The Big Burn

Rating:
Summary: THE BIG BURN is a great choice.
Review: In light of the recent wildfires in Colorado and Arizona, THE BIG BURN is an interesting book, but it would certainly be noteworthy under any circumstances. The story follows two young men and a young woman as they encounter and combat the infamously ferocious Montana wildfires of 1910. Jeanette Ingold deftly switches perspectives throughout the tale to keep the reader interested in this well-crafted historical novel.

Jarrett, the brother of a forest ranger, is on a quest to prove himself to his gruff father; Lizbeth, living with her widowed aunt, wants to preserve her adopted Western home; and Seth, a young black soldier, is dedicated to serving his country and overcoming racial prejudice. Apart and together, they transcend traditional teenage roles and attempt to save their homes from the fires that ravaged the Montana and Idaho wilderness during the summer of 1910. Some of the plot developments may seem clich? (romance blooms where you'd probably expect --- close calls end with last-second rescues, etc.), but overall the adventure is unlike any other book available. This overlooked event in US history provides a wealth of excitement for a talented writer. The parallel stories of the three protagonists allow for several viewpoints of every episode; Ingold paints a comprehensive portrait of the true historical events of the period.

Ingold intersperses the chapters with "field notes" chronicling the wildfires and wilderness firefighting from an objective standpoint. These sections are actually where she writes best and they are a testament to the thorough research that went into writing the book. Both historically accurate and dramatically engaging, THE BIG BURN is a great choice for anyone who is interested in learning about the phenomena of forest fires while also reading a great story.

--- Reviewed by Lowell Putnam


Rating:
Summary: Excellent historical fiction!
Review: Ingold tells the reader that if you talk with anyone in Idaho or Montana for long enough, the subject of the Big Burn will come up, and the person telling you about it will expect you to know all about it. After reading Ingold's well-researched book, any reader would be able to contribute to the subject. Set in 1910, when forest rangers were new, railroads were huge, and immigrants were still flooding the country, The Big Burn tells the story of the wild fires of the northwestern United States. Ingold gives us three main characters: Jarrett, Lisbeth and Seth. These teenagers each deal with the fire in their own way, and find that there is more to fighting fires than a little water or ditch digging. The three do meet in the tale (it is plausible), and each tell their view of the events in concurrent chapters. Ingold breaks in with facts and accounts of actual events, which makes the fictitious story feel all the more real.

Ingold has done her homework, and it shows in the story. Her afterword, acknowledgements, and list of suggested reading at the end all provide valuable information. The only problem I had with the book was a bit of charaterization--the relationships between the characters felt forced and unbelievable, particularly the budding romance between Jarrett and Lisbeth. On their own, the characters were strong, interesting, and contributed to the story. But when they came in contact with the others, even the minor characters became a bit forced in the relationships in which they were observing or participating. Otherwise this is a wonderful example of great historical fiction.

Rating:
Summary: THE BIG FIRE
Review: The Big Burn was a sad story.The setting of the story was in 1918 in Idaho.The main characters in the book were Lizbeth,her aunt,and her uncle Mark.My favorite character was Lizbeth because she saves her aunt from the fire.My favorite part of the book is when uncle Mark saves Lizbeth from the big fire and Lizbeth died because she had got burned.I would recommend this book to kids that are in the 8th grade because this is a book that kids under 13 might not understand because this book is so sad at the end .There's nothing left in the forest and there is nothing left everywhere, no houses, no trees, and no grass.

Rating:
Summary: The Big Burn
Review: The story takes place in Northern Idaho during the 1910 Fire. As a librarian for youth I found this book to rate five stars and more. Ingold has made the 1910 fire come alive. You can really picture the sights and smells during the catastrophe. The story involves three teens and their survival. A must read.

Rating:
Summary: The Big Burn.
Review: Tittle The Big Burn, author Jeanette Ingold. The Big Burn was a sad story. The setting of the story was in 1918 in Idaho. The main character in the book were Lizbeth because she saves her aunt from the fire. My favorite part of the book is when uncle Mark saves Lizbeth from the big fire and Lizbeth died cecause she had got burned.In this book you can really picture the sights and smells during the catastraphe. I would recomend this book to kids that are in 8th grade because this is a book that kids under 13 might not understand because this book is so sad at the end.

Rating:
Summary: THE BIG BURN.
Review: Tittle The Big Burn,author Jeanette Ingold. The big burn was a sad story. The setting of the story was in 1918 in Idaho. The main character in the book were Lizbeth because she save her aunt from the fire. My favorite part of the book is when uncle Mark saves lizbeth from the bid fire and Lizbeth died because she had got burned.There's nothing left in the forest and there is nothing left everywhere, no houses, no trees, and no grass. In this book you can really picture the sights and smells during the catastrophe.I would recomend this book to kids that are in 8th grade because this is a book that kids under 13 might not understand because this book is so sad at the end.