The Fire Bell Strikes at Midnight

By: Shirley Freitas

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Synopsis: As disaster bears down on a rural California county, sordid truths about century-old crimes threaten a community in crisis . . . Like much of rural California in 1985, Piñon County is on the brink of ecological and economic disaster. The forests are overgrown and frighteningly dry, the mill at the center of the community is closing, and real estate moguls plan to take full advantage. Furthermore, relationships are strained when historical records reveal shameful details about arson and murder committed in 1888 . . . And as a wildfire bears down, the past and present collide, and this tight knit community desperately tries to cope with spousal abuse, racism, bigotry, adultery . . . and the imminent threat both to and from nature. But who will survive to tell their tale, and who will fall victim to fate?The Fire Bell Strikes at Midnight is a beautifully told and evocative novel rich in atmosphere, depicting devastating dangers to both the human spirit and the environment—while leaving us hopeful for the future by showing what love and friendship can do. &“A revealing and deeply personal novel . . . Freitas deftly brings the reader into the heart of the political and emotional relationships, a saga of Hardy-esque proportions, and the slow, intense build of the plot. . . . A must-read!&” —Roccie Hill, author of The Blood of My Mother