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Paradise
One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire
Through stories of Cal Fire personnel and Paradise city administrators, Paradise reveals the humanity behind wildfire disasters that have affected our region. Readers will get a window into the social structures that help and hinder community resiliency. The book powerfully conveys sense of place and connection to nature and community that is part of Northern California identity. While the book generates feelings of empathy and the desire to protect these special places, it is a painful and difficult read.
Content warning: Graphic descriptions of death as a result of wildfire
Author: Lizzie Johnson
Year of Publishing: 2021
Number of Pages: 432
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Reviews
Sandy Moyer (verified owner) –
Well written book is about the devastating fire in the N CA town of Paradise.
kerricoldren (verified owner) –
I ordered this book for several reasons but the main reason is because my family is the one behind the name for Coldren Road in Paradise, CA. My father’s parent’s ashes are spread there, and his ashes were supposed to be scattered there as well…and then it all burned down. The stories in this book are both heartbreaking but, in the end, I have to hold hope that we will make better choices concerning climate policies and find real solutions before more towns and lives are left as ashes.
Jennifer Mierkey (verified owner) –
Wow, all I can say. Such a compelling documentary of the true story of Paradise. Something that our children will need to read to understand. My heart goes out. Thank you for the opportunity to read and understand the survivor’s stories: the struggle, the commitment, and the rebirth of a community.
Bswade46 (verified owner) –
This book was a gripping account of the Paradise Fire. It also explained in detail the difficulties facing CA, firefighters and first responders along with how decisions made by local governments can have real impacts in a crisis. The author further does an excellent job explaining PG&E’s role of negligence and complicity in this disaster, as well as many others. I found the book to be a tragic read, but one that was incredibly educational.
Ashley Manning (verified owner) –
Very well written book. The author does a fantastic job of following the timeline of the fire and making you feel as though you are there. I also was glad to hear all the different perspectives from the fire and how the tragedy has affected them. As a firefighter and as someone deeply affected by the 2020 firestorm, I really appreciated this book and feels that it needs to be read.
sferris (verified owner) –
Very thorough book detailing the cause of the Camp Fire, the escape efforts of residents and emergency personnel, and the clean-up response of survivors and government officials. Gripping and intense!
jrogers (verified owner) –
Good read!
C Meadows (verified owner) –
Well written and engaging. Hits close to home on a lot of different levels. I enjoyed the read, and hope that with information and working together we can bring our community forward into a better managed environment for us all. Kudos to the author’s hard work and talent.
JenEnna (verified owner) –
Where to begin…I thought knew about wildfires and their impacts on communities as I’m married to a USFS Firefighter but nothing would have prepared me for this book. It feels wrong to describe Lizzie’s writing as beautiful but her word choice really made you feel like you knew the people when she shared their stories. Going into the book, it sat on my nightstand for a while as I thought it was going to be dry with facts and charts, etc. But she really brought the devastating human experience to the page. I have lost count of the number of people I have told about this book and I strongly feel that city managers, county commissioners and anyone that is involved with managing a community should be required to read this book to learn how tragedies like this can be prevented.
FFFbooks123 (verified owner) –
Southern Oregonians & Northern Californians remember California’s Camp Fire of 2018, the devastating wildfire. It begs important discussions and shines an important light on a heartbreaking tragedy.
Cindy Chandler (verified owner) –
Wow, I was so moved by this book that my vacation plans for this summer will include a trip to Paradise, California. I have a coworker who lost her home in the fire and has relocated to Oregon. I’d love to discuss this book with her, but probably won’t due to the fact that the book is so moving. Not being affected by the fire itself but being affected by the book I couldn’t fathom how devastating the real life happening would have on a life. I appreciate the author of Paradise introducing characters and following through with what they endured during the devastation. A very moving book. I can’t say it was wonderful because of the true life event it tells about but I can say reading the book has left an impact on my life.
ashley.m.wortman (verified owner) –
Heartbreaking stories and important stories to know.
JoAnna Lamb (verified owner) –
A disappointment. It had a great subject, but it was written in a tone of a fiction write that felt the need to get every, single boring detail of everyday life. I can’t imagine how that much information was gathered because who can remember that much about their daily lives in an interview? Possibly embellishments?
nunnj (verified owner) –
Such a good book! Filled with heartbreak and triumph and shows so much good in humanity!
kathyanng (verified owner) –
Excellently written. Harrowing and honest.
Lindsay (verified owner) –
Great book.
Cindy Fairclo (verified owner) –
Eye opening and devastating how the fire destroyed a town.
sueone (verified owner) –
Good read!
veronica (verified owner) –
I saw documentaries on the fire and so I was interested in reading the book. If I had to be truly honest, it was a slow read and the lead up to the personal stories took longer than necessary. That’s just my opinion.
BStiller (verified owner) –
Appreciate the detail and time put into this book. I also, appreciate what the fire crew did so much more, what a devastating loss to all involved. Living so close to Paradise, I know people who lost everything.
pat (verified owner) –
I would recommend this book as required reading – if I could – for every resident in the rural west. I guess after what happened in Santa Rosa and Sebastipol I would expand that significantly. Having lived in the area, fought many wildfires on the ground, and worked in Paradise for decades, the people and topography were very familiar to me. The most astounding thing about the Camp fire is that many more souls were not lost. Planner allowing expansion into the surrounds of your cities, take careful note. As Paradise rebuilds, it will be impossible not to consider better options for egress and much more robust fire safety regulations. This was, for me, a difficult read. Well done.
kawilkinson (verified owner) –
Excellent read. Highly recommend – especially for those of us living in fire country. Shows how important advance planning in the event of natural disasters.
Aoife Presley (verified owner) –
Really enjoyed this book
Albert Lamaye (verified owner) –
A tragically touching account of the survival and heartbreak of Paradise residents caught in the chaos of Camp Fire. The author weaves the stories together with a blend of hope and horror that will bring tears to your eyes along with the desperate need to share what you’ve learned with others around you. As someone who grew up in Chico, this book helped me to process what happened to Paradise. But you cannot help to ask “why?!” Thank you for sharing these stories.
Linda Szczepanek (verified owner) –
As a CalFire family in Northern California, this book really struck a chord. I remember the day of the Camp Fire, and recall the incredibly dark stream of smoke blowing west from Paradise to Orland where we have family. My son-in-law was on that fire as well as many other fire fighter friends. I believe that it was thought that this horrible fire was a possibility due to the location of Paradise. The book was well written and made the story of that catastrophic day feel so real to the reader.
Corrie Ortner (verified owner) –
This was a difficult read, but well worth it. I’ve worked at fire camps and lived in a community that was affected by wildfires yearly, but I still gained insight from this depiction of community resilience and living with fire.
Dawn Blythe (verified owner) –
Deeply moving, suspenseful, and tragic. Had me crying by the end!
Rebecca Johnson (verified owner) –
Amazing book of tragedy and recovery. Definitely recommend
Lovetoread53 (verified owner) –
The book was wonderfully written. You could feel the emotions and struggles as if you were there. Hard to read true stories yet glad I did
JenniferKalez (verified owner) –
This was a tough read following the devastating fires in Oregon (and in this book, California). I felt anxious reading it — but in a way that made me feel connected to what I was reading. It’s a good reminder of the failures that can devastate a community and how we can come together to recover and hopefully prevent future failures.
Deborah Fellcarlson (verified owner) –
I blame this book for getting behind on things these past couple of weeks! Once I picked it up, I found myself reading every chance I could get and chores were left undone. Lizzie is an amazing writer. She put me IN that fire. I could almost feel the heat of the flames. Her narrative helped me share the anguish in the aftermath – lives lost, those who were spared trying to find their way. Most of all, it made me think about the defensible space around OUR forested home. Are we prepared? Are our neighbors prepared? Is our community prepared? You just never know, and this book brought that out in a riveting way. I highly recommend it.
Jesse St. John (verified owner) –
Good history of the event with a relatively unbiased take on what happened
K Hiers (verified owner) –
This was a very well written book.
Amberly Glover (verified owner) –
Learned a lot, highly recommend.
Gwen Wallace (verified owner) –
Great book I really enjoyed it
italianrn (verified owner) –
I’ve only had this book for a few days but it’s a really good read. Very Interesting!
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