Where There Was Fire: A Novel by John Manuel Arias-Literary Fiction

Hello dear Readers,

My book review of Where There Was Fire: A Novel by John Manuel Arias.

Title: Where There Was Fire: A Novel

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: Literary Fiction

Author: John Manuel Arias

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Publication Date: September 19, 2023

Language: English

Hardcover: 288 pages
Meet the Author: John Manuel Arias
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

A lush and atmospheric novel about three generations of a Costa Rican family wrestling with a deadly secret, from rising literary star John Manuel Arias

“An exciting new voice with a prowess for lyricism.” ―Publishers Weekly

A B&N DISCOVER PICK * A GMA BUZZ PICK * MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2023: CrimeReads, Debutiful, Good Morning America, Library Journal, Zibby Mag, The San Francisco Chronicle, and more!

Costa Rica, 1968. When a lethal fire erupts at the American Fruit Company’s most lucrative banana plantation burning all evidence of a massive cover-up, and her husband disappears, the future of Teresa’s family is changed forever.

Now, twenty-seven years later, Teresa and her daughter Lyra are picking up the pieces. Lyra wants nothing to do with Teresa but is desperate to find out what happened to her family that fateful night. Teresa, haunted by a missing husband and the bitter ghost of her mother, Amarga, is unable to reconcile the past. What unfolds is a story of a mother and daughter trying to forgive what they do not yet understand and the mystery at the heart of one family’s rupture.

Brimming with ancestral spirits, omens, and the anthropomorphic forces of nature, John Manuel Arias weaves a brilliant tapestry of love, loss, secrets, and redemption in Where There Was Fire.

My Thoughts

Being from Costa Rica, this book was a delight to read.

When mention old Costa Rica (though I was not even born yet) by reading the history, places like the National Theater, the Banana Company, the "barrio", all these words that are so familiar but sometimes seem too far away.

I listened to the Audiobook (which did not affect my opinion of the book).

It started a little slow for me but then it picked up and was a very interesting and enjoyable read. 

Books with different POV's, I can always appreciate. Different timelines, complicated characters, and family relationships. All that made the book more interesting for me.  Glad I had the chance to read the work of a Costa Rican- American author.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the Advanced Free Copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Wendy