The Fire Bell Strikes at Midnight, Shirley Freitas
The Fire Bell Strikes at Midnight, Shirley Freitas
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The Fire Bell Strikes at Midnight

Author: Shirley Freitas

Narrator: Janice

Unabridged: 14 hr 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/18/2025


Synopsis

As disaster bears down on a rural California county, sordid truths about century-old crimes threaten a community in crisis . . . This audiobook is narrated using advanced digital voice technology for clear, natural-sounding storytelling. Like much of rural California in 1985, Piñon County is on the brink of ecological and economic disaster. The forests are overgrown and frighteningly dry, the mill at the center of the community is closing, and real estate moguls plan to take full advantage. Furthermore, relationships are strained when historical records reveal shameful details about arson and murder committed in 1888 . . . And as a wildfire bears down, the past and present collide, and this tight knit community desperately tries to cope with spousal abuse, racism, bigotry, adultery . . . and the imminent threat both to and from nature. But who will survive to tell their tale, and who will fall victim to fate? The Fire Bell Strikes at Midnight is a beautifully told and evocative novel rich in atmosphere, depicting devastating dangers to both the human spirit and the environment—while leaving us hopeful for the future by showing what love and friendship can do. "A revealing and deeply personal novel . . . Freitas deftly brings the reader into the heart of the political and emotional relationships, a saga of Hardy-esque proportions, and the slow, intense build of the plot. . . . A must-read!" —Roccie Hill, author of The Blood of My Mother

Reviews

Goodreads review by Robin on October 17, 2024

This is storytelling on an epic scale with a panorama as rich, and vast, and historically illuminating as 'The Grapes of Wrath' and 'Gone With the Wind'. An outstanding debut by an author who has kept her abundant literary talents to herself for far too long. I was totally hooked from the very beginn......more

Goodreads review by Sue on October 22, 2024

Recommend The fire bell strikes at midnight by Shirley Freitas. I did enjoy this book. I liked the cover too. I got into this book straight away. Elsie's homestyle cafe was like a meeting place. Everyone knew everyone in this small town. I did like the writing style. As I got to the fire bit it did......more

Goodreads review by Vivian on October 23, 2024

This book has so many genres incorporated in it that is hard to categorize it, historical fiction, family drama, romance, environmental, crime. But i can tell you that all this genres work together to give a very good picture of life in a small town in the mountains of Sierra Nevada, California in t......more

Goodreads review by Diane on October 19, 2024

This book covers so many aspects of society and the force of nature that it is difficult to sum up in a review except to say it is an exceptionally well written novel that brings humanity to life with the amazing storyline of love, loss, and hope. The beautifully written narrative brings everything......more

Goodreads review by Billy on December 16, 2025

From the very first page, The Fire Bell Strikes at Midnight drew me into Piñon County with a force that was almost tangible. Shirley Freitas doesn’t just introduce characters, she gives them life, history, and emotional depth. Every resident felt real to me, from those struggling silently with spous......more