Every so often a book comes along that makes us cry and makes us strong, that makes us want to hug our children and call our old friends. This is one of those rare books.

On January 19, 2000, a fire raged through Seton Hall University’s freshman dormitory, killing three students and injuring 58 others. Among the victims were Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos, roommates from poor neighborhoods who made their families proud by getting into college. They managed to escape the fire, but both were burned terribly. After the Fire is the story of these young men and their fight to recover from the worst damage the Saint Barnabas Hospital burn unit had ever seen. It is the story of extraordinary doctors and nurses who work with the burned. It is the story of the mothers and fathers, of faith and family, and of the invisible ties that bind us to one another. And it is the story of the women who came to love these men, who knew that real beauty is a thing not seen in mirrors.