Fire Road

The Napalm Girl's Journey Through the Horrors of War to Faith, Forgiveness, and Peace

By: Kim Phuc Phan Thi, Ashley Wiersma

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Get out! Run! We must leave this place! They are going to destroy this whole place! Go, children, run first! Go now!

These were the final shouts nine-year-old Kim Phuc heard before her world dissolved into flames - before napalm bombs fell from the sky, burning away her clothing and searing deep into her skin. It's a moment forever captured, an iconic image that has come to define the horror and violence of the Vietnam War. Kim was left for dead in a morgue; no one expected her to survive the attack. Napalm meant fire, and fire meant death.

Against all odds, Kim lived - but her journey toward healing was only beginning. When the napalm bombs dropped, everything Kim knew and relied on exploded along with them: her home, her country's freedom, her childhood innocence and happiness. The coming years would be marked by excruciating treatments for her burns and unrelenting physical pain throughout her body, which were constant reminders of that terrible day. Kim survived the pain of her body ablaze, but how could she possibly survive the pain of her devastated soul?

Fire Road is the true story of how she found the answer in a God who suffered himself; a Savior who truly understood and cared about the depths of her pain.

©2017 Kim Phuc Phan Thi (P)2017 HighBridge, a Division of Recorded Books

Fascinating read!

I heard about this book from a friend and had to check it out. It was something I could not stop listening to! I found Fire Road to be extremely captivating, well written, and wonderfully narrated. It is a beautiful story of how someone’s life went from struggles beyond comprehension to a thriving and peaceful, joyful life. This was due to the part of her story where she would find faith in Jesus and begin to understand how her pain was actually the catalyst for all of the good that was brought about in not only her life, but to many others as well. Forgiveness, love, and peace have become the fruits of Kim’s life, and I have been blessed to hear her story and how that change was brought about.

Excellent!

When this book was recommended by our book club, I was hesitant to read another account of the Vietnam War. But this memoir was not that at all. Her personal journey through so much pain and suffering to Faith, hope, love, and healing is fascinating, well written, and inspiring.

Wow

What an incredible story! Definitely worth a listen. Combines the things of history and the things of the heart in a powerful and moving way.
Also, the reader did a great job. Very engaging.

Spectacular!

I absolutely loved this book. The narrator was great. The story was so touching! Kim Phu's candor was so touching!

Excellent book!

Nice that it was in chronological order rather than jumping around. Anyone that would like to understand how history plays out from just a simple snapshot in someone’s life.

Wow! Riveted!

This memoir is amazing. What a beautiful story of faith and the power of love!

A powerful message of hope

The story is very powerful and captivating. Everyone should read it. The voice of the narrator is too soft and often trails off,makes it difficult to hear. When turn up the volume, the loud part becomes too loud. It’s a shame to have this experience in the midst of a incredible story.

Powerful

What an amazing testimony to the power and love Jesus! Loved the narrator as well.

Touching Story

Would you listen to Fire Road again? Why?

No. I think I would have gotten a different perspective if I had read the book myself.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Definitely Kim, for all the pain that she's had to endure, the bravery, and inspiration towards hope of a better future.

What aspect of Emily Woo Zeller’s performance would you have changed?

It was too much of a performance read to me, and didn't feel personable. There was something in the voice of the narrator that I wasn't fond of. Maybe it's my own Vietnamese cultural background that biased how I interpreted the reader's voice and her pronunciation of the Vietnamese words. I did appreciate the emotions she carried out, however at times I felt it was over the top.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were many moments in the book that moved me. The moments of her low self-confidence leading up to her finding her true love, when her husband decided to follow her to Canada, the moment her husband understand her love for God found his own calling, Kim being able to give birth to her own children, and the many other painful moments in her life when she continued to hold onto hope to survive her country's wrath.

Any additional comments?

This story was much more a memoir of Kim's experience and less based on the War, which was the reason I was drawn to the book in the first place. It doesn't make the story any less intriguing to read, just not what I was expecting. I was hoping to hear more perspective on the War aspect.

Incredible story

The rest of the story behind the famous photograph depicting the horrors of war and wonders of redemption.