Paradise

Praise

“Paradise is a phenomenal piece of reporting, filled with love and loss, valor and terror. Lizzie Johnson has written the definitive account of an American tragedy.”—Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction

“Paradise is a propulsive, compassionate tale of lives forever altered and the lessons we must learn about our rapidly changing planet. In our new age of expanding fire disasters, Lizzie Johnson offers a detailed and clear-eyed explanation of where to lay the blame—starting with generations of neglect of nature, and ending with the utility company that, in the words of one victim, ‘killed a town.’”—Robert Kolker, author of Hidden Valley Road

“In Paradise, Lizzie Johnson masterfully weaves together stories of improbable survival and immeasurable loss to create a compelling portrait of a community brought to its knees by a ferocious fire . . . This is a book about the strength of the human spirit, and also an urgent and necessary call for action.”—Fernanda Santos, author of The Fire Line

“In a remarkable feat of empathetic reporting, Paradise takes us inside the lives of people facing a rapidly unfolding horror. Lizzie Johnson has a masterful command of this rich and tragic story . . . Equal parts thriller, investigation, and deeply rendered portrait of an American town, Paradise will leave you breathless.”—Evan Ratliff, author of The Mastermind

“In the tradition of disaster-reporting classics like 102 Minutes and Five Days at Memorial, Paradise delivers everything you expect from the best narrative nonfiction: on-the-ground reporting, incisive writing, and thoughtful analysis. . . . A masterful achievement.”—Nate Blakeslee, author of American Wolf

“With masterful reporting that drops us right into the flames, Lizzie Johnson shows how firefighters and neighbors risked everything to save each other—and pulls back to reveal the political failures and corporate greed that lit the blaze. She is a major new talent, and this book turned me upside down.”—Jason Fagone, author of The Woman Who Smashed Codes
 
“Paradise is an extraordinary book. The enormity of nature, the humanity and dignity of individual people confronting it—Lizzie Johnson has woven them all together brilliantly.”—Jon Mooallem, author This Is Chance!

“Part Rachel Carson, part The Perfect Storm, Lizzie Johnson’s Paradise is vital and magnificently crafted—and a book every person who cares about the planet and its citizens should read.”—Elizabeth Weil, co-author of The Girl Who Smiled Beads

“Out of the ash, Lizzie Johnson has written a memorial to its victims, a tribute to its heroes and survivors and a reckoning of its kindling and match. Among the culpable, we find ourselves.”—Mark Arax, author of The Dreamt Land

“This book kept me up reading late into the night and then buried itself so deep in my head that I couldn’t fall asleep. Lizzie Johnson has written that rare page-turner built on empathy and rigorous reporting. Paradise is both a definitive account of California’s historic wildfire and a crucial warning of the disasters to come.”—Eli Saslow, author of Rising Out of Hatred

“As the climate warms, our world burns. In Lizzie Johnson’s Paradise, you feel the heat. Reading it makes your clothes smell like smoke and your heart melt. This is great storytelling, full of human drama, suffering, and redemption.”—Jeff Goodell, author of The Water Will Come

“[Johnson] balances the horror with compassion. . . . Crucial, comprehensive, and moving.”—Publishers Weekly