Joss and Phil’s already rocky marriage is fragmented when Phil is injured in a devastating fire and diagnosed with Capgras delusion—a misidentification syndrome in which a person becomes convinced that a loved one has been replaced by an identical imposter. Faced with a husband who no longer recognizes her, Joss struggles to find motivation to save their marriage, even as family secrets start to … to emerge that challenge everything she thought she knew. With two young daughters, a looming book deadline, and an attractive but complicated distraction named Adam complicating her situation even further, Joss has to decide what she wants for her family—and what family even means.
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Other Fires: A Novel is my first introduction to the work by Lenore H. Gay. I thought it was a good read. It is one that toyed a lot with my emotions. It is not an easy or light read. I had to make sure I was able to sit for a bit alone to keep myself focused on the story. I was mostly engaged from start to finish.
I am giving Other Fires: A Novel three and a half stars. I would be interested in reading more by Lenore H. Gay in the future. I recommend other readers to pick this one up and give it a try.
I received Other Fires: A Novel from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
Lenore H Gay – Other Fires – Reviewed 9/25/20 – Read 8/29-9/2/20
He sees me, but tells me that I am fake, or is he faking?
Joss & Phil are from different backgrounds, but things just seem to click! Now years later and two children, things are falling apart. I know that he is cheating, but why? What happened? I am trying, but is he? So many questions, too many to answer tonight!
I hear Terpe, my oldest, yelling Fire! Fire! I answer, Ok, I am up! I tell Terpe to get the baby and take her outside, where is your father? Terpe tells me that he is still upstairs. I run upstairs and find Phil asleep on the pullout bed. Phil, for God’s sake there is a fire, don’t you hear the alarms? Ok, Ok, I am coming. We start back down the stairs and I hear something crack and two boards hit him, causing him to fall to the floor with a scream. He is on fire when he hits the bottom of the stairs. I tell Terpe to get outside and start back to help Phil. On the way, I grab a throw rug so I can roll him to put out the fire. Terpe stops on the way out, and she calls 911, telling them we need help.
Terpe runs outside and puts the baby down on a blanket that she had wrapped her in and runs back inside to help her mom. Dad is big, weighing around 200 lbs., mom will not be able to get him outside by herself. Together they manage to get him out of the house just as the fire trucks arrive. They load dad into the ambulance, mom gets in with him, yelling at me to go to the neighbors, and get help from the O’Tooles.
And now the story begins…
What did I like? This was a very emotional and complicated story. I was enticed from the beginning. Unfortunately, this happens in more families than we want to admit too. When a couple falls in love, they are footloose and fancy-free. Then kids come along, the first one is fun and unique, but then the second one arrives, and all the fun is gone. The difficulties added to this story is amazing, without giving away the plot, I could see where it would have completely disrupted the family life, as compared to the beginning. Then when you add in the psychological aspect for Phil, you have a recipe for disaster.
Of course, and thankfully, this is not the norm. When you have a couple that has that loving nurture to them, it would be impossible for it to happen in their case. For the sake of children, we all hope that that nurture is in all families!
What will you like? As I said previously, this is a very complicated storyline that is incredible. The different emotional problems that the marriage spells out will have you hooked from the very first page. As the storyline goes, and you start seeing the other problems, your heart will break for everyone involved. I was completely unaware of the medical condition of Capgras Misidentification Syndrome, but after reading this book it shows you how something like this could happen. Makes you wonder if this has happened more times than it has been diagnosed?? Wonderfully written with lots of descriptions and details. You can tell Lenore knows her subject. This is an excellent read that will enfold you all the way through, it certainly has a very unexpected ending that shocked me. Never did I see that coming!!! This book will be available on 10/20/20, be sure to mark your calendar!
• File Size: 1796 KB
• Print Length: 259 pages
• Publication Date: October 20, 2020
• Publisher: She Writes Press
• ASIN: B083VXWWDL
• Genre: Women’s Psychological Fiction, Medical Fiction, Psychological Literary Fiction
@ddeegott