Who by Fire

by Diana Spechler

Book Overview

Bits and Ash were children when the kidnapping of their younger sister, Alena--an incident for which Ash blames himself--caused an irreparable family rift. Thirteen years later, Ash is living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel, cutting himself off from his mother, Ellie, and his wild-child sister, Bits. But soon he may have to face them again; Alena's remains have finally been uncovered. Now Bits is traveling across the world in a bold and desperate...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061572934
• ISBN13: 9780061572937
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

I couldn't put it down

This novel was absolutely amazing. Diana Spechler's writing is graceful and engaging, her characters are vivid, and her story was completely captivating. I loved this book and would recommend it to any fiction fan looking for a great read. Each chapter was told from a different characters perspective with their own unique voice. Diana Spechler flawlessly intertwines them into a heartwarming, funny, yet tragically honest portrayal of the bonds that hold a family together. A wonderful book! I bought a few copies for holiday gifts already and would suggest it for any book club as well.

My new favorite book!

Wow! Diana Spechler gives us the world's most disfunctional family yet succeeds in letting them enter our hearts. I found myself hating and rooting for each character at the same time. The chapters are short and make for an easy read. The story is so gripping, the book becomes impossible to put down. I came to quite a dilemna about half way through the book. On one hand, I wanted to race through to see what happened to the three main characters, but I couldn't bare the thought of finishing Who By Fire. A very satisfying ending makes this book one that I am planning on recommending to everyone I know. And I am looking forward to buying copies of this book for everyone on my Holiday Gift Giving list.

Great Family Story

OK, full disclosure: I took a class with Diana Spechler over the summer - so I can recommend both her novel and her classes! Obviously, I approached the book with heightened expectations, so I was pleased that by the end of the third chapter I was invested in the characters and interested in seeing where the plot would take me. The characters are believable, and the dialogue is natural, and sometimes painfully real. (I think I'd give the book five stars for the interactions between Bits and Wade alone...) Spechler is especially good at revealing characters slowly, so that by the end of the book, when the reader has seen several of the characters through 3 different pairs of eyes, they have a very different opinion of them than they started with. She does this organically, so it never feels like she's forcing a revelation on the reader, or twisting her characters to make them fit the plot. She did a great job depicting the yeshiva boys - their religious fervor is treated seriously, without ever making them seem like clichés or straw men. I did feel that the chapters were a little too short - I wanted to spend more time on each chapter, and I wanted to spend more time with each character, particularly Bits' mother. But really my biggest critique would be that I wanted it to be longer - the mark of a truly involving book!

Brilliant new writer

Diana Spechler is a brilliant young writer with an exceptional ability to draw you into her characters. Her novel Why by Fire is "character driven" but weaves her characters into a plot that will keep your attention. She obviously did alot of research into the subtlties of the Orthodox culture in order to be able to portray the character of Asher. I have had the pleasure of hearing her speak about her novel as well as read . I am now anxiously awaiting the next of what will be I feel will be many new novels from this new comer to the literary world.

Beautiful writing, riveting story

I picked this book up and today and have only read the first couple of chapters -- and i already highly recommend it. It is a gorgeously written story that interweaves the lives of several dysfunctional characters coming to terms with a horrific family past. The writing is spare and powerful. I don't want to put it down -- but had to just to write this review! I highly recommend Who By Fire by a talented newcomer to the book world -- Diana Spechler.