Barbara M. reviewed on 7/12/2013 + 6 more book reviews

Given that this is fire season out west, this book is an especially good read. The main character is a seasonal firefighter for the state of California--and while he loves the work (which makes him odd, according to the other men on his team), he can't make a year round living doing only that. So he tries to find work that will support him, his wife and child, and will leave him with dignity--not a victim of the streets like so many of the men and women who live in his poor neighborhood on the edge of LA. His solution is to play the race card in reverse--to supply nervous white Angelanos with safe, "Asian" lawn care, keeping his own identity secret.

I really liked the way Straight presented race--complex rather than simple.

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