How to Start a Fire - by Lisa Lutz (Paperback)

About the Book

From a best-selling writer, a story of unexpected friendship--three women thrown together in college who grow to adulthood united and divided by secrets, lies, and a single night that shaped all of them.

Book Synopsis

From the bestselling author of The Passenger, a novel about three college women who are united by a single night that shaped all of them that will "keep you captivated from beginning to end" (Town & Country) ¶ "Whip smart and cunning, deeply funny and profoundly moving . . . A knockout."--Megan Abbott, author of The Fever ¶ When college roommates Anna and Kate find Georgiana passed out on a lawn, they wheel her to their dorm in a shopping cart. Twenty years later, they gather around a campfire at a New England mansion. What came between--the wild adventures, unspoken jealousies, and one night that changed everything--is the witty, poignant story of our strongest friendships, the people who know us better than we know ourselves. Anna is the de facto leader, as fearless as she is reckless. Quirky Kate is the loyal sidekick, until she's pushed too far. And stunning George is always desired, but just as frequently dumped. How to Start a Fire pulls us into the tangled bond shared by three intelligent, distinctive, and deeply real women and pays homage to the abiding, irrational love we have for the family we choose. ¶"Lutz hits a home run in this glorious exploration of friendship."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) ¶ "Excellent."--Chicago Tribune

From the Back Cover

Excellent Over the course of the novel we come to know intimately these three complicated women. "Chicago Tribune" Whip smart and cunning, deeply funny and profoundly moving A knockout. Megan Abbott, author of "The Fever" When college roommates Anna and Kate find Georgiana Leoni passed out on a lawn, they wheel her to their dorm in a shopping cart. Twenty years later, they gather around a campfire at a New England mansion. What came between the wild adventures, unspoken jealousies, and one night that changed everything is the witty, poignant story of our strongest friendships, the people who know us better than we know ourselves. Anna is the de facto leader, as fearless as she is reckless. Quirky Kate is the loyal sidekick, until she s pushed too far. And stunning George is always desired, but just as frequently dumped. Alive with Lutz s crackling dialogue and propulsive storytelling, "How to Start a Fire" pulls us into the tangled bond shared by three intelligent, distinctive, and deeply real women and pays homage to the abiding, irrational love we have for the family we choose. Lutz joins the ranks of authors who write deeply and sensitively about the shadowy yet life-affirming terrain of female friendship. "Globe & Mail" Lutz hits a home run in this glorious exploration of friendship . . . [she] portrays three fully drawn, flawed, and compelling women with fresh insight into the mysterious terrain of female friendships a mix of shared experiences, affection, empathy, jealousy, anger, and love. "Publishers Weekly," starred review Lisa Lutz is the "New York Times "best-selling author of ten novels. She has won the Alex Award and has been nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. She lives in upstate New York. "

Review Quotes

"Few books have so expertly captured the intricacies and complexities of female friendship. Whipsmart and cunning, deeply funny and profoundly moving, Lisa Lutz's How to Start A Fire is a knockout."--Megan Abbott, author of The Fever "A tale of female friendship and the families we choose for ourselves, How to Start a Fire will keep you captivated from beginning to end."--Town & Country, "9 of the Best Beach Reads for 2015" "Lutz hits a home run in this glorious exploration of friendship . . . [she] portrays three fully drawn, flawed, and compelling women with fresh insight into the mysterious terrain of female friendships--a mix of shared experiences, affection, empathy, jealousy, anger, and love."--Publishers Weekly, STARRED "The characters are marvelous...relatable and fully dimensional. This is an absorbing tale that will satisfy Spellman fans as well as women's fiction readers who like a good ensemble story."--Booklist, STARRED "Simply put, one of the best and smartest novels about female friendship I've read in ages. Anna, Kate, and George are women we know, we are, we cheer for but also cringe at. Just like life, in all of its messiness."--Sarah Weinman, Publishers Lunch, "Favorite Books of 2015, From the News Editor" "With this novel, Lutz joins the ranks of authors who write deeply and sensitively about the shadowy yet life-affirming terrain of female friendship. The characters are perfect because they are flawed and real and kind and cruel. And the story delivers staggering insights into the consequences of choice, no matter how insignificant a moment may seem at the time, as well as the meaning of forgiveness and the ways in which friends can become more like family than our own blood relations - for better or for worse."--Globe & Mail "Engaging portrait of female friendship...with wit and a gift for capturing the repartee between siblings and old friends, Lutz brings us a memorable and ultimately uplifting saga of three strong, unique women."--BookPage "A great choice for fans of women's lit and anyone who enjoys books about female friendship."--Pensacola News Journal --

About the Author

LISA LUTZ is the author of the Spellman Files series and Heads You Lose (with David Hayward). She has won the Alex Award and has been nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel.