I knew this was going to be an emotive read that would fill me with all different kinds of feelings but I wasn't prepared for how this book made me feel. I can't imagine how those children must have felt or how they coped, and this must have been so hard to bring to fruition but I think everyone should read it.

Thank you NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Oh boy. As soon as I started this I knew this was gonna take a while because I would have to take a lot of breaks. This was heartbreaking, emotional, and crazy to read. A true dive into an abusive family that somehow still shared good moments here and there. Yet, you still wonder how people can treat others that way, including their own flesh and blood.

This must have been really hard for the author to write but I am grateful to her for sharing her and her sister’s stories. And I’m glad, without revealing too much, that it had sort of a happy ending.

This book is about two sisters who experience their parents divorce and live with their father who is kind and loving. Unfortunately their manipulative grandparents wind up kidnapping the girls and bringing them to live with their mother who probably has undiagnosed bipolar disorder among other things.

The mother is abusive and her boyfriends are as well. The girls are constantly being moved from one place to another as their mother has to keep moving to escape creditors.

Despite all this, the girls continue to have a relationship with their mother and abusive stepfather until their deaths. It’s really very sad all that they endured. It’s a wonder that the girls grow up to be functioning adults who have broken the cycle of abuse.

A deeply emotional story which took my breath away.

This was a wonderful memoir, with so much packed into it. Encompasses many themes: Family, dysfunctional relationships, separation, medical matters, travel, and moving countries.

I was so sad reading some of these circumstances. To think people can treat others so terribly. And to think they are of the same family, be that by birth, or connected by marriage. I'm so moved by how people get through it.

You hear so much about absent fathers.... not wanting or bothering to see their kids; not paying child support; leaving mothers to it. This is the complete opposite in that this time a loving father is desperate to see his children, and family members effectively kidnapped them, pretending to take them on a holiday. This powerful and heartbreaking story often left me speechless.

A wonderful memoir. Sweeping from terribly tragic, to a joyous resolution. Beautifully written, an amazing read.

Children Born of Wildfire by Angela Hoy presents a poignant memoir that delves into her tumultuous childhood alongside her younger sister, Janie. Separated from their devoted father, the sisters found themselves engulfed in a tumultuous environment with their maternal grandparents and an unstable mother, enduring manipulation, abuse, and neglect. Although they appeared to be well-cared-for externally, the reality within their home was fraught with turmoil, leaving the sisters feeling isolated and devoid of hope for rescue. Their journey of survival is characterized by resilience and a profound bond, ultimately driving them to search for their father years later, despite being led to believe he had passed away.

Hoy’s narrative skillfully intertwines themes of trauma and survival with the metaphor of wildfire, symbolizing both the destructive elements of their upbringing and the potential for renewal. The memoir's structure reflects the fragmented nature of trauma, presenting disjointed memories that echo the chaos of their lived experiences. Hoy's process of reconstructing her life—both physically, after losing her home, and emotionally, in the aftermath of abuse—provides you with deep insights into resilience and healing. The narrative captures the intensity of her experiences through vivid prose and emotional candor, rendering the memoir both haunting and uplifting.

I did find that at times, it was a little difficult to follow the story due to its jumping around. But, this was a compelling read that gives you hope for the future as it is unimaginable to realize that someone lived through these experiences. This book provides hope and inspiration to anyone that Is facing challenges.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my review.

An absolutely heartbreaking story with a beautiful ending. Tragedy, trauma, resilience, grief, and survival. Angela Hoy is nothing short of a survivor. This is such a well written memoir that is so eye opening. Our judicial system has changed so much since the abduction of A. Hoy and her sister Janie. Reading this memoir reminds me so much of my grandmothers upbringing. She was the strongest woman I have ever known, which makes me believe Angela Hoy and her sister are just as strong.

Thank you for sharing your story, thank you for bringing light to a taboo subject, thank you for being an inspiration and a beautiful light.

The most disturbing part of this book is how little it surprised me - this account of one family could be the account of any family, especially in a generation where abuse and dysfunction were not addressed or even acknowledged. The author does not gloss over the darker aspects of her situation, nor does she excuse her own less than sterling behaviour at various times in her life. Rather, she demonstrates the journey taken to come to terms with ongoing and lasting trauma. One thing particularly resonated with me and that is the identification of gaps and knowledge, memory and history which so often exist when a person tries to piece together the puzzle of a disrupted childhood. Thank goodness the author and her sister were ultimately reunited with their father - this was so gratifying to read.