Shareable quotes

From his documentary on Stop & Frisk in New York City, to his work on the refugee situation on the French-Italian border, Spencer Wolff has continued to tell compelling human stories about displacement, dignity and solidarity, and The Fire in His Wake is no exception…

“If there is one invaluable lesson that many refugees can teach us, it is how to be infinitely adaptable when life goes suddenly awry.” —Spencer Wolff

“After I barely escaped from a dramatic assault on the UNHCR in Rabat, Morocco that left dozens wounded, I began writing, The Fire in His Wake.” —Spencer Wolff

Praise for The Fire in His Wake

“There is not a page of “The Fire in His Wake” that is not skillfully written and compelling… an utterly successful first novel, one that sports a flair for harrowing adventure matched with a complex political conscience… it is not too early to say Mr. Wolff’s novel will be one of the best debuts of the year.” 
—The East Hampton Star 

“A dazzling first novel about a Congolese refugee…The Fire in His Wake addresses pressing themes of our times—migration, human rights, and the refugee crisis.” —Nyuol Lueth Tong, editor-in-chief of the Bare Life Review

“The Fire in His Wake is a work of extraordinary empathetic and imaginative power…It is an astonishing debut.” —Thomas Chatterton Williams, author of Self-Portrait in Black and White 

“A devastating and infuriating story written with compassion, style, and grace.” —Dina Nayeri, author of The Ungrateful Refugee

“Eye-opening, suspenseful, and full of unexpected humor, Wolff brings his personal experiences as an aid worker to this unforgettable story of two remarkable individuals.”—McSweeney’s Publishing

Quotes from the Novel

“Sometimes the tragedies that happen to us in our youth are the source of strength in our old age.” —p.101, The Fire in His Wake

“You should really go to the HCR,” Toti said. “If you have a refugee card and the police catch you, sometimes you are not expelled, and if they are in a good mood that day”—he lifted a fake joint to his lip and sucked in deeply—“they let you keep your money.” —p.239, The Fire in His Wake

“If we helped everyone, then what would be the point of refugee status? What would be the difference between a protected individual and an economic migrant?” —p.150, The Fire in His Wake

“My father used to say that we live our lives beside the sleeping elephant. So long as the elephant is asleep, you can do whatever you want. You can build a house, raise a family, win glory. But when the elephant wakes up, it tramples everything.” - p. 556, The Fire in His Wake