Fire in the Hole: A Year in the Life of the World’s Sorriest Stuntwoman

Colleen Kelli
iUniverse (2010)
ISBN 9781450211680
Reviewed by Marissa Libbit for Reader Views (07/10)



“Fire in the Hole” by Colleen Kelli is a personal memoir by the author, a struggling Hollywood actress who leaves her life in Los Angeles for a chance at a new start, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Ms. Kelli’s lesbian relationship ends; her sister commits suicide; and her TV roles dry up.  She ends up staying with friends in New Mexico before finding herself employed by Gunsmoke Gulch, a western town theme park where she learns the art of being a stuntwoman. She rents her own apartment, and learns to fend for herself in unchartered territory.

More than a description of her transition from Los Angeles to Albuquerque and back to Los Angeles, “Fire in the Hole” is an honest reflection by the author of how her struggles have affected her life.  Along the path to self-discovery she meets an eclectic cast of characters at Gunsmoke Gulch who become like family.  Accident-prone Bob is particularly amusing.

I will admit the premise of this book seemed a bit odd to me when I first read it, not knowing what I would find inside.  Wow!  I loved this book, “Fire in the Hole.”  Ms. Kelli writes her story in an easily flowing manner that feels conversational.  Her experiences are at times laugh-out-loud funny.  She is self-deprecating but maintains a realistic view of her life and learns to make the most out of any circumstance.  Through her writing I feel like she’s a friend, and I wish her all the best in whatever life hands her.

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