Ellie - the mother, Bits - the daughter and Ash - the son narrate their lives chapter by chapter for the duration of almost a year and a half. Could their lives be reflecting the anguish and blame they feel about the kidnapping of their daughter/younger sister thirteen years ago?

I just don't get it. This book is rated a 5/5 with 40 reviews on Amazon. There are only 4 that rated it something other than a 5. Well . . . I'm standing with the lonely 4. I actually struggled reading approximately 75% of the book! It seemed like everything that happened was to the extreme, and I didn't like any of the characters. Then when I thought something good happened - I was way off base. ??? Grrr - another book bites the dust.

Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy ( )

I think I'd give this novel 3.5 stars if I could. It was an interesting read, and I definitely was interested in seeing how the story unfolded, but there were a few times I found certain parts slow as well. I thought the author did a great job of giving each of the three narrators a distinct voice and showing how each reacted to the same family tragedy in a very different way. This is also a good book for people interested in understanding Orthodox Jews and how they perceive the world -- I see why Orthodox Judaism is so appealing to Asher int he book. All three characters definitely evolve throughout the novel, and there is a very interesting twist which I didn't see coming. ( )

This is such a good book. I really enjoyed it. It is a remarkable story of a famly that falls apart when their youngest daughter is kidnapped. This book has so many twists and turns and it is filled with wisdom and characters that will entrance the reader. Don't miss it! ( )

When Ash and Bits where young children their sister Alena was kidnapped. Since then the kidnapping has torn their family apart and brought them to different methods of dealing with the grief, guilt and pain of loosing their sister, and daughter. Bits runs to men whenever she is sad, Ash scurries to religion, living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel in hopes that it will fill his gap and their mother's outlet is blame. She blames herself, and guilts her other children because they do not perform the way that she would like them to, they just can't fill that void that her youngest daughter, her favourite daughter left. For years, even decades the pain has formed wedges between them all, pushing and pulling them further and further apart. Will a sudden protectiveness arise within them when they feel someone on the outside is threatening their family?

Who by Fire is a tightly knit net of interactions and paths that cross and intersect and dodge each other. The book had its clenching grip on me the whole way through, I could relate to pieces of each of the characters. I do recommend it, I enjoyed it and it took me through the emotions a long with it. I felt the writing was precise and while not stunningly beautiful, it was practical and felt just right for the book. I was never distracted by cliche or bored by descriptions, so yes the writing was very good.

This is certainly a book for most people, but it would especially strike a chord for those who have suffered loss and learned, or have yet to learn how to cope with the loss endured. As dark as this book could have been, it wasn't, somehow through the whole reading I felt an underlying stream of hope and perseverance. Who by Fire is not flavoured by sad and depressed draining feelings, but of a changing life and the acts that futures are made of. Read it and you'll be glad that you did. ( )

This book is very powerful and captivating. The journey with Ash and Bits is incredible and brave. I read the book in three sections. There are no dull moments in the book, there are no slow spots. The characters are flawed and likable. We can recognize the root of their issues. This made me cheer for them throughout the whole novel.

It is broken up into three different perspectives. From each character there is a nice flow to the story as it changes from each point of view/perspective quite often. For me this kept the story fresh and easy to absorb. It was a brilliant way to write a deep and powerful story without bogging one down in the depth of the heartache within the story. And just when you think you have it figured out, there are just enough curves and bends in the story to finish out the novel with a little twist.

Read it! Read it! The book will not disappoint. It is a beautiful, soulful story that unfolds perfectly and timely without dragging. It is a story about family, about forgiveness, guilt, blame, and moving on.

The book is deeply touching and it lingers in the mind long after the last page is turned. Who among us can rescue another if we still have yet to rescue our ourselves? For me I kept thinking about that quote about plucking the straw from our neighbors eye while ignoring the rafter in our own eye. ( )