Title: The House is on Fire Author: Rachel Beanland Publisher: Simon & Schuster @simonandschuster Genre: Historical + Mystery Fiction
Rachel Beanland’s first novel Florence Adler Swims Forever, forever lives in my heart; I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her sophomore novel ‘The House is on Fire’. It was a highly anticipated read! While a completely different read with a true historical event of the 1811 fire of a theater house in Richmond, VA, a mysterious ominous tone and is also being billed as a “moral thriller”; I couldn’t put this one down!
This book is going to give readers a lot to chew on and discuss. Told from four POVs all of different class, race, status, and sexes each gives an important layer to the story.
December 26, 1811 in Richmond, VA its the height of the social season for many of Virginia’s elite . . .
✔️ Widow Sally Henry Campbell is happy to be at the theater remembering happier times she used to share with her husband
✔️ Cecily Patterson doesn’t care about the theater but is grateful for a reprieve from her terrible life.
✔️ Stagehand Jack Gibson hopes he can impress the the theater manager’s and get a permanent job with the company
✔️ Blacksmith Gilbert Hunt dreams of one day bringing his wife to the theater, but he’ll have to buy her freedom first.
▪️Fast Chapters
▪️Full Cast Audio
▪️Part Moral Thriller
▪️Part Historical Drama
"The House. The House is on fire."
✔️ Sally, Cecily, Jack and Gilbert make split second decisions that will effect their lives and others. A simply must read!
“I think I want to feel what it’s like to be alive. We are alive, aren’t we?”
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 I LOVED this book! If you want to read it too, you can read it this month with @bookfriendsbookclub and we will be chatting and zooming with the author on 4/30. Just let me know! I highly recommend it. It’s one you will still be thinking about long after you close the last page. It’s the type of historical event you likely never heard of, and is so intriguing it will have you “going down the good rabbit hole” for more! I’ll start you with that Gilbert was a real person 🤯
Thank you @simonandschuster for the #gifted copy!
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