George Keithley's new book, Ring of Fire, is a novel that explores themes of the transitions of life, the predatory nature of man and animal, the all-encompassing finality of death, and the ability of transcendence. The book has many layers; it is complex and resonating, gaining positive reviews from both Joyce Carol Oates and the Washington Post. The story begins with the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, and takes Dick Darwin, an emergency relief specialist, and his wife Linda Pell, a geologist, on an adventure that tests their character. Through the pages, you will find yourself in San Francisco, the Trappist Monastery in Vina, and in Lassen Volcanic Park accompanied by a diverse group bound together in intense relationships. Even Wallace Stegner remarks that George Keithley is, “precise and evocative,” and the novel will undoubtedly have you praising his writing style while also thoroughly engaged in the lives of the people he has created.