Book Review: One Foot in the Black by Kurt L. Kamm

Oops, it wasn't until I had had read almost the entirecan think of little more than how to escape. The
book that I discovered that this was fiction and notopportunity arises when he attends his father's 'office'
biographical! This story is so well constructed it isChristmas party. The abusive elder Kowalski is also a
impossible to tell fact from fiction. The characters arefire fighter, and it is the station chief that offers Greg
life-like, and they are crafted with a skill and panachethe opportunity to move to California and become a
that one rarely finds in a novel. I was devastated whenseasonal member of the CDF.
I discovered it was a novel, I really wanted to ask KurtThis is an opportunity that Greg cannot turn down,
Kamm about that time on the mountain with the fire allescape from Saginaw and the oppressive regime that
around!his father has created. Of course there are
Having made my confession, let us talk about thedownsides, what will happen to his mother and sister,
story. The title One Foot In The Black is a reference towho will still be under the ogre's spell.
fighting Wildfires, more importantly the placement ofWhat Greg lacked in Saginaw, he finds in California, a
firefighters, they are in the just scorched area dealingfather figure he can admire, a father figure that offers
with the fire at close range. It is to say the least agenuine friendship and leadership. Fighting wildfires is a
dangerous place to be. If the wind changes, you are indangerous occupation, as Greg discovers first hand,
big trouble, but the science and experience shows thatcaught by surprise with a wind direction Greg faces a
you at least have a possible escape route.life or death situation. To save himself, or risk near
Author Kurt Kamm takes us on an odyssey ofcertain death to try and save his friend and mentor?
discovery, a discovery of what it is like to be on theI think it would be inappropriate to reveal more, I have a
fire line, and a look at what drives the people who risksadistic streak! You will just have to read One Foot In
their lives so that we still have possessions after theThe Black yourself to find out what happens!
fire has tried to rip through our property. Maybe mostI really like the meticulous attention to detail that Kurt
important of all, we get to peek inside the mind of oneKamm has included. And clearly the detail is factual, his
young man that has decided to make this his career.book has been endorsed by several fire fighting
The style that Kamm has adopted is an interestingorganizations. Kurt Kamm lives in Southern California
one, and one that essentially permits two veryand has had some first hand experience with wild fires,
different stories to be told side by side. We have theapparently one actually made it to the front door of his
story of 19 year old Greg Kowalski entering the field ofMalibu home.
wildfire fighting, and we have the rather dark and sadYou can find out more about this author from his web
story of Greg's upbringing. Living in a dysfunctionalsite, and One Foot In The Black is available from
family with a verbal and physically abusive father GregAmazon.