Burnt

Burnt is a captivating and evocative (Erin Brockovich) memoir of trailblazing and firefighting from Californias firstand onlyfemale chief of fire protection, a pioneering woman in a male-dominated field. Burnt is a book about finding your calling, even if its an unexpected one. Its about finding your home, even if you arent immediately welcomed. And its about reaching the top and making a difference, even if you dont look like you fit in. When Clare Frank was 17 years old, she became a firefighter in Northern California. Clare was five-foot-two and officially too young to join the serviceshe left her birthdate blank on her paperwork, hoping no one would notice. And she didnt look like her peers, who sported an Adams apple and a mustache. But her brother was a firefighter and loved it, so she thought shed try it out, too. Very soon, she knew she had found her calling. Burnt is Franks inspiring, richly detailed, and open-hearted account of an extraordinary life in fire. It chronicles the transformation of a young adult determined to prove her mettle into a scarred and sensitive veteran, grappling with the weight of her duties as chief of fire protectionone of the highest-ranking women in Cal Fire historywhile record-setting fires engulf her home state. Mentors and mediocre managers, funerals and scandal, pickup basketball, car crashes, and always fireno one has written about this world, from this perspective, like Clare Frank. She masterfully mixes irreverence and awe, taking readers inside firehouses, on daily calls, and along to gigantic wildfires where antics and dark humor balance terrifying risk, trauma, and a sense of almost holy responsibility. Burnt: A Memoir of Fighting Fire is an unforgettable memoir from an American original.