, but it soon becomes clear that at least one of them deeply resents her presence.
Perhaps the most important relationship in Things You Save In a Fire is the one Cassie has with herself. She shut down emotionally at sixteen, fought to become hard, tough and strong, and struggles to relax the control she clings to. I appreciated the growth shown by her character as the story unfolded.
“Choosing to love—despite all the ways that people let you down, and disappear, and break your heart. Knowing everything we know about how hard life is and choosing to love anyway … That’s not weakness. That’s courage.”
Warm, witty, and casually subversive I really enjoyed Things You Save In a Fire, and ?I hope to read more of her work. show less
Cassie Hanwell is a firefighter in Austin, Texas who loves her job, and has worked hard to earn the respect of her crew. When a run in with a local councillor puts her career in jeopardy, Cassie reluctantly decides to move to small town Massachusetts, where she takes a position in a firehouse, and moves in with her estranged, ailing mother.
Things You Save In a Fire is a contemporary romance that also explores the themes of family, courage, forgiveness, and redemption. Center does an impressive job of balancing the romance and humour with the more serious show more elements of the story.
There is an emphasis on the complexities of relationships in Things You Save In a Fire, not only in the romance that develops between Cassie, and ‘rookie’ Owen, but also Cassie’s difficult relationship with her mother, and the relationships she needs to forge with her new colleagues in order to safely do her job.
I enjoyed the romance between Cassie and Owen, it’s inevitable from the moment they meet, but there are good reasons for Cassie to be wary of their attraction. Owen is perhaps a little too good to be true, but I was willing to embrace the fantasy.
Cassie’s resentment of her mother is tangled up with a traumatic incident she experienced on the same night her mother left the family, their relationship therefore is a complicated one. That her mother is ill adds another layer of strain to their interaction, and I liked the way the author navigated the issues between them.
Not unexpectedly, Cassie has to prove herself to her fellow firefighters who aren’t really sure that a woman is capable of the job. For the most part, the crew are welcoming if somewhat bemused, and it was very entertaining to see her repeatedly exceed their expectations, but it soon becomes clear that at least one of them deeply resents her presence.
Perhaps the most important relationship in Things You Save In a Fire is the one Cassie has with herself. She shut down emotionally at sixteen, fought to become hard, tough and strong, and struggles to relax the control she clings to. I appreciated the growth shown by her character as the story unfolded.
“Choosing to love—despite all the ways that people let you down, and disappear, and break your heart. Knowing everything we know about how hard life is and choosing to love anyway … That’s not weakness. That’s courage.”
Warm, witty, and casually subversive I really enjoyed Things You Save In a Fire, and ?I hope to read more of her work. show less
I was selected to be an early reader for Katherine Center's "Things You Save in a Fire," and I'm excited that was the case, because I really enjoyed it! **SPOILERS AHEAD**
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I'd say "Things You Save in a Fire" is a step above a beach read, in that it isn't just fluff and does deal with some serious themes (e.g., sexual violence, sexism, stalking). It is a fun, engaging, and quick read and an interesting take on a conventional summer/beach read love story, because it is meatier than those kids of books typically are. I really loved the main character, Cassie Hanwell, a phenomenal firefighter who *literally* kicks ass within the first 20 pages of the book, and I also liked her character's overall toughness and humor. Another show more aspect of the novel I enjoyed is the exploration of different kinds of relationships between women: daughter and mother, firefighter and captain, even if I wish there'd been more of that. I liked how Katherine Center went just enough into what it is like to be a firefighter so readers can get a sense of the complexity of the profession (shout out to her volunteer firefighter husband for providing info), but didn't get too technical so we or the plot would get lost. And, the budding romance between Cassie and the rookie was also entertaining :-) If you're looking for something fun and light (but not too light) this summer to relax and read, keep your eyes open on August 13th when "Things You Save in a Fire" is available! show less
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I'd say "Things You Save in a Fire" is a step above a beach read, in that it isn't just fluff and does deal with some serious themes (e.g., sexual violence, sexism, stalking). It is a fun, engaging, and quick read and an interesting take on a conventional summer/beach read love story, because it is meatier than those kids of books typically are. I really loved the main character, Cassie Hanwell, a phenomenal firefighter who *literally* kicks ass within the first 20 pages of the book, and I also liked her character's overall toughness and humor. Another show more aspect of the novel I enjoyed is the exploration of different kinds of relationships between women: daughter and mother, firefighter and captain, even if I wish there'd been more of that. I liked how Katherine Center went just enough into what it is like to be a firefighter so readers can get a sense of the complexity of the profession (shout out to her volunteer firefighter husband for providing info), but didn't get too technical so we or the plot would get lost. And, the budding romance between Cassie and the rookie was also entertaining :-) If you're looking for something fun and light (but not too light) this summer to relax and read, keep your eyes open on August 13th when "Things You Save in a Fire" is available! show less
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Author Information
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Katherine Center is a New York Times bestselling author. She started wrting in elementary school with her focus being on poems, essays, and stories. She won a creative writing scholarship in high school, and then went on to major in creative writing at Vassar College, where she won the Vassar College Fiction Prize. At 22, she won a fellowship to show more the University of Houston¿s Creative Writing Program and moved home to Texas. She struggled for a decade with her writing before she wrote her first novel, The Bright Side of Disaster, which hit the bestseller lists. Katherine's writing reflects her belief that joy is as important as sorrow. Her stories are all about finding ways to savor life's moments of grace. Her other title's include: How to Walk Away, Husband, and Happiness for Beginners. Her work has appeared in People, USA Today, Vanity Fair and Redbook. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Things You Save in a Fire
- Original publication date
- 2019-08-13
- People/Characters
- Cassie Hanwell; Diana Hanwell; Ted Hanwell; Hernandez; Captain Harris; Heath Thompson (show all 20); Captain Jerry Murphy; Owen "Rookie" Callaghan; Joe "Tiny" Sullivan; Drew "Six Pack" Beniretto; Tom "Case" McElroy; Anthony DeStasio; Josie; Wallace; Colleen Callaghan; Big Robby Callaghan; Amy; Annette DeStasio; Tony DeStasio; Carol Hanwell
- Important places
- Austin, Texas, USA; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Rockport, Massachusetts, USA; Lillian, Massachusetts, USA
- Dedication
- For every woman who has ever had to be brave.
And for the folks in the world who make a choice to be helpers.
And for my hilarious and good-hearted volunteer firefighter husband, Gordon. This book would be about ten pages long without his help. He told me a hundred hilarious and heartbreaking firefighting stories, walked me through a... (show all)ll his EMS skills, read draft after draft for accuracy, and fielded countless questions like,"What is firefighter slang for 'vomit'." - First words
- The night I became the youngest person—and the only female ever—to win the Austin Fire Department's valor award, I got propositioned by my partner.
- Quotations
- As if you don't always lose by definition when you push the people who love you away.
"There's all this toughness about you—but the most impressive thing about that toughness, I think, is that you built it to protect the tenderness."
Maybe all happiness could ever hope to be was a tiny interruption from sorrow. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)I forget.
- Publisher's editor
- Enderlin, Jennifer
- Blurbers
- Picoult, Jodi
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 1,555
- Popularity
- 14,723
- Reviews
- 112
- Rating
- (3.95)
- Languages
- English, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 13
- ASINs
- 3