Black Fire: The True Story of the Original Tom Sawyer--and of the Mysterious Fires That Baptized Gold Rush-Era San Francisco
Six. That’s how many city-destroying fires ravaged San Francisco in 18 months, and each one is shown in its roaring glory in Black Fire. Mark Twain fanatics and firefighter-history buffs alike will flock to the tale of the real-life Tom Sawyer’s adventures fighting fires in the Gold Rush–era city, depicted in remarkable detail by Graysmith, former San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist. The core of the book, about an arsonist who stalked the bustling streets of the sloppily built city, takes place years before Twain arrives on the scene and spins yarns with Sawyer, often while they sit in steam rooms. This is a comprehensive look at Sawyer’s world, replete with roguish volunteer firefighters, tricky politicians, street brawlers, and vigilantes. The muscular depictions of these larger-than-life characters are brought to swaggering life using words straight from their mouths based on historical materials. Black Fire captures the spirit of rugged adventure so beloved in Twain’s work and so characteristic of the undaunted city built—time and time again—on the hopes of fortune-hunters. --Bridget Thoreson