Above the Fire, Michael ODonnell
Above the Fire, Michael ODonnell
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Above the Fire
A Novel

Author: Michael O’Donnell

Narrator: Robert Fass

Unabridged: 7 hr 39 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/05/2023

Synopsis

An enthralling debut, Above the Fire crystallizes the relationship between a father and son as they survive a winter of isolation. Perfect for fans of The Dog Stars by Peter Heller and The Road by Cormac McCarthy.Laboring under a shared loss, Doug and his young son, Tim, set out on a late-season backpacking trip through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. They find beauty and solidarity in the outdoors, making friends along the trail and falling into the rhythms of an expedition. But when reports of warfare and social collapse reach the ranger station, Doug—seeking to protect the only family he has left—withdraws even further into the backcountry.The alpine winter presents its own dangers, as father and son must endure the elements, the solitude, and the ever-present threat of outsiders. As their isolation intensifies, and the nature of the country’s disorder becomes more unsettling, their bond with each other grows more fierce. But as spring approaches, they must decide whether—and how—to confront the perils of a changed world.

About Michael O’Donnell

Michael O’Donnell is the author of the bestselling novel Above the Fire. In 2023, Apple Books named him a debut writer to watch. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and other publications. A longtime member of the National Book Critics Circle, he practiced law in government and private practice for over twenty years. He lives with his family in the Chicago area.

About Robert Fass

A two-time Audie Award winner, veteran actor Robert Fass is equally at home in a wide variety of styles, genres, characters, and dialects. An eight-time Audie nominee with over 225 unabridged audiobooks to his credit, Robert has also earned multiple Earphones Awards. In addition, his work was listed among AudioFile's Best Audiobooks of the Year in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2018. Robert has given voice to modern and classic fiction writers alike, including Ray Bradbury, John Steinbeck, Carlos Fuentes, Jeffrey Deaver, and Nele Neuhaus, plus bestselling nonfiction works in history, politics, health, journalism, philosophy, and business.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Karen

I was invested in this story… and very let down at the end! So many loose ends… I don’t know what the point of the story was, to end it this way. Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC......more

Goodreads review by Karine

Doug, a recent widower, takes his young son Tim on a backpack holiday along the Appalachian Trail. On their third day, worrisome information seeps through to their location and Doug can only conclude that civilization as we have always known it doesn't exist anymore. His main task is to keep his son......more

Goodreads review by MacWithBooksonMountains

COMPLETELY SPOILER-FREE:This is a story that is based on very few characters and plays out in a very limited set of similar locations. It is like a house with but a few windows and a door hardly used, where we are privy to only what happens inside. What occurs outside matters but is merely glimpsed “......more

Quotes

“A terse, well-paced story that effectively blends the elements of a classic nature adventure tale with a touching portrait of the loving relationship between a parent and child.” Shelf Awareness (starred review)

“Above the Fire is a timely and tense novel about a loving father forced to prepare his son for a cold and uncertain world. With his terrific debut, O’Donnell invents the counterpart to the ‘summer beach read'—call it the ‘winter cabin fever read'—and his careful prose thrusts the reader into a worst-case scenario where every choice could mean life or death.” Kevin Guilfoile, screenwriter and author of Cast of Shadows and The Thousand

“An extraordinary national disaster becomes a journey of bonding and healing for a father and son wounded by loss, in a work that is surprisingly tender given the terrifying adversity its main characters face.” Library Journal

“An utterly gripping debut novel about humans surmounting threats both external and emotional.” Booklist (starred review)

“Robert Fass captures the natural interplay between a father and son during an emotional struggle for survival…A subtly mesmerizing listen with a stellar performance grounded in the rhythms of human discourse.” AudioFile

“A tenderly wrought father-son novel…ripe for book-club discussion, a solid read for anyone who appreciates the stark beauty of New England woods.” Boston Globe

“A captivating read, and one that’s hard not to race through. Do yourself a favor, though. Take your time and savor every moment. This is a wonderful book.” Washington Independent Review of Books

“A bleak yet beautiful portrait of a world in crisis…The stakes feel incredibly real.” Apple Books

“Above the Fire is a quiet, thrilling, profound book. Set against the backdrop of catastrophe, it is a meditation on fatherhood, love, resilience, and loss. I cannot recommend it highly enough.” Jon Fasman, author of The Geographer’s Library and The Unpossessed City

“A prescient, timely novel of sacrifice and consequence, O’Donnell’s debut soars as a modern survival tale full of timeless, biting prose. Fireside reading with a pulse, Above the Fire commands attention and satiates the appetite for a unique plot that honors a classic dilemma. A triumph.” Ross Ritchell, author of The Knife

Awards

  • Apple Books Pick
  • AudioFile Earphones Award
  • AudioFile Editors’ Pick
  • Washington Independent Review of Books
  • BookTrib Pick
  • Salt Lake County Library Services Reader's Choice Award
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