The Big Burn (Paperback)

by Jeanette Ingold (Author) "A fair day followed a night brightened by dry lightning streaking to earth..." (more)
Key Phrases: evacuation train, crew boss, fire season, Placer Creek, Forest Service, Ranger Logan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
"Out there in the distance, the pink spread from sky to ground, became a pink-and-red-and-bronze mass of color billowing up in the southwest and running toward him. Sticks appeared to be tumbling through the air before it. Then Jarrett realized they were too far away to be sticks. My god, he thought, those are trees."

Wildfires were a terrifying experience 100 years ago, and they have become equally terrifying to many Americans in recent drought years. The Big Burn is based on the true story of one of the worst wildfires of the century, a conflagration that destroyed 2.5 million acres of public land and killed 90 people. In the hot, dry summer of 1910, hundreds of small fires were burning all over Montana and the Idaho panhandle, lit by dry thunderstorms, sparks from trains, untended campfires. On August 20, a blowup began as the many blazes, pushed by wind, raced up the slopes until they joined to ignite a crown fire that roared across treetops, creating its own wind in a mighty inferno.

This novel tells the story of three pairs of young people in the fire's path: Ranger Samuel Logan and his 16-year-old brother Jarrett, who yearns to fight this fiery monster; Lizbeth, who loves the forest, and her aunt Celia, who wants only to profit from it; and two African American soldiers, honorable Seth and his shifty sidekick, Abel. The way their lives interlock with the fire and each other, and the "field notes" that document the course of the blaze make up a thrilling novel with much authenticity for the place and time and for the nature of wildfire itself. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
Ingold (Pictures, 1918) captures the momentum of a wildfire in this historical novel about "the big burn" that scorched millions of acres across Idaho and Montana in 1910. Against the atmospheric backdrop of beauty and devastation, each of three teens bravely battles the fire. As a member of the all-black infantry sent to help, Seth conquers his own insecurities; Jarrett, younger brother of a forest ranger, chooses to combat the blaze with the rough-and-tumble, ill-equipped hired crews; while Lizbeth and her guardian cousin reluctantly abandon their homestead, only to face the danger in town. Ingold intersperses the intersecting stories of the teenagers with "field notes" recorded by a ranger and a university professor; these slow the pace but offer illuminating background, including the contrast between the Indian tradition of setting controlled fires annually versus the government's belief that "the only safe way to control fire was to not let it burn in the first place." The narrative flags a bit a romance between Jarrett and Lizabeth never becomes as compelling as their individual struggles but on balance, the triumphs and casualties recounted here will heighten appreciation for the courage and sacrifice of firefighters and settlers; the book may be especially timely in light of this summer's runaway fires in the West. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Paperbacks (August 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 015204924X
• ISBN-13: 978-0152049249
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 4.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #259,300 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent historical fiction!, March 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Big Burn (Hardcover)

Ingold tells the reader that if you talk with anyone in Idaho or Montana for long enough, the subject of the Big Burn will come up, and the person telling you about it will expect you to know all about it. After reading Ingold's well-researched book, any reader would be able to contribute to the subject. Set in 1910, when forest rangers were new, railroads were huge, and immigrants were still flooding the country, The Big Burn tells the story of the wild fires of the northwestern United States. Ingold gives us three main characters: Jarrett, Lisbeth and Seth. These teenagers each deal with the fire in their own way, and find that there is more to fighting fires than a little water or ditch digging. The three do meet in the tale (it is plausible), and each tell their view of the events in concurrent chapters. Ingold breaks in with facts and accounts of actual events, which makes the fictitious story feel all the more real.

Ingold has done her homework, and it shows in the story. Her afterword, acknowledgements, and list of suggested reading at the end all provide valuable information. The only problem I had with the book was a bit of charaterization--the relationships between the characters felt forced and unbelievable, particularly the budding romance between Jarrett and Lisbeth. On their own, the characters were strong, interesting, and contributed to the story. But when they came in contact with the others, even the minor characters became a bit forced in the relationships in which they were observing or participating. Otherwise this is a wonderful example of great historical fiction.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BIG BURN., March 2, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Big Burn (Hardcover)

Tittle The Big Burn,author Jeanette Ingold. The big burn was a sad story. The setting of the story was in 1918 in Idaho. The main character in the book were Lizbeth because she save her aunt from the fire. My favorite part of the book is when uncle Mark saves lizbeth from the bid fire and Lizbeth died because she had got burned.There's nothing left in the forest and there is nothing left everywhere, no houses, no trees, and no grass. In this book you can really picture the sights and smells during the catastrophe.I would recomend this book to kids that are in 8th grade because this is a book that kids under 13 might not understand because this book is so sad at the end.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Big Burn, January 9, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Big Burn (Hardcover)

The story takes place in Northern Idaho during the 1910 Fire. As a librarian for youth I found this book to rate five stars and more. Ingold has made the 1910 fire come alive. You can really picture the sights and smells during the catastrophe. The story involves three teens and their survival. A must read.