After the Fire

Author: Robin Gaby Fischer
Stars: 5
Review by: Jelsey
Destination: New Jersey


Many of us remember back in January 2000 when an early morning fire at Seton Hall University raged through a freshman dorm taking the lives of three freshmen and leaving many others injured. This book is the story of the two most seriously burned by that fire, 18-year-old roommates who somehow survived the flames.  This non-fiction account then follows their tedious and painful recovery at St. Barnabas Hospital in Newark and finally at the Kessler Institute in West Orange.  Fischer's writing is lively and spellbinding.  (Her coverage of the story for the Star Ledger was nominated for a Pulitzer prize.)  The book is full of personal stories about the two young men, their families, the medical personnel, and all of those whose lives they touched over the period. It is a beautiful story of friendship, survival, and devotion.  It's a compelling read and very hard to put down!