Fire has always gripped our imaginations. To quote Mary Clearman Blew, "It warms us, frightens us, and entertains us." In "Forged in Fire," Blew and coeditor Phil Druker have assembled twenty gifted writers who explore the element from various perspectives.

Living as they do in a state that nearly every summer faces the threat and challenges of wildfire, Idaho writers are exceptionally well equipped to recount firsthand experiences. Featuring essays by both established and novice writers and including two prize-winning stories, "Forged in Fire" covers topics from escaping forest fires...