Fire in the Canyon, Daniel Gumbiner
Fire in the Canyon, Daniel Gumbiner
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Fire in the Canyon
A Novel

Author: Daniel Gumbiner

Narrator: Kent Klineman

Unabridged: 8 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 12/26/2023


Synopsis

A new novel from National Book Award nominee Daniel Gumbiner about a California grape-grower, his family, and the climate disaster that upends their quiet lives.

Since his release from prison after serving an eighteen-month sentence for growing cannabis, Ben Hecht's life has settled into a familiar routine. On his farm in the foothills of California, he stays busy cultivating a dozen acres of grapes and tending to a flock of mistrustful sheep. Meanwhile, from her desk in their old redwood barn, his novelist wife, Ada, continues to work on what may be her most important book yet. When their only son, Yoel, comes home from Los Angeles for a rare visit, Ben is forced to confront their troubled relationship, which has continued to degrade in recent years. But before the two of them can truly address their past, a wildfire sweeps through the region, forcing the Hecht family to flee to the coast, and setting into motion a chain of events that will transform them all.

This is a story about grape growing and wine, financial and familial struggles, and the peculiar characters and unlikely heroes one will always find in small-town California. Through the experiences of the Hechts and the escalating challenges that face their community, Fire in the Canyon is an intimate look at the lives of those already living through the climate crisis.

About Daniel Gumbiner

Daniel Gumbiner was born and raised in Northern California. He graduated from UC Berkeley in 2011 and now lives in Southern Nevada. The Boatbuilder is his first novel.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mandoreader on November 22, 2023

What an extraordinarily convincing book. The style seems plain at first but that suits the story of a grape farmer trying to regain his son's trust, keep from going broke, all the while worrying about the growing threat of fires in California. Gumbiner enjoys conveying realistic information that rem......more

Goodreads review by Claudia on December 30, 2023

This book took me by surprise. I found myself liking it more and more the further I read. Something about the writing style feels so comforting and nostalgic, like maybe I spent my summers as a kid at the Hecht Farm. Bad things seem to crop up when you least expect them to. Getting through the tough......more

Goodreads review by Lily on August 20, 2024

4.5 - one of my favorite books of the year. The most accurate depiction I've ever read of living in a small rural Northern California town. All the major players were represented - weed, fires, wine, weird old hippies, that one hard-ass law enforcement guy. Can't wait to read more from this author......more

Goodreads review by Kerry on March 06, 2024

Interesting book about a farmer in California wine country who keeps getting hit with fires while to repair his relationship with his adult son. Lots of descriptions of grape growing and wine making.......more

Goodreads review by Romane on May 22, 2024

a climate fiction with a conflicted father-son relationship, all set in a California vineyard/farm? say no more. what really grabs you about this book is the simplicity, the reality of the story, which allows everyone to put themselves in the boots of Ben, the Hechts family father. topics such as Ca......more