Fire Exit: A Novel

Fire Exit is a punch in the heart, the kind of novel that really does leave you heart-sore for a long time afterward.

The novel revolves around and is narrated through a man who is white and, in adulthood, was removed from his residency on an Indian reservation. His eviction and his whiteness separates him from his daughter, and from the life and culture he grew up with on the reservation. Fire Exit is the story of this man grappling with his identity as an outsider, and a story of those on the inside — Indians — who are themselves still in the process of sorting through the legacy of settler colonialism and the co-called Civilizing Mission against them. Fire Exit highlights the fluidity of identity, but also the rigid barriers which define it within ourselves and by others imposed on us. The novel exposes the messiness of relationships, especially in indigenous communities which have been so ravaged by racism and colonial ideologies.

I am reminded again how singular it is that indigenous people of North America are some of the few peoples on earth who must continually prove who they are. I recently read a piece in the New Yorker on Pretendians (typically white people who claim indigenous heritage or identity) and am struck by both the necessity of proof and how exhausting it must be as a human being. It saddens and inspires simultaneously.

The ever-present trauma of colonialism is a burden we cannot put down, any of us; and the pursuit of decolonization can never end. For that reason I am loving this wave of indigenous literature; though not “new,” it feels like indigenous writers and stories are getting more mainstream attention, reaching new audiences (like myself) who find solace and inspiration in them.

But, back to Fire Exit.

Though I cannot know what this is for indigenous people, I can say that as this is also a story about family, what it is to be a family, what is it to act out and perform family, I felt connected to a kind of universal understanding of “family” in my reading of it.

Talty is such a fantastic writer. The words just come together, like lyrics that feel familiar and yet woven together, produce a song I haven’t heard before. The mothers and fathers, daughters and sons in this novel are people we can connect with, and yet, as those living in reservations or on the edges of them, they have a unique life experience, one that I do not know (cannot know, really). I feel that Talty has made it possible for me to feel a little bit of their experience.

It is a sad novel, and a beautiful one.

I haven’t read Night of the Living Rez yet but I heard wonderful things about it, and people I believe have similar reading taste also recommended it to me. I was also very curious about Fire Exit and because it was released in June I preordered it and decided to pick it up immediately.

This is a complex book, it has a lot of different layers. It deals with complicated relationships, family dynamics, and finding one's place in life. It grapples with the idea of belonging and family bonds. In this novel we follow Charles Lamoswa who grew up in a reservation but he is not considered part of the tribe. He lives in the tribe because his mother married someone who was part of the Penobscot Reservation in Maine.

When he turns eighteen he needs to move out of the reservation because of his lack of blood ties. Although he feels like he is part of the reservation, he is not. He is an outsider. But Charles had a daughter with a Native American woman and she asked him to keep it secret, otherwise his daughter would have no right to claim tribal status.

He then buys a piece of land across the river, across the reservation, and watches his daughter grow up from there. The author examines the unfairness of this agreement between Charles and the mother of his biological daughter. On top of that, the protagonist also needs to take care of his mother with dementia.

This novel did not disappoint. Like I said before, it has many layers, it packs so much. There are no easy solutions here. This is life as complicated as it can get. Charles has a lot to deal with in this heartbreaking story. Fire Exit is an exploration of family, love, memory, blood ties, and blood quantum. It sure deserves not only five but all the stars.

With 2022’s brilliant collection, “Night of the Living Rez,” and now with his debut novel, “Fire Exit,” Morgan Talty has stepped up as one of our most exciting writers. Centering around life in Maine’s Penobscot Reservation, these books are not only insights into Native American issues, but they also explore universal themes of family, inclusion, and identity.

In “Fire Exit,” Charles Lamosway lives just outside the Penobscot Reservation– directly across the river from his daughter, Elizabeth, who is now in her early twenties and unaware that Charles is her father. Charles is not Penobscot, but Elizabeth’s mother, Mary, and the man she has married are. Because Charles does not have the tribe’s blood in him, Elizabeth would technically be excluded from tribal membership.

Charles grew up on the reservation because his mother married a member. Once Charles turned 18, he was forced to move off– a common practice. When Mary became pregnant, she convinced him to keep their secret, otherwise Elizabeth would be exposed below the 25 percent Blood Quantum level the Penobscots accept.

Blood Quantum is the measurement determining who can and who cannot claim tribal standing. It is a rating, a ranking originally imposed by the government to whittle down the numbers of the Native American population. Many tribes embraced the practice as a self-protective practice, often in the fear that any benefits would be diluted by swollen numbers. It has effectively split cultures and arbitrarily sent souls into exile.

This whole Blood Quantum equation has paralyzed Charles. For over twenty years he has quietly watched his daughter grow up. The longing to tell her and his inability to do so has eaten him alive. A virtual outsider at this point, he longs to share his bond with his daughter, even as the rest of his family dissolves. His stepfather tragically died in a hunting accident that his mother blames him for. She rarely recognizes him anymore, as she is stumbling deeper and deeper into dementia.

And then Charles discovers that something is wrong with Elizabeth. He decides he must tell her the truth. Her truth.

Identity is a huge issue here. Elizabeth has never been told who her real father is. Charles was driven from where his roots are, his childhood home. The most influential person in his life, his stepfather, is gone. His mother not only rejects him, but her mindset is also irreversible. Now, finally, Charles is taking things into his own hands.

I thoroughly enjoyed “Fire Exit” and look forward to what Morgan Talty will bring in the future. A wonderful storyteller, a refreshing voice.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Fire Exit is a very powerful book and competently weaves the themes of friendship, intimacy, trust and acceptance. It is a poignant story of an outsider who is loving and kind who cannot seem to find his place in the world. I was quickly drawn into the story of a man that has spent the majority of his life searching for acceptance and love. While the story is set on a reservation and made the issue of identity more apparent, it is ultimately a story about the human condition. I highly recommend this book!

Fire Exit By Morgan Talty

This book is about the Native American Penobscots who live on a reservation in Maine. The author himself is a citizen of the Penobscot Nation. Thus he is very familiar with the culture of these people.

This book is also about family and secrets – and whether it is better to tell the truth, or more harmful. Charles Lamosway is the protagonist here. Because he was white – his mother and unknown biological father both being white – Charles was not allowed to live on the reservation, even though his mother, Louise, had lived there with his stepfather Fredrick.

So Fredrick and Charles had built a house for Charles just across the river from the reservation. Charles had spent a lot of time on the outside looking in. But as he grew older, a secret he had kept for a long time began to gnaw at him and he wanted to come clean. His struggle with whether to tell is the central story here.

But that wasn't the only secret. There was the secret of what happened the day Fredrick died. A secret that caused years of alienation between Charles and Louise. Now Charles, having recovered from his alcoholism, is trying to rebuild that relationship, aided by his friend Bobby.

While some of the scenarios here are rooted in Native American culture, the book could really apply to all of us; family, secrets, misunderstandings, relationship issues are things we all must deal with and Charles' story resonates on all these levels. An interesting read.