The Fires of Spring

"A warm-hearted, readable story, crammed with lively incident and remarkable characters."
THE ATLANTIC
David Harper was an orphan, loney and impoverished. But his longing to embrace the world that abandoned him was stronger than the harsh realities. And even though he's a con man and petty thief at a carnival, he still dreams. For it was there that David learned about love and about women—all of whom taught him the riches of himself.
Here is a rich segment of American life—a magic blend of longing and wisdom, saltiness, simplicity, and compassion.

Part travelogue, part history, part fictional adventure, James Michener's heavily researched books edify as they entertain. He began his career with the book that would become the musical South Pacific, but he ended it as one of the century's most popular -- and prolific -- novelists.