Book Review # 38 - Fireproof

Fireproof



Novelization by Eric Wilson

Back cover: "Inside burning buildings, Captain Caleb Holt lives by the firefighter's adage: Never Leave Your Partner. Yet at home, in the cooling embers of his marriage, he lives by his own rules. Growing up, his wife Catherine always dreamed of marrying a loving, brave firefighter...just like her father. Now, after 7 years of marriage, she wonders when she stopped being 'good enough.' Countless arguments and anger have them wanting to move on to something with more sparks.

As they prepare for divorce, Caleb's father challenges him to commit to a 40-day experiment. "The Love Dare." Wondering if it's even worth the effort, Caleb agrees, for his father's sake more than for his marriage. Surprised by what he discovers about the meaning of love, Caleb realizes that his wife and marriage are worth fighting for. His job is to rescue others. Now Captain Holt is ready to face his toughest job ever...rescuing his wife's heart."

Fireproof by Eric Wilson is very well done and captured my attention. At the beginning of the story Caleb has become very selfish, only looking out for his wants and needs. He puts his life on the line everyday fighting fires and thinks his wife should appreciate that fact and give him slack and not expect him to do anything around the house. He and his wife have grown apart and she is tired of trying. Caleb reaches out to his father who gives him a book "The Love Dare." The Love Dare" (which has been made into a real book) challenges Caleb to complete a dare each day, to do something nice for his wife, in addition to scripture and statements of principles to read. Caleb grudgingly starts the dare, but comes to comes to realize how his actions have helped contribute to the failure of their marriage and struggles to change in order to save it.

But Catherine is also at fault and as Caleb struggles to change, Catherine struggles to stay faithful and find the strength to accept Caleb back. In the process, they discover that marriage includes God and having faith, not only in him, but each other. Highly recommended.