REVIEWS FOR EAST WIND, RAIN:

"Paul's graceful, objective tone may be the book's greatest strength ... . It is a testament to her ability as a writer that the novel's most captivating creation, Niihau itself, is the pure product of her imagination. When it's over, we don't want to leave." -- THE NEW YORK TIMES (read the full review)

"At a time when the social climate in America is somewhat turbulent comes Caroline Paul's East Wind, Rain, a debut novel that tackles the complex issue of national allegiance..." -- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (read the full review)

"You can knock this book off in a night if you're a quick reader, but don't do it. Savor the description. Notice the details. Feel the feelings. Think about the issues. They're still with us." -- THE HONOLULU ADVERTISER (read the full review)

"There are any number of aspiring novelists out there -- including many who have contacted this newspaper over the years -- convinced that a retelling of the notorious "Niihau Incident" would be their breakthrough. The only way to do the story justice, they claimed, would be through fiction, because it is such a rich tale, full of mystery and intrigue and danger, and the weighty dust of a straight history would tamp out all the juicy bits. Well! Finally, we have such a novel, by author Caroline Paul, a splendid little book that hews closely to the known facts of the case, and is already causing a cracking buzz in book sales."" -- THE STAR BULLETIN (read review 1 | read review 2)

"With fluid, often lyrical prose, Paul succeeds in creating a novel that's authentic and at times artful." -- SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE (read the full review)

REVIEWS FOR FIGHTING FIRE:

"Writing with the knowledge and sensitivity of a participant-observer, Paul describes every face of firehouse culture, from the daily firehouse routine to the emotional experiences of lives saved and lost. In the end, readers also learn the story of how a young woman found - in one f the most life-threatening occupations - her own life's purpose." -- BOOKLIST

A rare, fascinating look at the inner workings of an urban fire department, with plenty of thrills, adventure, and raw emotion. Between the quality of Paul's writing and the subject matter, her book will keep readers on edge until the very last page." -- LIBRARY JOURNAL (starred review)

"Paul conveys the emotions of both fear of and attraction to danger that she believes drive dedicated firefighters." -- PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY

"An outstanding account of one woman's struggle to prove her personal worth and courage and to make her place in a world previously reserved exclusively for men" -- KIRKUS REVIEWS

"Terrific... The grip of real fire fighting tensely, tactile, bruisingly described by a woman honest in examining her own thoughts, too. She confronts and homes in on what is going on and its fracturing impact." -- EDWARD HOAGLAND, author of Notes from the Century Before and The Courage of Turtles.

"Fire fighting is still a man's world, but Caroline tells her story without over-dramatizing or whining. And that works for me." -- JANE MAGAZINE

"While touching on the daily life in the firehouse and the sexism she encountered, Paul's lyrical writing comes most alive describing how, when one is faced with a burning building and the possibility of death, a firefighter has to give up philosophizing and plain Just Do It." -- GLAMOUR MAGAZINE

"This skillfully written memoir imparts an understanding if both the science of firefighting and the complicated alchemy among those men and women who brave the blazes" -- SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE