On December 2, 2016, a raging fire ripped through an old warehouse in Oakland, California, killing 36 young people. Colleen Dolan stood outside. Her 33-year-old daughter, a well-known San Francisco electronic musician known as Cherushii, and many of her musician friends were missing. Were they trapped inside?
Colleen’s story weaves its way through the terrifying events of that December night and her devastating loss, piecing together the gripping story behind the media headlines. It moves to the high-profile criminal trial that finally began two years later and captured the nation with tales of horrifying death at an off-the-grid artists’ collective.
As the media circled, families of the victims who just wanted answers and justice were exposed to circus-like courtroom drama. Colleen took detailed notes at the trial. To counter the hysteria, she learned to address the TV news cameras and wrote articles for several San Francisco Bay Area newspapers.
Colleen’s story reflects the public’s fascination with tragedy and the crippling effect this has in prolonging private grief. Her struggle with big questions about her daughter’s death will help other bereaved parents understand they are not alone in their search for answers.
A poignant, hard-hitting real-life tale of tragedy and accountability. – Kirkus Reviews
ISBNs
978-1-63777-636-0 / 978-1-63777-635-3
Genres
Grief and Bereavement
True crime / memoir
364 pages
Language: English
Imprint: Red Penguin Books
Colleen Dolan is a writer, Certified Grief Educator, and retired Educational Therapist.
Her daughter, Chelsea Faith Dolan, was a well-respected electronic musician and producer known professionally as Cherushii. Chelsea died in the Ghost Ship fire, one of 36 talented young friends who attended a party on the second floor of the warehouse.
Colleen witnessed the fire on December 2, 2016, attended every day of the trial two years later, and has written several articles about her grief experience. The Ghost Ship Fire chronicles her journey from the night of the fire to her eventual acceptance of grief as an ongoing part of her life. This book is written for bereaved parents searching for the How and Why of their children’s deaths. You are not alone.
The statements in this book are true based on my best recollection, confirmation from victims’ family members mentioned in the book, my 11 journals filled with notes from the trial, and the full transcripts of the trial which I purchased from Gerald Nachman and Kathleen Lyons, Alameda County court reporters.
~ Colleen Dolan
Reviews
The Ghost Ship Fire is a brave, deeply moving and enraging book about the sudden death of Colleen Dolan’s daughter Chelsea, a talented electronic musician, in the blaze that swept through an Oakland fire-trap warehouse in 2016. Dolan’s luminous portrait of Chelsea is the vibrant heart of the book, but the story is driven by her furious mother-love and need to find answers as to why her daughter and 35 other talented, creative young people died. Dolan recounts the agonizing story from the night of the fire and the numb days after, to the exhausting months of trial of the two men who created the hazardous conditions and sublet to artists, to the outrageous, slap-on-the-wrist verdicts, and the lack of accountability at every level of local government, for botched communications and budget cuts that slashed basic fire-prevention inspections. Determined that these “36 stars” not have died in vain, Dolan lays out a stark list of needed changes in local policy, fiscal priorities and communication systems. Woven through the dramatic scenes, Dolan charts her own journey through “the ongoing-ness of grief,” which she likens to “navigating a maze blindfolded.” Her gripping book describes the struggle to bring herself out of that maze–”Each morning I begin again”–and the challenge of finding meaning in loss: “It wasn’t their deaths that taught us a lesson, after all, but their brief, full, beautiful lives.” Dolan has written a powerful story of love and determination that will hearten those on their own grief journey, and deserves the attention of parents, city officials, public safety advocates and all concerned citizens.”
– Nisha Zenoff, Ph.D., author of The Unspeakable Loss: How Do You Live After a Child Dies?
“With a blend of wit and charm, Colleen Dolan is a modern-day Jane Austen. Magnificent!”
“Once every so often the world hears a new voice. Colleen Dolan is the person to whom that voice belongs.”
“The Ghost Ship Fire” by Colleen Dolan is a profoundly moving memoir about loss, resilience, and accountability. On December 2, 2016, Colleen’s life changed forever with a phone call from her daughter Chelsea’s boyfriend, David, who informed her that a fire had broken out at the Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland where Chelsea was.
As Colleen arrived at the site, she was met with a devastating scene—the warehouse engulfed in flames and her daughter unaccounted for. Chelsea, an enthusiastic supporter of the Bay Area music scene, was there with others musicians when the tragedy struck. Soon, the parents of other victims began to arrive, sharing in the horror and grief. Colleen’s heart shattered as she learned of her daughter’s fate, her vibrant spirit lost to the flames.
Haunted by nightmares and unrelenting sorrow, Colleen sought to understand the events that led to the fire. Her search revealed details about the building’s tenant, Derick Almena, and other figures involved. Through her pain, she reflects on memories of Chelsea, bringing the past into sharp focus amid her grief.
Colleen’s memoir reaches out to other parents enduring similar anguish, reminding them that they aren’t alone. The raw honesty and depth of emotion in this book offer a glimpse into a mother’s unimaginable heartache, but also her strength. Reading this story, I was struck by the profound impact of the tragedy and the resilience shown by Colleen and other families. The composite images of those lost serve as a poignant reminder of the lives cut short and the parents left behind, searching for answers and justice.”