2009: Russell Wangersky, Burning Down the House

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Description

Thousands of boys dream of becoming firefighters. Some get the chance, and for some of those, the dream becomes a nightmare. Burning Down the House is the story of Wangersky’s eight-year career as a volunteer firefighter, an experience that wound up reaching into every facet of his life and changed the way he saw the world forever. Written in vibrant, luminous prose, the book traces his years from rookie to veteran firefighter and the toll it took on his personal life. Offering a rare glimpse into physical dangers and psychological costs of trying to save strangers’ lives, Wangersky paints a harrowing and sometimes heartbreakingly vivid portrait of the fires, medical calls, and automobile accidents that are the standard fare of the profession.

Judges' Comments

Burning Down the House is a memoir in the truest definition of the word: a book that explores memory as both a creative and destructive force,” said Tanis MacDonald, award juror and assistant professor in Laurier’s Department of English and Film Studies. “The ironic title captures the camaraderie and dark humour of the firehouse, and its cautionary subtitle warns of the psychological price of serving society as an emergency rescue worker whose skills are absolutely essential and absolutely impossible to leave behind when the shift is over.”

Learn More

• Publisher: Thomas Allen Publishers / Dundurn Press
• Website: dundurn.com/books_/t22117/a9780887624100-burning-down-the-house

Explore the works of our previous Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction winners.