Children Born of Wildfire: A Memoir

by Angela Hoy

In this deeply personal memoir, Angela Hoy recounts how she and her younger sister were abducted from their home with their devoted father and cast into another world, living at times with their eccentric and cunning maternal grandparents, or their unstable mother and her predatory boyfriends.

Outside their home, the sisters appeared to be well-dressed and cared-for, along with their apparently gregarious, stylish, and funny mother and her friendly boyfriend. But inside the home, they endured manipulation, shaming, ongoing abuse, and assault. Frequently uprooted, the two girls had only each other; they knew no one was coming to save them.

How the young girls survived—and eventually thrived—is a remarkable story of resilience. Equally remarkable was their quest to find their father years later, despite being told he had died. Their unflagging hope and strength will be an inspiration to others who are working to overcome the aftermath of terrible childhoods.

Heartfelt, gritty, and often funny, Children Born of Wildfire is ultimately about the redemptive power of forgiveness.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction

296 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 6, 2025

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Bold Story Press for choosing me.

The words between these pages were devastating and also healing. I shed a ton of tears and felt my heart break continuously throughout, I felt myself get angry on Angela and Janie's behalf, but I also felt relief and an immense amount of joy when they reunited with their father. Their story, their journey, was overflowing with tragedies, and yet these two little girls grew into women who healed and created a beautiful life. The things that were done to them, the awful things they had to endure, never should've happened. Children shouldn't have to have their childhood ripped from them. Their innocence should remain in tact for as long as possible. Sadly, that isn't the case for many (too many), but I will always think of Angela and Janie. I will remember them not as victims of childhood trauma but as survivors of it. I will remember them as strong women who chose to heal. I will carry their resilience with me. I will carry their determination with me. I'll never forget either of them, I know this is a book I'll carry with me every step of the way from now on.

Having the courage to speak up and put her story out there for the world to read is something that only a very brave woman can do. Angela Hoy, thank you for sharing your story with us. Thank you for giving a voice to all of us who still can't voice their traumas. Thank you for making us feel seen and heard through you and your story. I hope this book finds its way to every single person who needs it.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is an emotional memoir about abuse and eventual healing. To be taken from your loving father as children was heartbreaking. The story of these sisters' childhood is often tragic. But in the end, it shows how people can make up for lost time with loved ones

[Sarah Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: Children Born of Wildfire: A Memoir by Angela Hoy

Angela Hoy’s Children Born of Wildfire: A Memoir is a searing and lyrical exploration of trauma, survival, and the enduring scars left by both natural and emotional disasters. Blending personal narrative with broader reflections on ecological and psychological resilience, Hoy crafts a memoir that is as much about the wildfires that ravage landscapes as it is about the internal fires that shape identity. The book stands as a testament to the ways in which personal and environmental catastrophes intertwine, offering a unique perspective on healing and regeneration.

Content and Themes
Hoy’s memoir traverses multiple layers of experience, centering on:

Trauma and Survival: The author’s firsthand account of surviving a devastating wildfire, paralleled with her journey through childhood abuse and its lingering effects.
Nature as Metaphor: The wildfire serves as both a literal and figurative force, mirroring the uncontrollable spread of pain and the eventual renewal that follows destruction.
Memory and Fragmentation: The narrative structure reflects the disjointed nature of trauma, with fragmented recollections pieced together like a mosaic.
Resilience and Healing: Hoy’s process of rebuilding her life—both physically, after losing her home, and emotionally—offers a profound meditation on recovery.

Strengths
Vivid Prose: Hoy’s writing is poetic and visceral, immersing readers in the intensity of her experiences with striking imagery and emotional honesty.
Structural Innovation: The memoir’s nonlinear approach effectively mirrors the way trauma disrupts chronological memory, creating a powerful reading experience.
Interdisciplinary Appeal: The book bridges memoir, environmental writing, and psychological study, making it relevant to readers interested in ecology, mental health, and narrative theory.
Authenticity: Hoy’s vulnerability and refusal to sanitize her story lend the memoir a raw, compelling authenticity.

Areas for Improvement
Pacing: At times, the fragmented structure can feel disorienting, potentially alienating readers who prefer a more linear narrative.
Theoretical Depth: While the memoir excels in personal reflection, deeper engagement with trauma theory or ecological philosophy could enrich its academic resonance.
Resolution: The ending, while hopeful, leaves some emotional threads feeling unresolved, which may frustrate readers seeking closure.

Score Breakdown (Out of 5)
Narrative Craft: 4.5/5 (Innovative structure and prose, though occasionally challenging to follow)
Emotional Impact: 5/5 (Unflinchingly raw and deeply moving)
Thematic Depth: 4.3/5 (Strong themes, but could benefit from further theoretical exploration)
Accessibility: 3.8/5 (Fragmentation may limit appeal for some readers)
Originality: 4.7/5 (A fresh and daring approach to memoir)
Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Children Born of Wildfire is a remarkable memoir that burns with honesty and beauty. Angela Hoy’s ability to weave personal and environmental devastation into a cohesive narrative is both innovative and deeply affecting. While its experimental structure may not resonate with all readers, those willing to embrace its challenges will find a luminous meditation on what it means to rise from the ashes. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in trauma narratives, ecological writing, or the transformative power of storytelling.

Acknowledgments
Thank you to NetGalley and Angela Hoy for providing an advance copy of Children Born of Wildfire: A Memoir. This review reflects my sincere engagement with the book’s powerful narrative and its contribution to contemporary memoir and environmental literature.

[Diane Papalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was glad to have had the opportunity to read an advance copy of Angela Hoy's heartbreakingly honest debut memoir, Children Born of Wildfire. Angela describes how she (age 4) and her younger sister Janie (age 2) were abducted from their home and their loving father by their maternal grandparents. After the kidnapping they had a chaotic childhood, experiencing much physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse by their maternal grandparents, their mother, and her sadistic boyfriends. But as adults, healing came through a remarkable turn of events. This is, ultimately, a hopeful story of resilience and the power of forgiveness.

[Coralie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always feel conflicted rating memoirs because they are so deeply personal stories. The abuse and confusion that Hoy lived through is something that no one should live through. The fact that such agency was removed from children is abominable. The premise of this book is typically what I like to read in a memoir - a deep story, a story that leaves a mark. I was fully expecting that while going into this book but the writing style just didn't follow through. While the events were catastrophic, the writing didn't demonstrate that. I couldn't help but feeling like I was reading a poorly written journal entry one chapter after another. Hoy has a valuable story to tell (and I truly believe everyone does) but the writing just didn't follow through on this one.

The chapter on forgiveness at the end of the book was also very interesting to me (not in a good way). Forgiveness is her personal choice but it felt performative and like she was just trying to convince herself. I worry for people that could read this that have suffered similar kinds of abuse.

Thank you to NetGalley, Angela Hoy, and Bold Story Press for a digital copy of this book.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting memoir by a woman who survived abduction by her grandparents taking her away from a loving father and putting her and her sister in the clutches of an evil mother. The grandfather was a domineering man who was verbally abusive to his family while maintaining a vastly different persona to others. Angela's mother, though the girls' biological mother would fit the stereotype of the evil step mother ignoring their verbal and sexual abuse by her partners. While the abuse took place in the 50s, 60s and 70s when those activities were often swept under the rug, hidden from public view, it happens all too often now days. Young children don't know who to turn to or have brain-washed that such actions are okay or have no one to turn too. All too often they are not believed if they do report abuse and are returned to worse situations. This book is the memoir of a woman who was able to survive and hopefully provides ideas for other to recover from abuse.

[Carlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Oh boy. As soon as I started this I knew this was gonna take a while because I would have to take a lot of breaks. This was heartbreaking, emotional, and crazy to read. A true dive into an abusive family that somehow still shared good moments here and there. Yet, you still wonder how people can treat others that way, including their own flesh and blood.

This must have been really hard for the author to write but I am grateful to her for sharing her and her sister’s stories. And I’m glad, without revealing too much, that it had sort of a happy ending.

[Cheryl Marks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about two sisters who experience their parents divorce and live with their father who is kind and loving. Unfortunately their manipulative grandparents wind up kidnapping the girls and bringing them to live with their mother who probably has undiagnosed bipolar disorder among other things.

The mother is abusive and her boyfriends are as well. The girls are constantly being moved from one place to another as their mother has to keep moving to escape creditors.

Despite all this, the girls continue to have a relationship with their mother and abusive stepfather until their deaths. It’s really very sad all that they endured. It’s a wonder that the girls grow up to be functioning adults who have broken the cycle of abuse.

Definitely worth a read!

[Pam Artman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging memoir

This is an engaging story of redemption and healing. The author’s description of her life contains emotional depth and draws the reader into her story.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. And boy, did they get honesty—probably more than they bargained for.

Listen, I picked up this memoir thinking it might be about surviving an actual wildfire. Turns out, it's about surviving EVERYTHING—literal flames, childhood abduction by maternal grandparents, abuse, and the kind of family dysfunction that makes soap operas look restrained. Angela Hoy basically said, "Hold my beer" to the concept of metaphor and made wildfire her entire life story.

This book should come with a warning label: "Caution: Contains actual fire, metaphorical fire, and the kind of family drama that will make you want to hug your relatively normal relatives."

Hoy has this incredible ability to weave together losing her home to wildfire with losing her childhood to grandparents who essentially kidnapped her and her siblings from their loving father. It's like she's saying, "You think losing your house is bad? Try losing your entire sense of safety and family structure!" But she says it with such literary grace that you're not sure whether to applaud or ugly-cry.

The way she structures the narrative is genius—fragmented like actual traumatic memories, but somehow it all comes together like the world's most emotionally devastating jigsaw puzzle. Her maternal grandparents sound like they were auditioning for "Worst Guardians Ever" and unfortunately got the part. The fact that they tore these kids away from a father who actually loved them? That's the real wildfire that never stopped burning.

What really gets me is how Hoy uses the wildfire as this perfect metaphor for trauma—uncontrollable, devastating, but somehow leading to renewal. It's like Mother Nature and childhood abuse got together and said, "Let's give this woman the most poetic material for a memoir ever." The way she parallels losing her physical home with losing her emotional foundation is so brilliant it almost makes you forget how absolutely heartbreaking it all is.

The fragmented storytelling mirrors how trauma actually works in your brain—bits and pieces coming together slowly, like trying to remember a dream while you're still half-asleep, except the dream is your stolen childhood. Her journey back to her loving father reads like the world's most heartbreaking treasure hunt, where the treasure was always there but evil grandparents hid the map.

Bottom line: This memoir will mess you up in the best possible way. You'll cry, you'll rage, you'll laugh inappropriately, and you'll emerge feeling like you've been through something important. It's the literary equivalent of a really good therapy session - painful but ultimately healing.

Fair warning: Don't read this if you have daddy issues and aren't prepared to confront them. Also, keep tissues handy and maybe clear your schedule for some emotional processing time.

Five stars because sometimes the best books are the ones that show you how people can literally rise from the ashes—both from actual wildfire and from the emotional wasteland of childhood trauma. Angela Hoy didn't just survive being taken from her loving father and thrust into abuse; she didn't just survive losing her home to flames *the wildfire of abuse*. She turned it all into art that burns just as brightly, but in the best possible way.

P.S. - This book made me grateful that my grandparents' worst crime was overfeeding me cookies. Thanks, Angela, for putting my family complaints in perspective.

[Dea · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I returned and returned to you, trying to make you, mold you, press you into the shape of love. I did not grasp that you could not, would not because your jaws were already full."

This was a heartbreaking memoir that takes place across Angela's life. It not only briefly describes the actual kidnapping (I assume because not many details were available and Angela and her sister were both so young), but it describes the interesting cascade that followed.

"When I estranged myself from my mother, I did not stop loving her. I missed her as only a daughter can miss her mother."

The abuse that the young girls survived under their (what can only be assumed as mentally unwell) mother was difficult to read through, but the complexity of complicated family relationships is beautifully portrayed. Overall, Angela Hoy is a talented writer with an incredibly powerful story to tell. This fell short from being a 5 star read for me mainly because it could use more editorial work to smooth out some extraneous details and repetitive portions, but still a very impactful read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bold Story Press, for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

"They were sometimes caring and charming, almost always manipulative, frequently cruel and perverse, generally selfish, insulated by indifference and justification, profoundly dysfunctional, and even sometimes hilarious. My toddler heart loved them all and wanted to be loved back. Children’s brains aren’t wired to accept that a parent is incapable of loving them. Or that family will love them in ways that wound. A child’s unrequited love doesn’t disappear. Over the years it just becomes homeless. And yet, life is sometimes good enough to rehome a heart."

[Melissa Sturgis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children Born of Wildfire by Angela Hoy is a hauntingly raw and courageous memoir that will leave you deeply moved. She takes readers on an intensely personal journey through her traumatic childhood, recounting the harrowing experiences she and her sister endured—abduction, abuse, neglect, and moments of unexpected care. What stands out most in Hoy’s storytelling is her unflinching honesty, shedding light on the painful reality of her early years while also weaving in glimpses of humor, resilience, and the bond she shares with her sister.

The narrative is a delicate balance of heartbreak and hope, and Hoy’s writing draws you in from the very first page. The emotional depth and authenticity with which she describes the manipulation and assault they faced, combined with the powerful moments of survival and ultimately, forgiveness, make this a story that resonates on many levels. The book isn't just about the adversity; it’s a powerful reminder of the strength of the human spirit and the possibility of healing and reconnection.

For anyone who has faced hardship, loss, or trauma, this memoir will speak to the heart. Angela Hoy's journey toward finding her father, unifying with her sister, and achieving much deserved personal peace is a beautiful testament to the resilience of the human soul. Children Born of Wildfire is not just a story of survival; it’s an inspiring tale of the unbreakable bonds that can emerge even from the most painful circumstances.

If you’re looking for a memoir that blends raw emotion with hope and resilience, this is a must-read.

[Bonnie Saleeby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angela Hoy's book is a compelling account of the life she and her sister endured. It is a deeply moving exploration of the many forms of abuse children can suffer and how the system often fails to provide help, allowing these kids to slip through the cracks.

Their ordeal began when their grandparents kidnapped them from their father. It’s unclear, and perhaps even Angela herself wondered, whether the grandparents acted under their daughter’s manipulation or genuinely thought they were doing the right thing for the children. I believe the grandparents eventually realized, albeit much later, the harsh reality of what the girls were enduring.

This situation led to mental, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of their mother and her numerous boyfriends. As you follow Mrs. Hoy’s journey, you experience a range of emotions—from sadness to anger—and occasionally find glimpses of the joy they discovered along the way.

Set in the 1960s, Mrs. Hoy’s story reflects a time when many laws we have now didn’t exist, yet no child, teenager, or young adult should have to endure such a life. It was heartening to learn that, as adults, both sisters grew beyond their traumatic past and broke the cycle of learned behaviors.

If you work with children, know a child who has been abused, or suspect a child might be in a troubling home, this book is a must-read. Kudos to Mrs. Hoy and her sister for overcoming their past and building happy, productive lives.

[Hayley Rader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings: Child abduction, neglect, child abuse (physical, emotional and psychological), family separation and parental alienation, predatory behavior, psychological trauma.

Children Born of Wildfire by Angela Hoy is a raw and emotionally charged story that lingers long after you close the book. While some of the thoughts and transitions throughout the narrative felt a bit scattered at times, the overall impact of the story is undeniably powerful.
Hoy brings an unfiltered vulnerability to the page, creating moments so intense and intimate that you feel an almost physical urge to reach in and scoop up the girls at the center of the story, shield them, comfort them, and return them to the father they were wrongfully taken from. Their pain, confusion, and resilience are rendered with such honesty that it’s impossible not to ache alongside them.
Despite occasional structural unevenness, the book’s emotional depth more than makes up for it. It’s a story that exposes the fragility of childhood, the brutality of injustice, and the fierce, instinctive desire to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Hoy’s willingness to write with such openness and vulnerability makes this a compelling and memorable read.
A deeply affecting book that stays with you, even after the final page.
#bookloungereviewteam

[Wendy L. Scott-Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all think of a mother as a caring, compassionate and understanding human being but this was not the case for Angela. She and her sister suffered terrible emotional and physical abuse from their mother and their mother's partners.
Angela's honest account of her childhood and then how she coped with adulthood, paints a picture of a very confused but determined person. Even as an adult she still tried to maintain a relationship with her mother knowing all the wrong that she had imposed on her.
Obviously, their family was very disfunctional but due to it being the only one she had, she still tried and returned to her mother many times only to be disappointed once again.
I was happy to read that once she started attending a church that her faith in God helped her move on with her life and gave her hope.
I liked the way she divided the afterword into sections: For Survivors; For Survivors Who Want To Recover But Wonder if They Can; and Memoirists. She addresses these three different types of readers and offers great advice for each person in coping with their specific situation.

[Stef O'connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children Born of Wildfire is Angela Hoy’s powerful and deeply confronting memoir, and it is as raw and honest as they come. From the first pages, I was completely drawn in—this is not a story you skim or step away from easily. I kept wanting to read on, even when my heart was breaking.

Angela shares her truth, and the truth of her sister Janie, with incredible courage. After being taken from their father by their mother and maternal grandparents, the sisters endured years of lies, control, and profound abuse—physical, mental, and sexual—throughout their childhood. Nothing is softened or glossed over, yet the storytelling never feels exploitative. It feels necessary.

Despite the devastation woven through these pages, this memoir is also uplifting in unexpected ways. It speaks to survival, resilience, and the strength it takes to reclaim your voice after it has been taken from you for so long. Angela’s willingness to tell her story so openly is both heartbreaking and inspiring.

This is a five-star read that stayed with me long after I finished it. Honest, courageous, and unforgettable, Children Born of Wildfire is a memoir that deserves to be read.

[Julie Haigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply emotional story which took my breath away.

This was a wonderful memoir, with so much packed into it.  Encompasses many themes: Family, dysfunctional relationships, separation, medical matters, travel, and moving countries.

I was so sad reading some of these circumstances. To think people can treat others so terribly. And to think they are of the same family, be that by birth, or connected by marriage. I'm so moved by how people get through it.

You hear so much about absent fathers.... not wanting or bothering to see their kids; not paying child support; leaving mothers to it. This is the complete opposite in that this time a loving father is desperate to see his children, and family members effectively kidnapped them, pretending to take them on a holiday. This powerful and heartbreaking story often left me speechless.

A wonderful memoir. Sweeping from terribly tragic, to a joyous resolution. Beautifully written, an amazing read.

[3 words or so · Rating 3 out of 5]

With thanks to the Author, Bold Story Press + NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

Yet again, I find myself within the grips of a heartbreaking memoir, of a young girl and her traumatic upbringing.

This story is an incredible account of trauma, suffering, grief, connection, resilience and healing. Whilst it is a heavy recount of the authors and sister’s upbringing, it is a quick read in regard to flow and structure of the book.

The author tells us of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her mother, abduction orchestrated by her own family members and subsequent isolation from her loving father for near 30 years, sexual abuse from the partner of her mother and so much more trauma.

An emotional read, you feel for Angela and little sister Janie, willing them to keep pushing through until they can make their lives their own and find peace and connection with their father.

[Kaitlyn Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This writing is a masterpiece. The author has such a unique talent to write about such tragic happenings while engaging the reader, filling them with hope for a better tomorrow along the way. This work is beautifully put together with raw emotion and experiences. I did really love the interwoven fun stories of their grandma - I felt like I could truly imagine her from the details given. Family relationships are complicated and this memoir exposes very facet of that. This was such a heartbreaking but hopeful story of healing. The stories shared of Janie and Angela will stick with me for time to come.

[C.A. Powers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir is raw in a way that lingers. Angela Hoy and her sister endured a childhood carved out of chaos and heartbreak, and the strength they carried through those years is nothing short of staggering. There’s a quiet thread of family reconnection that rises later in the story and a moment of light breaking through after so much darkness that carried a tenderness that stayed with me.
If you’re drawn to memoirs that don’t shy away from pain, resilience, or the complicated ways people survive what they should never have faced, this one leaves a mark.

[Laureen O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful story of family love, abuse, resilience and survival. Childhood trauma and abuse is hard to read but this author tells her story with thoughtful insights and honesty. The sisterly love and bond was beautiful. They were persistence and the eventual reunion was so moving I cried. The resilience of these young girls is an inspiration and should be a must read for anyone suffering from childhood abuse. The author eventually finding love and peace left me hopeful.

[Kayla Tornello · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, the author pieces together her childhood. After she and her younger sister were taken from their father, they endured instability and abuse. Angela looks back on everything they went through and how it affected their lives as adults. She is very honest about what happened. It was easy to root for both sisters to survive and thrive as adults.

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. Yay!

[Madelyn Troxclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was deeply affected by this courageous retelling of a heartbreaking childhood characterized by repeated abuse and neglect of Angela and her sister. Angela Hoy's tone as well as her resilence are impressive. Told from a perspective of insight and forgiveness, Hoy's story encourages survivors to tell their own stories and provides a lesson in love and redemption for all readers.

[Jennifer Semenza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful story of triumph over adversity. Seeing someone embrace the good, the bad, and the challenging, and being honest about how it shapes our choices was truly encouraging. I hope others who experienced a less than stable childhood, including abuse, will take hope from it.