Structure

The book is divided into four sections. The title of each section alerts the reader about what that section will contain. There are two chapters that appear before the first section. They are titled “Monday, November 4, 2013” and “Oakland, California.” These two chapters give the reader a look at the horror of the actual crime and the overall setting of Oakland. Part 1 is titled “Sasha” and contains 19 chapters. These chapters talk about Sasha's life leading up to the fire.

Part 2 is titled “Richard” and it also contains 19 chapters. This section tells about Richard's life, including that he was arrested and spent a year in a juvenile facility. He had returned to Oakland just a few months before the fire.

Part 3 is titled “The Fire.” There are 46 chapters in this section, including detailed descriptions of the moments leading up to the fire, Sasha's reaction to being burned, and Richard's...