Two memoirs, Ramsey's 'Wildfire Days' and Selby's 'Hotshot,' explore the personal experiences and challenges faced by wildland firefighters. These books reveal intimate details of the authors' lives, addressing themes such as self-doubt, complex relationships, and struggles with identity. While Ramsey finds a sense of belonging within the firefighting community, Selby, who identifies as nonbinary, describes a toxic work environment that led to isolation. Both memoirs provide a stark portrayal of trauma healing and critique systemic failures in wildland firefighting institutions, intertwining personal narratives with reflections on ecology and history.
Ramsey's Wildfire Days was published June 17, and Selby's Hotshot will be released on Aug.12.
Both memoirs include honest accounts of healing from trauma, and the authors muse about the history and ecology of Western landscapes.
Selby called from Tallahassee, Florida, while Ramsey spoke from Redding, California.
If one person picks up my book and reads it and feels less shame about the things they've been through or the things they've done, then I have accomplished everything I set out to accomplish.
Collection
[
|
...
]