Publisher Description:
Meg and Sylvie Townsend manage the family bookshop and care for their father, Stephen, a veteran still suffering in mind and spirit from his time as a POW during the Civil War. But when the Great Fire sweeps through Chicago’s business district, they lose much more than just their store.
The sisters become separated from their father, and after Meg burns her hands in an attempt to save a family heirloom, they make a harrowing escape from the flames with the help of Chicago Tribune reporter Nate Pierce. Once the smoke clears away, they reunite with Stephen, only to learn soon after that their family friend not only died during the fire–he was murdered. Even more shocking, Stephen is charged with the crime and committed to the Cook County Insane Asylum.
Though homeless, injured, and suddenly unemployed, Meg must not only gather the pieces of her shattered life, but prove her father’s innocence before the asylum truly drives him mad.
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My Review:
This story, which is set during the days after the great Chicago fire, was enthralling. There’s several plot lines that seem at first to be unrelated to the fire, but the author skillfully weaves them together into a book that I could hardly put down. I liked the main characters, Meg and Sylvie. I had great sympathy for them as they tried to navigate very difficult circumstances, compounded by PTSD suffered by their father, Stephen, during the Civil War. Stephen’s mental health unravels further as a result of the fire, and the family has much to overcome as they try to rebuild their lives after the fire and help their father return home to them.
The research the author put into this book made this story come alive, and I think this is Jocelyn Green’s best book so far. I also appreciated the spiritual emphasis of the story, especially as it related to Stephen and his internal struggle to not let his horrible war experiences completely destroy him. There’s more to be told about this family, and I look forward to this series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
About Jocelyn Green
Jocelyn Green is a former journalist who puts her investigative skills to work in writing both nonfiction and historical fiction to inspire faith and courage.
The honors her books have received include the Christy Award in historical fiction, and gold medals from the Military Writers Society of America and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.
Complex and nuanced characters, rich historical detail and twisting plots make her novels immersive experiences. Her fiction has been praised by Historical Novel Society, Romantic Times, Library Journal, historians specializing in her novels’ time periods, as well as popular and acclaimed authors Laura Frantz, Lori Benton, Jody Hedlund, Sarah Sundin, Joanne Bischof, Julie Lessman, and more.
Jocelyn loves Broadway musicals, the color red, strawberry-rhubarb pie, Mexican food, and well-done documentaries. She lives in Iowa with her husband, two children, and two cats she should have named Catticus Finch and Purrman Meowville.
Visit her at jocelyngreen.com.
Sounds like an intriguing book!
This was a wonderful book Patti! In my opinion this is one of her best books yet