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Title: Woodsburner

Author: John Pipkin

Narrator: Henry Strozier

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-12-09

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In his scintillating debut, John Pipkin fictionalizes an ignoble event in noted naturalist Henry David Thoreau's life. One year before his historic retreat to the woods around Walden pond, Thoreau struck a match and carelessly started a mammoth fire that would go on to consume 300 acres of forest and farmland.

©2009 John Pipkin; (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews:

"Woodsburner offers a nuanced portrait of a young and less recognizable Thoreau, whose philosophy begins to materialize as the flames lay waste. The talented Pipkin simultaneously presents a vivid picture of mid-19th century New England on the cusp of unstoppable change through a cast of characters: a sadistic and misguided preacher, a desperate bookseller, and an isolated immigrant laborer harboring painful secrets. Their lives are forever changed by the fire which serves as a powerful metaphor for the destructive passions that consume us, as well as the eternal struggles between human society and the natural world." (Amazon.com review)

"A superb historical fiction as well as a complex and provocative novel of ideas - Pulitzer Prize material." (Kirkus Reviews)

Members Reviews:

this one is worth a read

I have never been interested in the "waldon pond" era in our history; but, this book changed my mind. So much good historical information encased in a well-written novel; characters are well drawn and interesting; good description of natural scenery and period structures. And, the actual well-documented fire might have happened just like the author imagined it!

Five Stars

Woodsburner is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction, thoughtful, funny, and constantly entertaining.

Imaginative & Gripping Historically-Based Novel

This compelling novel features the multiple viewpoints of several engaging characters, a technique that can be annoying if it's not done as expertly as it is here. The story offers an imaginative pre-history to Thoreau's Walden Pond era, grounded in the facts of his life, (though you don't have to be a Thoreau fan to enjoy it). Fictional characters are blended with a true-life event: a massive fire, accidentally set. Impeccably researched details make that fire in the woods credible as well as horrifying.

review of Woodsburner

It tells an interesting story about four differerent people that have in common only this large fire and it goes on to tell how they were each indidually affected.

Delightful imagining

The characters come alive in all their fears and foibles. A rare book about how different individuals react to crises and the stories they tell themselves.