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