Notes on Surviving the Fire: A razor-sharp, darkly funny literary novel about male violence, a woman's vengeance, and whether killing can ever be justified

'Savage, brilliant, merciless and mad as hell' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Lives up to the hype' SUNDAY TIMES STYLE 'A thriller's bones, a satire's glare, and a comeuppance story's anarchic spirit' NEW YORKER Nathan says he loves me because I let him see me, and he knows how hard that is. He appreciates that I let him in. I say I love him because he is not a dick, in a world full of dicks. Sarah Common is a survivor. She survived the brutal Maine winters where she learned to hunt; she survived the petty politics of the university where she teaches; she survived the fact that her attacker escaped justice and still walks free around campus. Or at least that's what she tells herself. Nathan was the only person who believed what happened to Sarah. And now Nathan is dead. And for Sarah to survive once again, she must find out what happened to Nathan - and decide whether, this time, she should seek justice . . . or revenge. More reviews for NOTES ON SURVIVING THE FIRE: 'Bitterly dark, full of vengeance and bite. A seething, fearless story wound so tight I held my breath from page one. Brilliant!' - NATALI SIMMONDS, author of GOOD GIRLS DIE LAST 'Murphy writes with the nimbleness of a hunter: muscularly and with precision, while also propelled by undercurrents of cold, simmering fury and hot, big-hearted empathy.' AUBE REY LESCURE, Women's Prize-shortlisted author of RIVER EAST RIVER WEST '. . . a furious, fast-paced, emotionally resonant and memorable novel. I'll be thinking about this one for a while yet.' - ILANA MASAD, Los Angeles Times

About the Author :
Christine Murphy has lived, worked, and travelled in over 100 countries, including eleven months in a tent across the African continent and a year as a resident in a Buddhist nunnery in the Himalayas. She completed the world's longest for-charity horse ride across Northern Mongolia, during which she broke her back (for the second time). A trained Buddhaologist, Christine has a PhD in Religious Studies.

Review :
A biting, savage, unflinching story of how the culture of sexual assault is systemically tolerated and tucked out of sight into the dark corners of ivory towers. Part campus satire, part murder mystery, and most importantly a tale of formidable survival, Notes on Surviving the Fire asks: who among us is a perpetrator, and how do we keep on living once we know? Christine Murphy writes with the nimbleness of a hunter: muscularly and with precision, while also propelled by undercurrents of cold, simmering fury and hot, big-hearted empathy. Lives up to the hype. Savage, brilliant, merciless and mad as hell. Bitterly dark, full of vengeance and bite. A seething, fearless story wound so tight I held my breath from page one. Brilliant! The novel's strength lies in Sarah's duality . . .The narrative is equally layered, with a thriller's bones, a satire's glare, and a comeuppance story's anarchic spirit. A wild horse of a plot . . . Fiery on many levels . . . An author to watch. A bold and complex thriller that tackles rape culture and academic bureaucracy with a pinch of Buddhist philosophy . . . Murphy establishes a convincing sense of psychological realism while making salient points about the challenges women face in the aftermath of sexual violence . . . Those in the mood for more challenging fare will be rewarded. A furious, fast-paced, emotionally resonant and memorable novel. I'll be thinking about this one for a while yet.