Fire in the Canyon

Gumbiner’s suspenseful sophomore novel (after The Boatbuilder) follows the struggles of a California grape-grower and his family during the fire season that shatters their quiet lives. As summer hits, Benjamin Hecht, 65, becomes concerned over the dry conditions on the family’s farm in the foothills near the small town of Natoma. Things are tight for Ben, who usually sells grapes to two wineries, and his wife, Ada, a writer, but after she finishes her next book, they plan to pay off the loan on their property. Ben has a strained relationship with his son, Yoel, in part because a decade earlier, Ben served 18 months in prison for growing marijuana. One day, smoke inundates the hills and an evacuation order forces the family to flee. Later, they return to find their farm mostly spared but their outbuildings burnt, along with Ada’s manuscript, which she mistakenly left behind. They worry they’ll have to sell the farm, but Ben decides to partner with a young winemaker, and they push to harvest the grapes. Gumbiner skillfully builds tension as the Hecht family’s hard work in the vineyards plays out, pulling them together, even as they ignore the red-flag fire warnings and face the uncertainty of whether the wine produced will be potentially ruined by smoke taint. Readers will be riveted. Agent: Martha Wydysh, Trident Media Group. (Oct.)