Notes on Surviving the Fire

A confronting, blackly funny debut novel about male violence, a woman's vengeance, and the question of whether killing can ever be justified

Sarah is a final year PhD student in southern California, caught in a landscape of extreme wealth and raging wildfires. She spends her time worrying about how she will be able to get a permanent academic position, and also doing ketamine and watching 80s movies with her best friend, Nathan.

Nathan was the only person to believe Sarah when she was assaulted by a fellow student during her first year. Sarah reported it to the university and to the police, but nothing happened. 'He's such a good guy.' 'He wouldn't do that.' 'Were you drinking?'

When Nathan is found dead of an alleged heroin overdose, Sarah is convinced it is a murder but, once again, the police don't believe her. As she digs into the case, she stumbles upon a disturbing pattern in the deaths of other young men on campus and begins to piece together a possible link between the victims.

As a girl, Sarah grew up in the forests of Maine, following her father on hunts that he would organize for tourists. While these visitors were eager to shoot a buck for a souvenir, Sarah and her father approached each kill with something close to reverence, honouring the sacrifice the animal made and the sustenance it provided through winter. Now, Sarah must confront a different type of killing - and decide if it can be justified.