Fireproof [Paperback]

Eric Wilson (Author), Alex Kendrick (Author), Stephen Kendrick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2008

Inside burning buildings, Captain Caleb Holt lives by the firefighter's adage: Never leave your partner.

Yet at home, in the cooling embers of his marriage, he lives by his own rules.

Growing up, his wife Catherine always dreamed of marrying a loving, brave firefighter . . . just like her father.  Now, after seven years of marriage, she wonders when she stopped being "good enough."  Countless arguments and anger have them wanting to move on to something with more sparks. 

As they prepare for divorce, Caleb's father challenges him to commit to a 40-day experiment:  "The Love Dare."  Wondering if it's even worth the effort, Caleb reluctantly agrees, not realizing how it will change his world forever.

Surprised by what he discovers about the meaning of love, Caleb begins to see his wife and marriage as worth fighting for. But is it too late? His job is to rescue others.  Now Captain Holt must face his toughest job ever . . . rescuing his wife's heart.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Eric Wilson is the author of eight suspense novels that explore earth's tension between heaven and hell.  He lives in Nashville with his wife and two daughters.

--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From AudioFile

Narrator Greg Whalen's masterful performance sounds like multiple narrators as he depicts a group of firemen and a troubled marriage. From the sounds of pulse-pounding sirens to the suspense of a car caught in the path of an oncoming train, the story's tension is unrelenting. Dedicated and courageous fireman Caleb Holt is soon to be divorced because of his extramarital affair. Whalen's portrayal of Caleb's wife's feelings of rejection is especially believable--listeners should have Kleenex handy. He portrays Caleb's confusion and remorse with subtle vocal tones. When Caleb's father suggests that he try a forty-day experiment called "The Love Dare," he's reluctant--until he learns the program saved his parents' marriage. Powerful characterizations and authentic sound effects make this an engaging audio experience. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (September 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595547169
• ISBN-13: 978-1595547163
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #264,944 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've written twelve novels:

1. Two Seconds Late (Feb. '12)
2. One Step Away
3. Valley of Bones
4. Haunt of Jackals
5. Field of Blood
6. Fireproof
7. Facing the Giants
8. Flywheel
9. A Shred of Truth
10. The Best of Evil
11. Expiration Date
12. Dark to Mortal Eyes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Message Worth Fighting For, September 17, 2008

By 

Jake Chism (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fireproof (Paperback)

Fireman Caleb Holt puts his life on the line every day to save others. Despite his hard work ethic and dedication to his job, the flames that were once so evident in his marriage have begun to sizzle out. After eight years of mediocrity and disappointment Catherine Holt has filed for divorce. Caleb now comes to a crossroads where he must decide between giving up and staying to fight for the woman he loves. Searching for answers, Caleb reaches out to his father never anticipating how his life will soon change. Caleb is now ready to set out on the ultimate dare to fight for his marriage like his has never fought for anything before.

Firpeproof is the third collaboration between novelist Eric Wilson and filmmakers Alex and Stephen Kendrick (the team behind Facing the Giants and Flywheel). As with the previous film projects, Eric Wilson does a masterful job of taking a screenplay and transforming it into a fantastic story with inspiring characters and a challenging message.

We live in a society where the marriage relationship is not appreciated or taken very seriously. The easy thing to do when things get difficult is to divorce, and we see this pattern played out over and over again for so many couples. Fireproof is a story written to challenge our culture's perspective on marriage. Yes, we get some great action sequences and suspenseful moments throughout, but the heart of this story is found in Caleb's resolve to save his marriage and fight for the woman he loves.

Eric Wilson brings this struggle to life throughout the pages, drawing us deeper into Caleb and Catherine's problems. I really appreciate the way that neither Caleb nor Catherine is shouldered with the blame, rather we see how both are equally responsible for the plight they are in. Wilson takes us into the depths of Caleb's struggle with purity and the darkness that resides there. Our glimpses of Catherine's flirtations with infidelity are eye-opening and equally as frightening.

Fireproof is certainly different than the suspense/supernatural thrillers we've come to expect from Eric Wilson. However, in many ways this may be one of the most important messages Wilson has tackled in his writing career. This story has the potential to change the way our culture looks at marriage and it is my sincere hope and prayer that this novel and the film will work together to do just that. My hat's off to Eric Wilson and The Kendrick Brothers for treating us with yet another soul stirring reminder of what is truly important and what it takes to fight for it.

(By the way, if you enjoyed Eric's writing in this book....then you will be blown away by his novel, Field of Blood (Jerusalem's Undead Trilogy, Book 1). AMAZING!!!)

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Proof Positive Work of Greatness!, September 12, 2008

By 

Wolfe Moffat (Franklinville, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fireproof (Paperback)

In case nobody has noticed, Eric Wilson is getting pretty good! Ok, cut through it already, he's better than most. So much so that Alex and Stephen Kendrick trust him with screenplays that they wrote, and Eric was chosen to do the novelization. In my opinion, that's great! Let's just say that with "Fireproof," Eric Wilson decides to turn up the heat.

Who would not want to be in the shoes (or boots) of Caleb Holt? He's a man's man, he's in charge, and he's one of the youngest to be promoted to Captain. He's a hard working firefighter. There is no doubt you'll see his name in the papers, maybe on the evening news. The man's a hero. But with all due respect, you'd better convince Catherine that. Who's Catherine? That would be Caleb's wife. They fell in love once upon a time, and now are preparing for the easiest way to go separate ways. The idea of communication, let alone eye contact between these two is nothing short of eruption in the home. And the marriage looks to go up in smoke.

But Caleb's dad isn't about to give up so quickly, and he dares him. He dares Caleb Holt with a 40 day commitment called, "The Love Dare." And what Caleb thought he knew about love is about to reach a whole new level. The stakes are going to be high. The question is, how badly does Caleb want this marriage to survive? Does he love his wife just as badly as he loves fighting a fire?

This is a movie I've looked forward to, and after reading this, even more so! Eric Wilson shines with this effort. He knows how to keep a reader's attention. And he knows how to make it special. And I give a special thanks to Eric Wilson. Thank you!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fireproof!!!, September 11, 2008

By 

James A. Nichols (Midwest City, OK) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fireproof (Paperback)

Eric Wilson does it again with his newest novelization of a Kendrick brothers movie. I cant compare this to the movie as I have not seen it yet(but after reading the book I cant wait to see it). The book is about Captain Caleb Holt, an Albany Georgia firefighter who risks his life daily to put out fires and to save lives but it seems that the fire in his 7-yr marriage seems to be going out. His wife says that she doesnt love him and all they do is yell at each other. When Calebs father tells him to give it 40 days and to take the Love Dare, he decides to give it one more go. A great story with great characters. I highly recommend reading the book if you have seen the movie or even if you havent. The only thing though is if you read the book before seeing the movie you may be a little disappointed as Eric Wilson adds a lot of back story and character devolpment that is not in the movie. My wife has also started reading the book and she loves it so far. Again a great book by a great author.