"The Fire Outside My Window: A Survivor Tells the True Story of California's Epic Cedar Fire" is both a poignant memoir and a veteran journalist's narrative nonfiction account of one of the largest and most destructive wildfires in modern California history, a catastrophic event that crippled postcard-perfect San Diego and dominated headlines in October 2003.
Author Sandra Younger's own miraculous saga of escape, ruin and renewal unifies a tapestry of experiences woven from more than 100 interviews with firefighters, survivors and the families of those who died. The fire itself is the main character in this epic story--a rampaging monster, framed within historical context, battled by understaffed, under-equipped firefighters, and confronted from the rare perspective of terrified civilians caught in its path. Timing, location and weather conspired against air tankers, fire engines and bulldozers, enabling a lost hunter's signal fire to gather strength in the mountains east of San Diego. Overnight, a swelling wind sent flames galloping toward the Pacific, killing 15 people, 12 of them the author's neighbors; incinerating more than 2,200 homes, including hers; and creating a lunarscape 20 times the size of Manhattan. "The Fire Outside My Window" is a riveting and nuanced tale that captures the intensity of a runaway wildfire, honors those lost to its fury, and celebrates the human spirit's innate capacity to triumph over adversity. |
Available in paperback, Kindle and all other e-reader formats.
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Bestselling Author, Inspiring Speaker,
Riveting Storyteller, Engaging Media Guest
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