Things You Save in a Fire: A Novel

Product Description

From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel about courage, hope, and learning to love against all odds.Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only 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.

Amazon.com Review

Texan firefighter Cassie Hanwell loves her job and the men and women she works with at her Austin-based station. When Cassie’s estranged mother calls up out of the blue to ask Cassie to move to Boston to help her after an operation, Cassie reluctantly agrees, but her pending transfer to the nearby all-male fire station doesn’t worry her overly until her female captain in Austin starts offering advice: “If you make eye contact, make it straight on, like a predator.” “No sex with firefighters. Or friends of firefighters. Or relatives of firefighters.” “If your captain says to run a mile, run two.” As for pull-ups? “Do thirty, at least…. And make sure you can do at least a few one-handed.” Cassie hopes this advice will turn out to be anachronistic, but a fire station that’s never had a “lady” firefighter in 120 years adapts slowly. And reluctantly. Making the whole situation even worse is the rookie, the bighearted new guy whom all the other firefighters like far more than they do Cassie, though she’s clearly more skilled. And Cassie, to her horror, really likes the rookie as well. Funny, smart, and smartly paced,
Things You Save in a Fire ignites around the topics of equality, love, redemption, and forgiveness even as it delivers an unforgettable protagonist who shows off not just “a few” but nine breathtaking, cheer-worthy one-handed pull-ups on her first day at work.
—Adrian Liang, Amazon Book Review
Editors’ pick: Funny, smart, and smartly paced, Things You Save in a Fire ignites around the topics of equality, love, redemption, and forgiveness.”—Adrian Liang, Amazon Editor

About the Author

Katherine Center is the author of several novels about love and family:
The Bright Side of Disaster, Everyone Is Beautiful,
Get Lucky, and
The Lost Husband. Her books and essays have appeared in
Redbook,
People,
USA Today,
Vanity Fair, and
Real Simple―as well as the anthologies
Because I Love Her,
CRUSH, and
My Parents Were Awesome. Katherine is a graduate of Vassar College and the University of Houston’s Creative Writing Program. She lives in Houston with her husband and two sweet children.