Synopses & Reviews
A captivating memoir of trailblazing and firefighting from a pioneering woman in a male-dominated field
When Clare Frank was 17 years old, she became a firefighter in Northern California. Clare was five foot two and officially too young to join the service — she left her birthdate blank on her paperwork, hoping no one would notice. And she didn't look like her peers, who sported an Adam's apple and a mustache. But her brother was a firefighter and loved it, so she thought she'd try it out, too. Very soon, she knew she had found her calling.
Burnt is Clare's inspiring, richly detailed, and open-hearted account of an extraordinary life in fire. It chronicles the transformation of a young adult determined to prove her mettle into a scarred and sensitive veteran, grappling with the weight of her duties as chief of fire protection — one of the highest-ranking women in Cal Fire history — while record-setting fires engulf her home state. Mentors and managing, funerals and scandal, pickup basketball, car crashes, and always fire — no one has written about this world, from this perspective, like Clare Frank. She masterfully mixes irreverence and awe, taking readers inside station houses, on daily calls, and along on wildfire campaigns where antics and dark humor balance terrifying risk, trauma, and a sense of almost holy responsibility. Burnt: A Memoir of Fighting Fire is an unforgettable memoir from an American original.
Review
"A vigorous and quite timely memoir....Throughout the book, Frank is energetic and inspirational, especially to women considering work in the field."
Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Good memoirs can introduce intriguing individuals and provide access to rarefied pursuits. Author Frank manages both in this account of her fiercely independent life and 30-plus years as a firefighter in California."
Booklist
Review
"A heart-racing, heartfelt story....This exceptional memoir shows wide emotional range in spanning the complexities of firefighting and fire prevention in California and the American West, gender issues, family, work, love, and loss."
Shelf Awareness
Review
"In this evocative account of life in the firehouse, Clare Frank portrays the risks firefighters face and the stakes that are now higher than they've ever been. She does so with grit and a healthy sense of humor. A must-read." Erin Brockovich
Review
"Burnt is part fire story, part family saga, part diary of a woman rising in a 'man's world, ' and it is entirely engrossing. If natural disasters, especially wildfires, are to reshape both where and how we live, then we had better listen to the stories of the people who fight them and the price they pay. This is one of those stories and it's damn good." Kevin Hazzard, author of American Sirens and A Thousand Naked Strangers
Review
"Ominous orange skies and smoke-choked cities: The wildfire crisis is here. Burnt takes you inside. From dirt firefighter to leading thousands, Clare Frank offers a real, humorous, one-of-a-kind front-row seat to wildfires and those who fight them." Caroline Godkin, executive director of the Climate and Wildfire Institute
About the Author
Clare Frank started firefighting in California at 17 and was promoted up the ranks, becoming the state's first and only female chief of fire protection. Along the way, she earned a BS in fire administration, an MFA in creative writing, and a JD. She has lectured at colleges, universities, and state and national fire conferences, and lives near Lake Tahoe with her husband and two dogs. This is her first book.