This was a quiet book that slowly took hold of me. It is primarily a character study of the people whose neighborhood and lives are dramatically changed by the reflexive toss of a lit match. The fire-starter, Henry, a USPS delivery person, deeply and sincerely attempts to expiate his secular sin, often despite the anger and rejection with which his acts of atonement are sometimes met. The gloriously flawed humanity of the nine adults who are most affected by the fire is gradually revealed. "Fellow Mortals" is about the eventual death in store for all of us and how we love, comfort, and live in the face of it. A finely drawn, resonating debut novel. The story is about a mail carrier (Henry) who accidentally starts a fire that destroys two homes and kills a woman. Henry is a decent man who is overcome with remorse for what he's done and tries to make amends to the victims of the fire. There's nothing he wouldn't do to try to alleviate the suffering he'd caused and at times it was almost too painful and embarrassing to read. His wife was too good to be true. She allowed him to open their home up to two of the people who lost their home--two elderly women. I'm not sure most wifes would be that accommodating. Henry becomes involved with the rest of the residents who either lost their home or had extensive damage, or in one case, the man who lost his wife. The different reactions to the tragedy and their interactions with Henry are what makes this book work. That said, I wasn't crazy about the ending. I found it not quite realistic.
What do You think about Fellow Mortals (2013)?
Enjoyed this book however had a hard time getting into it! Lots of characters to keep straight!!!
—esha
I thought the flow of the story was perfect and he gave me characters to hate and ones to love.
—alejandra
I didn't finish it. It was slow and boring.
—Shruti
