Because a Fire Was in My Head by Lynn Stegner

“Stegner follows the tragic arc of Kate Riley, whose lifetime of self-destructive behavior takes her from rural Canada to a seaside cottage in northern California with plenty of gloomy pit stops along the way. . . . Kate’s downward spiral is undoubtedly grim, but Stegner punctuates it with muted hints of redemption; the result is uncommonly satisfying.”—Publishers Weekly

“Brave and old-fashioned, Stegner’s supple use of language and precise evocation of period and place bring a literary intuitiveness to this inventive portrait of a scheming temptress, rendering with disarming psychological acuity Kate’s warring self-serving and self-destructive tendencies. Kate is too egocentric to be a sympathetic heroine, yet through Stegner’s masterful treatment, she does become a forceful, persuasive, and wholly mesmerizing character.”—Booklist

“Sometimes a character comes along that creates a confusion of feelings within the reader. Beautiful, ambitious, and self-centered young Kate Riley, the protagonist of this latest novel from Stegner is one of those characters. . . .  Unfortunately, there is very little to like about Kate, a woman who rejects anything that might provide emotional stability, instead gravitating toward bad choices and worse situations (reminding one of that classic heroine we love to hate, Madame Bovary). Who can say what made Kate the way she is—her upbringing, the repressive culture, depression?—but that’s what makes this complex and emotional literary novel a compelling yet troubling experience.”—Library Journal

“A novel fully realized on every level, Because a Fire Was in My Head is a provocative literary work of weight and luster. A risky, intermittently melodramatic tale, it casts light both on the timeless mysteries of the human psyche and on the paradoxes of a notoriously contrary epoch, namely, post-World War II North America. . . . [Stegner writes] with lyrical grandeur and psychological gravitas. . . . [P]rofound awakenings on the part of both a novel’s characters and its readers are the landmarks of powerful and lasting fiction. Stegner extends the long, spiraling reach of literature by following the footsteps of her mentors and bringing new light to the old story of our abiding ties to place and family, and to the archetypal tale of the forging of the self and the search for love. . . . [A] bold and stunning novel.”—Donna Seaman, Los Angeles Times Book Review

“It’s hard to care about [Kate], which could prompt some readers to give up on the character, and the book. This would be a shame, as Stegner’s meaty, eloquent prose, and the book’s satisfying conclusion, make Kate’s story ultimately worthy of seeing through to the end.” —Quill and Quire

“With bracing prose, Stegner turns a potential monster into a character both fascinating and pitiable; you may hate Kate, but you won’t want to leave her.” —Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly

“[S]tunning . . . . The poetic detail of Stegner’s sentences—not to mention her wanton protagonist—is reminiscent of the novels of John Updike. . . . Because a Fire Was in My Head, her most ambitious novel so far, ought to attract for Stegner the wider audience she so richly deserves.” —Julia Scheeres, New York Times Book Review, “Editor’s Choice”

“Having been a writer’s writer for 20 years, Lynn Stegner is not exactly new. Yet her latest book, Because a Fire Was in My Head, will undoubtedly catapult her to literary fame. . . .  Stegner has rendered a truly tragic story, yet she writes it beautifully, demonstrating the stunning things that can be done with the English language when one is gifted.”—Deseret Morning News

“Since the novel’s anti-heroine is unabashedly self-absorbed and unsympathetic, convincing a reader to care for her is a true accomplishment. Four-time novelist Lynn Stegner pulls it off with panache.”—Bookmarks Magazine