Gully is a seasoned wildland firefighter who quit the profession. Years later, as Montana faces its worst fire season in over 100 years, Gully is on the cusp of suicide. He calls his old friend and mentor, Elsen, searching for purpose in the only place he's ever found it. Upon his return, Elsen thrusts him into the most combustible role of his career: crew boss for the inmate fire crew.
Fire has shaped Gully's entire existence-his father died in the Yellowstone Fires of '88, leaving behind a heavy legacy. Now, he is once again thrown into the flames, leading a group of criminal outcasts.
Through burnouts, bucket drops, and blistering heat, Gully gets to know the convict crew as the complex individuals they are.
But what he doesn't see is the thread binding this crew and the mysterious shadow surrounding his father's death. A wildfire does not just destroy-it reveals. And Gully will painfully discover this shadow was cast by those who used their internal blaze to incinerate another.
For fans of emotionally charged survival fiction, modern Western grit, and stories of trauma and redemption, Who Tames the Flames? is a powerful wildland firefighting novel about brotherhood, legacy, and confronting the scorching sins of one's past. If you were moved by Norman Maclean's Young Men and Fire, then you won't want to miss this unforgettable action-adventure saga.