Customer Reviews

Angel Fire

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've never read a novel that made me cry - a few movies have done the trick, but never a novel.

I still haven't. But Angel Fire came as close as any to date. Ron not only opened a vein to write this book, he opened up the depths of his heart to create a wonderful tale that weaves love for family, the magical moments of growing up in small town America in the 1950s, and the tragedy of war into a excellent plot.

The story centers on Cassidy McLeod, a disenchanted writer and journalist from San Francisco whose father had been an editor and publisher of a small town newspaper in Wyoming. Cassidy's life is shaken when his revered older brother, Daniel, a war correspondent presumed killed in the Vietnam War, shows up in his Wyoming hometown in 1995. Cassidy puts his life on hold to care for Daniel, who is all but catatonic from horrific war experiences.

The particular strength of the novel is in its flashbacks. Usually, flashbacks are considered a fiction taboo, especially for an inexperienced novelist. The theory is that all they tend to do is slow down the plot.

That's anything but the case in Angel Fire. The flashback chapters and scenes are compelling, unforgettable stories in themselves that establish the powerful emotional bond Cassidy has for his brother. When that bond collides with the tragic circumstances of 1995, it creates the stuff of which unforgettable stories are made.

The flashback scenes represent writing and storytelling at its finest, capturing the innocence of the post-war 1950s, the essence of hometown newspapering and the aura of growing up in a small town as well as any novel I've read.

Ron's style flows as smooth as an AP wire story, and he has an excellent instinct for compelling detail and vivid description, both executed without slowing down the story.

Many literary writers complain that their work is ignored in favor of the Tom Clancys, John Grishams and Danielle Steels of the writing world. But in many cases literary writers create beautiful prose and then forget the most critical element of any work of fiction, whether it's literary, a romance, a thriller or a mystery.

They forget to tell a good story.

Ron Franscell doesn't forget to tell us a good story. In Angel Fire, he tells an excellent story that elevates and embraces the humanity in all of us.

Angel Fire is a wonderful book which I will urge everyone to read. The love these two brothers shared as children and then again as mature adults will delight every reader. The stories Daniel told his little brother to help him avoid feeling sad added to the warmth of the story. The author wrote "Pain is the price we have to pay for memories" and it moved me to tears. Anyone who was grieved can we relate.

Ron Franscell is the master of his domain--words and Wyoming. Angel Fire is a novel of perfect symmetry that details the destruction of one village in Vietnam and the survival of another in the Western Plains of Wyoming. Mr. Franchell's story is told through the lives of two brothers whose journey takes them into the dark places of a collective soul and reveals a bond that goes beyond time and space. The story is told with compassion, grace, and a master's use of the language. Reminiscent of N. Scott Momaday's, House Made of Dawn. Pulitzer material!

There's something about this book that made me read it straight through when I bought it. Ron Franscell writes wonderfuly about childhood and family and growing up in a small town, and the horrors of the war, as other critics have pointed. But this book is about more than that. It's about storytelling, and writing. Cassidy and Daniel's father is a newspaperman, they both grow to be reporters; ever since childhood, Daniel told Cassidy stories, so many stories.Being a journalist and an aspirant writer myself, I was fascinated not only by the story but also by the way the story is told and the stories told inside the story.Being a journalist and an aspirant writer myself, I was fascinated not only by the story but also by the way the story is told and the stories told inside the story.
A book to read and reread forever.

I haven't stopped thinking (or talking!) about ANGEL FIRE since reading it several months ago. This beautiful and compelling story of two brothers has something to teach us all about the necessity of our relationships and what they bring to our lives: about love and loss, pain and redemption. Daniel and Cassidy's story seems so familiar to us because it involves these universal themes; it captures our imagination so completely because Mr. Franscell shows us essential truths within a seamlessly constructed "vivid, continuous dream." Ron Franscell presents us with authentic and complicated characters so fascinating they force us to care about them. His writing is at once richly poetic and deceptively simple, without a single wasted word. ANGEL FIRE is a beautiful story, beautifully told, and one that will stay with you long after you've devoured every page. I recommend ANGEL FIRE to all readers who believe that the best literature provides us with stories that entertain and truths that enlighten; you'll find both in this passionate, inpiring novel. Go buy it. Right now.

Ron Franscell is a newspaperman who knows a good story when he sees it. Angel Fire is proof-positive that a newspaperman can overcome the usual who, what, when, where, and how style of everyday reporting to create a fictional piece that will move into the depths of your soul.

His is the level of writing many only dream of attaining. He is a masterful storyteller who pays a high compliment to ordinary characters with extraordinary circumstances. His eloquence with words fills a literary canvas with imagery, style and sensibility.

Angel Fire is a novel which personifies heartbreaking strength, selflessness, trust and love. I wept. I laughed out loud. I wept again. The surprise ending will leave you speechless. It has, by far, the best ending I have ever read.

Kudos, Mr. Franscell. Your brilliance is what Hemmingways are made of! I look forward to your next book!

I picked up this book because the title caught my eye....and that was my lucky day. I cannot remember a book that has transported me to such a high place in many years. I have told everyone who will listen to get this truly remarkable book. I could not put it down until I finished and savored every word. If you are looking for a story that will touch your heart then this is the book for you! I am eagerly awaiting his next work of art!

"Angel Fire" is a beautifully written story about two brothers growing up in a small Wyoming town. David and Cassidy McLeod experience every childs dream of living in a world full of make-believe, adventure and folklore. The story within many stories takes the brothers on their own personal "adventure" away from home. Eventually, the brothers return full circle to West Canaan finding strength, peace and a sense of self.

Growing up in Wyoming, I found myself going "home" while reading "Angel Fire". I was there with Daniel and Cassidy sharing the places, adventures, people and stories told by generations before. Thank you, Ron, for bringing me "home" through your gift of writing this novel. My life is richer and I will forever treasure the magic and memories of "home" given back to me through this wonderful book.

I was introduced to Angel Fire as part of my university's Western literature course last fall. It is one of the most moving books I have ever read as part of my classroom work which is usually pretty boring and hard to manage. But this book was totally different and is an awesome example of symbolism, totally real characters and had a beautiful message all wrapped up in a story I couldn't put down! The Vietnam parts were really graphic and made it hard for me to sleep for a few nights, but it wasn't there for a thrill because it ended up being an important part of the total story. My mother died one year ago and when Cassidy MacLeod loses his mother i literaly started crying because it was a perfect expression of a child's grief. In the end, Ange Fire helped me comprehend life and death in a way I might never have seen on my own. This is a book I will read over and over again as I grow older because there is a lot of good lessons for living a good life where "pain is the price we pay for memory." Thank you, Mr. Franscell, for this book. I hope more people read it again and again.

Angel Fire. A simple wholesome story of two brothers that takes me back to my childhood. Ron Franscell writes with an adept mastery of the English language, but possesses the wisdom and expertise to keep the novel from being a literary exercise. His newspaper background and life experiences allows him to write with a sensitivity and insight not only bringing the brothers to a rich fullness, but he also has a knack for bringing all the inhabitants of West Canaan Wyoming to life. His desciptions are so vivid and realistic that I felt like I was transported there. And it wasn't long before this simple story grabbed hold of me and I began to identify with the hero's feelings. Good writing is when the reader can experience the emotions expressed on the pages of a book. Somewhere along the way in my journey through Ron's book I sensed I was reading a timeless classic. And though the stories and plot are vastly different, I was constatnly reminded of the great novel, "To Kill A Mockingbird." There are many levels to Angel Fire any one of which will bring pleasure to the reader and cause them to think. To ponder. To take the book up and re-read it. My deepest wish is that many many more willhave the opportunity to read this book.