About the Book:

In the tinder-dry Southwest, a few natural species, pyrophites, manage to tolerate the intense heat of wildfires—even need it to survive. So, too, for the women in the chancy terrain of Susan DeFreitas’s new story, negotiating flare-ups of human heat, lust and betrayal, choice and consequence. DeFreitas’s voice is irresistible—funny and whip smart and dead-on. Come listen. —David Long, author of The Inhabited World

What People are Saying:

I’ve fretted for days over how to write this review, because no matter how I say it, it won’t fully convey the beauty of this piece. Susan’s voice is reminiscent of those masterful voices we studied in college literature classes but it’s also refreshingly unique. I love the turns of phrase like “[They] were like smoke that spring; no matter where Rell went or what she did, she could not seem to avoid them,” and “feral cats that trolled the local bird-feeders with the workaday regularity of commercial fisherman.” And the larger scope of the story, which is ripe with internal tension and just the right amount of chaos invoked by this mysterious outsider, is a lovely example of how art imitates life and yet simultaneously gives us escape from it. Well done, Susan. ~ Timmis

Full disclosure: I know Susan personally, and I would happily sing her praises. However, I can honestly say that this is a fantastic work of fiction that warrants a great review regardless of my connection to the author. I’m eager to see what other works of hers find their way into the public eye. Start paying attention to her now, because great things are undoubtedly coming from her. ~ Vinnie Kinsella

Awesome! ~ Kathy DeFreitas