An intimate early novel from James A. Michener, now remembered as the beloved master of the historical epic, The Fires of Spring unfolds with the bittersweet drama of a boy’s perilous journey into manhood. David Harper is an orphan, seemingly doomed to loneliness and poverty. As an adolescent con artist and petty thief, David spends his days grifting at an amusement park, the place where he first … where he first learns about women and the mysteries of love. Soon he discovers that his longing to embrace the world is stronger than the harsh realities that constrain him. Featuring autobiographical touches from Michener’s own life story, The Fires of Spring is more than a novel: It’s a rich slice of American life, brimming with wisdom, longing, and compassion.
BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from James A. Michener’s Hawaii.
Praise for The Fires of Spring
“A warm-hearted, readable story, crammed with lively incident and remarkable characters.”—The Atlantic
“Heartfelt . . . immensely readable . . . Michener is a born writer.”—The New York Times
“Michener is a gifted storyteller.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Brilliantly done.”—Library Journal
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As wonderful as every Mitchner book.
I know this was a semi-autobiographical account of James Michener’s life, and I found that an interesting tidbit. However, in comparison with other Michener works, this was a bit of a disappointment. It takes quite a bit of commitment to read most Michener tomes, and I recommend his other works over this one.
Way too long and tedious. Not one of Michener’s best.
A great tale about the life of orphaned David Harper.
Typical of his work, wordy, but I always get a history lesson while enjoying his books.
I love Michener.
Just couldn’t plow through it. Love his later books
Always enjoy how he builds a story, I found it easy to imagine myself in his shoes. Good story.
did not like
I read it a very long time ago. It was my favorite Michner book. I’d read many of his. Unfortunately I cannot recall why.
This is real let down compared to other Michener books.
Never read a bad Michner book
A book by a favorite author I didn’t know existed.
As a MegaReadaholic of over 10K books, I have read all of Mitchner’s books, and of course seen the miniseries and movies made from them. It is hard to belive that a baby left in a basket at the door of a woman known for her kindness would grow up to write so many treasured books. What a wonderful gift his mother gave the world. l know that he …
Interesting
Excellent character studies packed into five chapters of many pages, with authentic background.
A great study of human nature. The books characters are thoughtfully defined and their interactions fascinating.
David, the protagonist, is developed in a sensitive way as he struggles toward manhood.
A wonderful story; highly recommended.
I’ve always loved Michener’s books. This one was totally different but still a good read.
I’ve read most of Michener ‘s books and loved them all , but this one was a mess. For the first half it was enthralling and enlightening about the “poorhouses” during the early 1900’s . You begin to have great expections for David the young boy living with older broken people of that era that have become penniless. However, as the book …
The author, James Michener, grew up in Doylestown, PA, where my mother lived. She was a Freshman at Doylestown High School when Michener was a Senior. She told me that she remembers hearing about him and many of the incidents which he relayed in the book Fires of Spring. This book is most likely his autobiography presented as fiction.
I read …