The Mouse That Soared

"Paul Fattig’s The Mouse that Soared a stirring read...chock full of startling characters and high adventure that together make this a welcome addition to the literature by and about those who leap from the sky to take on wildland fire."
—John N. Maclean, author of Fire on the Mountain and Home Waters

From the Introduction to The Mouse That Soared:
“The jumper I decided to weave throughout the book was neither the biggest nor the baddest. Yet, like the base, he was small but lived large. He was also feisty and outspoken, a gung-ho fellow who charged challenges head on. With his big heart and sense of humor, he stood tall among his brethren. His name was Allen Dale “Mouse” Owen, a Marine Corps combat veteran who was 4-foot-10. Although the shortest smokejumper in the nation’s history, he stood out among the airborne firefighters. He was also a jumper I knew, albeit only at the journalistic level. To reiterate, this book is not centered on Mouse but on the base and many of the jumpers who lived and worked at the base. As you would expect, smokejumping attracts folks who live life with a certain élan. Again, many other books could be written about the Siskiyou smokejumpers. This book is simply one take on this impressive group.”

"With a keen eye for deeply human stories Paul has produced a work that embodies the best of what we hope for in our fellow man." —Murry A. Taylor, Veteran Smokejumper and Author of Jumping Fire: A Smokejumper's Memoir of Fighting Wildfire