Fires to Come

Blaze Collection

by Asha Lemmie

In early twentieth-century New York City, a young woman torn between two cultures must choose where her loyalties lie in a gripping short story by New York Times bestselling author Asha Lemmie.

Abandoned as an infant and raised by protective, if secretive, Italian parents, Carlotta has never quite fit in her own life as the only Black person in her neighborhood. Even when she ventures to Harlem, where jazz, community, and a man’s love await her, she doesn’t feel fully at home. But when the dynamics in her adoptive family shift, and her role grows more tenuous, Carlotta has to decide where she belongs—no matter the threats or the price that must be paid.

Asha Lemmie’s Fires to Come is part of Blaze, a collection of short stories about incendiary women across the decades who dare to defy convention. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Short Stories, Audiobook, Fiction, Historical, Novella, Feminism

44 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 22, 2024

About the author

Asha Lemmie is the New York Times bestselling author of Fifty Words For Rain and The Wildest Sun. She holds a BA in English Literature from Boston College and is currently a graduate student at Columbia University. She resides in New York City but can frequently be found wandering. Asha writes historical fiction that focuses on bringing unique perspectives to life.

Reviews

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of seven short stories in the Blaze collection from Amazon, about women who dare to defy convention, some of them historical female pioneers. The stories are not related and can be read in any order.

Interesting story about a young colored woman, adopted since infancy in a family of Italian immigrants in NY, who finds the strength and ruthlessness needed to ensure her future.

[Taury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Polish Fires to Come by Asha Lemmie is a short story in the Blaze Collection, Unstoppable Women Igniting Change. Abandoned as an infant, Carlotta is raised by Italian parents in 1908 New York. Her adopted father is part of the mafia. Carlotta grows up feeling out of place and is afraid of her older brother. Raised in an environment of fear and intimidation by both her father and brother, she eventually learns to step up and take control of her life. This brutal story is my favorite from the 7-book collection.

[micky :) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked this one at the beginning, but then it just like ended & I was so confused on the direction it took. I just didn’t understand.

[Amanda (BookLoverAmanda) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the early twentieth century New York City, Carlotta, abandoned as an infant, is now the black adopted daughter of an Italian Mafia Don and her family situation is tough. Her oldest brother refuses to have anything to do with her and she has never quite fit in with her neighborhood. Carlotta has to decide where she belongs - no matter the price that must be paid.

Overall, this short historical fiction story was a bit disjointed for me and I didn't love the betrayals that happened in the way it was explained for her influence in her decisions. Even though her treatment does make you think the betrayals are justified, I still didn't love how it was expressed in this story. I liked the writing and would try other books by the author possibly in the future, but yeah, overall it was just OK and I wasn't blown away by the actual story. I liked the scenes with Carlotta and her mother most of all. 3 Stars

*Content - language, 1 use of GD that I remember.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a short-story from the Amazon Blaze Collection about women being bold and courageous ahead of their time. There are 7 Stories all by authors that are favorites of mine, I encourage anyone to try this collection. It is nice reading one each day. It is also a fantastic way to see if you enjoy the writing style of an author.

Fires to Come was my absolute 5 Star Favorite. It has quite a bit of violence in the story. It involves a young woman who is adopted into a White Catholic Family that also happens to be in the Mafia. This one drew me in and I loved the ending. Definitely, the best short-story I have read.

Recommend this collection if you have Amazon Prime or Unlimited, can Read these for Free. Thank you NetGalley for granting me this Series.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Family of sorts.

What an interesting book. A black baby was discarded and as luck would have it she was found by the woman who would become her beloved mother. Carlotta was raised in a loving family who happened to be white. You can follow Carlotta’s life and the ups and downs she experienced. She became stronger than she ever dreamed.

[Judy Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE BLAZE COLLECTION:
Unstoppable Women Igniting Change

This fierce collection from New York Times bestselling historical fiction authors sweeps readers back in time with exhilarating short stories of unforgettable female characters. Spanning decades, these indelible women broke through barriers in disparate worlds of art, war, science, love, and injustice and paved the way for other women to follow. Strike a match and blaze a trail.

OVERALL RATING: for The Blaze Collection:
5⭐Stars

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE COLLECTION:
I loved this wonderful collection of short stories about strong and fearless women! The well-written collection with stunning covers and top-named authors draws you in. It also allows you to read/Listen to authors you follow and those you read for the first time. I also grabbed the audiobooks for each as well. I highly recommend this collection with various stories to keep you entertained. 7 powerful Kindle short stories with audio narration. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

~FIRES TO COME
AUTHOR: Asha Lemmie
NARRATOR: Jordon Cobb
MY RATING: 4⭐Stars

THOUGHTS: FIRES TO COME is a gripping story of a young black woman, Carlotta, raised in New York in 1908 by Italian parents (dad Mafia), and she never quite fits in. After her mom passes away and her dad is at death's door, she knows she will have to defend herself from the older brother and outsmart him. No matter the odds, she steps up and takes control. My first book by the author, and I look forward to reading more. I enjoyed the audiobook narrated by the talented Jordon Cobb.

Thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for ARCS for an honest opinion. Also purchased the audiobooks.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Feb 22, 2024
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[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm listening to this collection of historical fiction short stories on Amazon Prime but this one was not for me. I could tell immediately it was not for me but what else am I going to listen to on my drive so I kept listening to it. This takes place in 1920s New York City. Carlotta is the black adopted daughter of a mafia boss. Her older brother hates her and is awful to her. I did not care for any of the characters. I do not feel sorry for a mob boss's daughter, or sons, or wife. The dad should be in jail.

-She understood now that there was never a choice made that did not cost something.

[Mica's Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author: Asha Lemmie
Started: May 6, 2024
Finished: May 6, 2024
Format: Digital
Genre: Historical Fiction

Carlotta, a young Black woman adopted by Italian parents, has always known she is different. As her older brother threatens to send her back where she belongs; she knows she must decide her own fate. Carlotta quickly learns that being part of a "family" doesn't always mean sharing blood.

This was a fun read, and the author did a great job of telling a full story in 45 pages. Carlotta is a solid character who has obviously picked up on the world her father lived in and knew how to play the system. I do have to say I found it difficult to believe that , during the Prohibition era that an Italian family would adopt a Black child or that other "familiies" would listen to her so willingly. I will admit it is not a topic I know much about, so I could be very wrong on this topic.

[Rachel-RN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlotta was adopted by an Italian family when she was found as a baby. Her dad was also the Don of one of the local mafias. She was her mother's baby girl. The oldest brother hated her. Luca, the younger (but older than her) didn't. She also found she didn't quite fit in (she was black and the only black person in her neighborhood).
As the family grows up, she realizes she wants to be loved and to be happy. She learns about a speakeasy in Harlem. There she finds people that look like her, but again she doesn't quite fit in. She meets a guy and falls for him, but realizes it wouldn't be a good fit. She learns what she wants and needs to be happy, safe, and content. She then does what needs to be done.
Amazing.

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpected

This isn’t the type of the story that I would normally gravitate towards, but I still enjoyed it. There was a lot going on with the racism, sexism, and turf wars. It created a lot of angst for Carlotta. At times she seemed a bit whiny, but she proved to be very cunning. I really wanted to see her brief love story blossom. It wouldn’t have worked with the ultimate outcome of the book, but I would’ve enjoyed that development. The ending was tense and foreboding. I could’ve used an epilogue for some closure.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good!

[Jerricka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing. Beautifully written. I was shocked by what happened in the short amount of pages.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Kimberly Wyatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this main female character. I love that she took her life into her own hands and made her own destiny in the family. She belonged and she was smart. They underestimated her & she showed them who she was. I was rooting for her the whole time. I hated how people treated her & I wish the book was longer & I could eventually see her take over the whole family business & be a bad ass boss bitch! I loved it.

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, Carlotta is a traitor, and that's what I'm going to say about that. Do I get her motives? Absolutely. Is she still a bit of a traitor? Yeah, absolutely. So what do I do with all of this information? I just don't know. But, this is a short story about the mob and a family adopting a young black girl who later grows up to want to be involved with the family business... even though others desperately want to keep her from it. I would read more from this author, even though mob-stories are generally not my favorite. The writing here was really nice though.

[ana maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I'm quite surprised by this book and how much I enjoyed it because I was trying to be hopeful about the next novella after the last one I read. I didn't know what the novella would be about which is something that I've been doing for this whole collection to have a better open mind about what happening.

I have to say that the way this novella played out caught me completely off guard and I honestly didn't think that Carlotta would take that route. I have to say that it was the best thing that she did for herself and for her family. I think that message here was done well and I think that it's been my favorite one so far. I really wish that this was a bit longer or just showed us an update of the future to see how Carlotta and her family are doing. I think that I would've liked to see their happily ever after or at least their version of it. I can only imagine what it would've been like but I would've liked to see the authors perspective on it.

[Angieleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asha Lemmie’s Fires to Come is part of Blaze, a collection of short stories about incendiary women across the decades who dare to defy convention. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

I love a good mafia story and this didn't disappoint. Carlotta may not have been Italian by blood, but she was still a force to be reckoned with between her cooking skills and her cunning decisions.

[Brianne Klodowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is that of an adopted black daughter of a mob boss. While it wasn't badly written, I just didn't care for this one at all. I thought this would be an empowering read, but I was so bored and not particularly drawn to any of the characters. The storyline was pretty meh and I am a little disappointed.

[Constance Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this short read! It definitely made the heart ache a bit more than expected and definitely something I recommend for anyone who enjoys short reads with lots of feeling!

[Sabrina Bain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

These Amazon shorts leave you asking for more. Loved the story line, would like too have more. A bit of history a little fiction

[Alayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, quick novella with a mobster family at the first of the 20th century. I’d listen to more about this family!

[Ra'Shira Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different

It was a good short story, i kind of wish it was a full novel so I can know what happened with Luca & Lottie after everything but it was good nonetheless.

[lexiskat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok, it was missing more the book just ended, I would have love to learn more about the plan she had.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short story was surprising as a young black woman brought up in an Italian family comes to terms with her future.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Women can’t run an empire. Or can they. What if she doesn’t fit in anywhere and needs to create her own space?

[Daquitta Achinefu · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was pretty good. It would definitely make for a full story. There's a lot more to that story, and a lot of background can be added. Does she ever allow herself to find love? Does Luca find out?

[Rose Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fourth book of the Blaze Collection and it was so good! I was a bit confused in the beginning before I realized Carlotta was adopted. I should have read the summery first, but the Audio started before I had a chance to read it and because it captured my attention right away, I didn't think to go back and read it. Carlotta was such a great character and the ending...so far my favorite. Mind blowing, did not expect that but I found myself rooting for her then I felt bad for doing it. Highly recommend this book.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have somewhat of an aversion to mafia stories, possibly due to my Italian heritage, but this was interesting.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised at the tenacity of Carlotta to pull of the bold move that she planned. Women in those days weren't expected to do any critical thinking.
Now, here Carlotta stands. She's named after the Italian woman's grandmother who rescued her.
Fate intervened and Carlotta went from being an unwanted, abandoned black female baby, to growing up as the beloved daughter in the mist of one of the Italian 5 families.
Carlotta learned control and timing at the Don's feet. This time Carlotta takes her own fate into her own hands! Fet aû complet