Title: Your House Is on Fire, Your Children All Gone
Author: Stefan Kiesbye
First published January 1, 2012
198 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780143121466 (ISBN10: 0143121464)
Rating: 3.32
Overview
Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half delves into the lives of twin sisters Desiree and Stella, who couldn’t be more different. Growing up in a small southern black community, the sisters run away at age sixteen, going their separate ways.
Many years later, one sister returns to the same southern town with her black daughter, while the other sister passes for white with her white husband who knows nothing of her past. As their own daughters’ lives intersect, the fate of the twins remains intertwined.
Bennett weaves together multiple strands and generations of this family, exploring the complexities of identity, love, and family ties. The Vanishing Half is an emotional and riveting family story that delves deep into the American history of passing, and the lasting influence of the past on a person’s decisions and expectations.
About the Author
Stefan Kiesbye is a talented writer who holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Michigan. He was born in a small town on the German coast of the Baltic Sea and later moved to Berlin in the early 1980s.
He pursued his passion for writing by studying drama and working in radio. Eventually, he enrolled in American studies, English, and comparative literature at Berlin’s Free University.
In 1996, he received a scholarship that took him to Buffalo, New York. Nowadays, Kiesbye resides in Portales, NM, where he teaches Creative Writing at Eastern New Mexico University.
His work has been published in various magazines and anthologies. He won the Low Fidelity Press Novella Award for his first book, Next Door Lived a Girl.
Editoral Review
Your House Is on Fire, Your Children All Gone by Stefan Kiesbye is a haunting and atmospheric novel that immerses readers in a small German village shrouded in secrets and darkness. Kiesbye, a German-American author and professor of creative writing, has crafted a piece of fiction that blurs the lines between fairy tales, horror, and psychological thriller.
Set in the 1950s, the novel follows a group of children who grow up together in Hemmersmoor, a sleepy village where traditions and superstitions reign supreme. The novel is narrated by four of the children: Christian, Linde, Anke, and Alex.
Through their fragmented and nonlinear recollections, readers gradually piece together the horrific events that took place in their village, including disappearances, murders, and the unspoken tensions between neighbors. Kiesbye masterfully creates a sense of tension and unease from the very beginning of the novel, using vivid descriptions of the village’s natural surroundings to unnerve readers.
The setting of Hemmersmoor is almost a character in itself, with its murky ponds, twisted trees, and abandoned estates holding secrets that are slowly revealed throughout the novel. The novel’s characters are multi-dimensional and flawed, and Kiesbye expertly explores the dark underbelly of small-town life.
Through their stories, readers witness the devastating effects of gossip, envy, and tradition on individuals and families. The children’s coming-of-age experiences, including sexual experimentation and bullying, are painted with brutal honesty, making for a disturbing and thought-provoking read.
Despite its grim subject matter, Your House Is on Fire, Your Children All Gone is beautifully written, with Kiesbye’s prose often bordering on poetic. The nonlinear narrative structure, while initially disorienting, allows for a gradual unraveling of the plot that keeps readers engaged until the end.
While the novel may not be for everyone, particularly those who prefer their fiction straightforward and uplifting, it is a fantastic read for fans of dark, atmospheric tales. It is reminiscent of the works of Shirley Jackson and Stephen King, exploring similar themes of small-town horror and disturbing human behavior.
One potential flaw of the novel is that its nonlinear structure can be confusing at times, and readers may have to work a bit to piece together the chronology of events. Those who prefer straightforward plots may find the structure off-putting.
Overall, Your House Is on Fire, Your Children All Gone is a beautifully written, eerie, and unforgettable read that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page. Its exploration of human darkness and horror is not for the faint of heart, but those who are willing to delve into the depths of the human psyche will be rewarded with a haunting and thought-provoking tale.
Washington Post gives Your House Is on Fire, Your Children All Gone a rating of 4 out of 5, based on its exceptional writing, atmospheric setting, and memorable characters. Fans of dark fiction and psychological thrillers will not be disappointed by this haunting and chilling read.
