A closely observed study of ordinary heroes and the thousands more like them whose lives are always on the line.
An affecting, fast-paced portrait of four generations of FDNY firefighters and the many dangers they have faced—some to the very end.
“William Feehan’s last moments on earth were spent helping the direct recovery effort for firefighters trapped in the Marriott hotel adjacent to the south tower.” So writes journalist McDonald, author of My Father’s Gun and Last Call at Elaine’s, who tracks the Feehan connection to firefighting in New York to a patriarch who stumbled into the job in the 1920s, mostly by virtue of being Irish and having a brother-in-law in the FDNY. He served as an ordinary firefighter for 30 years, seeking no further promotions: “William loved facing a raging fire with a nozzle in his hands and saw no reason to do anything else.” His son and namesake was of similar mind, but, as the author chronicles, he moved up the chain of command until he was a captain, a chief, then commissioner. He was the highest-ranking casualty of 9/11, the cause of death listed as homicide, “the first issued to a member of the FDNY killed in the attack.” McDonald writes with all the vividness of firefighting genre master Dennis Smith, but his story isn’t all hooks and ladders. Much of the narrative involves the complex politics of the FDNY vis-a-vis other emergency departments and the city government. In one extensive passage, McDonald describes a history of budgetary neglect that ended in the 1970s with a demoralized, understaffed department. They faced mortal danger every day, and “in return, they received little thanks from the communities they served and layoffs and pay freezes from the city. The anger was palpable.” The story continues with the achievements of Bill Feehan’s son-in-law and grandson within the FDNY, which, after 9/11, is held in much higher regard—even if the pay still isn’t adequate.
A closely observed study of ordinary heroes and the thousands more like them whose lives are always on the line.Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-538-75320-0
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.
The third volume in the Elephant Whisperer series.
In this follow-up to An Elephant in My Kitchen, Malby-Anthony continues her loving portrait of the Thula Thula wildlife reserve, which she co-founded in 1998 with her late husband, South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony, who published the first book in the series, The Elephant Whisperer, in 2009. Following his death in 2012, Malby-Anthony sought to honor his legacy by continuing his vision “to create a massive conservancy in Zululand, incorporating our land and other small farms and community land into one great big game park.” At the same time, the elephants gave her “a sense of purpose and direction.” In the Zulu language, thula means quiet, and though the author consistently seeks to provide that calm to her charges, peace and tranquility are not always easy to come by at Thula Thula. In this installment, Malby-Anthony discusses many of the challenges faced by her and her staff, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. These included an aggressive, 2-ton rhino named Thabo; the profound loss felt by all upon the death of their elephant matriarch, Frankie; difficulty obtaining permits and the related risk of having to relocate or cull some of their animals; the fear of looting and fire due to civil unrest in the region; and the ongoing and potentially deadly struggles with poachers. Throughout, the author also shares many warm, lighthearted moments, demonstrating the deep bond felt among the humans and animals at the reserve and the powerful effects of the kindness of strangers. “We are all working in unity for the greater good, for the betterment of Thula Thula and all our wildlife….We are humbled by the generosity and love, both from our guests and friends, and from strangers all around the world,” writes the author. “People’s open-hearted support kept us alive in the darkest times.”
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781250284259
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
An intriguing but uneven family memoir and travelogue.
An author’s trip to Venice takes a distinctly Borgesian turn.
In November 2020, soccer club Venizia F.C. offered Nigerian American author Madu a writing residency as part of its plan “to turn the team into a global entity of fashion, culture, and sports.” Flying to Venice for the fellowship, he felt guilty about leaving his immigrant parents, who were shocked to learn upon moving to the U.S. years earlier that their Nigerian teaching certifications were invalid, forcing his father to work as a stocking clerk at Rite Aid to support the family. Madu’s experiences in Venice are incidental to what is primarily a story about his family, especially his strained relationship with his father, who was disappointed with many of his son’s choices. Unfortunately, the author’s seeming disinterest in Venice renders much of the narrative colorless. He says the trip across the Ponte della Libertà bridge was “magical,” but nothing he describes—the “endless water on both sides,” the nearby seagulls—is particularly remarkable. Little in the text conveys a sense of place or the unique character of his surroundings. Madu is at his best when he focuses on family dynamics and his observations that, in the largely deserted city, “I was one of the few Black people around.” He cites Borges, giving special note to the author’s “The House of Asterion,” in which the minotaur “explains his situation as a creature and as a creature within the labyrinth” of multiple mirrors. This notion leads to the Borgesian turn in the book’s second half, when, in an extended sequence, Madu imagines himself transformed into a minotaur, with “the head of a bull” and his body “larger, thicker, powerful but also cumbersome.” It’s an engaging passage, although stylistically out of keeping with much of what has come before.
An intriguing but uneven family memoir and travelogue.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781953368669
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Belt Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
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