This story is based on the theater fire in Richmond,Virginia in 1811 in which many people were killed. The author has done extensive research and bases her 4 main characters on the lives of actual people. It’s a fascinating story that contrasts the heroism and courage of some people with the fear and lies of others in the face of tragedy.

The best part of historical fiction is being able to take what actually happened and use that as a foundation to tell the story you want. Using the devastating Richmond theater fire as the basis, along with several real individuals, this story weaves throughout it additional stories of slavery, family, and strong women. The story was told from multiple points of view and character development was excellent, even those who did not have a POV. I liked that the chosen points of view were from people whose voices were usually ignored: Blacks, women, children. This helped add context to the story and bring the focus away from the standard white male point of view. But that all sounds very dry and this story was not that. I worried for the characters and felt their emotions. Overall it was a wonderful and nuanced look at society and what can happen when a disaster strikes.

In Richmond, Virginia in 1811 there was a theater fire that was one of the most devastating fires of that time. The House is on Fire is a historical fiction based on the Richmond Theater Fire. The story is told from the viewpoint of four people involved in that tragedy, two of which are white and free and two are black and enslaved.

I absolutely adored this book and I loved each of the main characters. There was not one single chapter that I was trying to rush through just to get to another person's point of view. It's beautifully written and she did a wonderful job of capturing the wrongness of people's response during that time in America while still making room for goodness and hope.

So so good!

My honest review is freely provided in return for the kindness by NetGalley and the author/publisher in providing me with this book.

WOW! This book grabbed my attention from the start and didn’t let go until the last page. Rachel Beanland has written an addicting read that I didn’t want to put down.

The House Is On Fire, based on the Richmond VA theater fire in 1811, is told from four POVs and works seamlessly. These POV characters were real individuals involved in this tragedy. Some facts about the fire are brought out, and Beanland gives a voice to one character, Sally, to tell us of the outrage concerning those details.

Book clubs will love this selection for many reasons. Its period detail is done well, and I like the rotating POV stories that sometimes overlap for more than one description of the event. It all works so well together, and appreciate Beanland’s insightful summary at the end. Looking forward to reading more from her.

On December 26, 1811, Richmond, Virginia's only theater is packed with holiday revelers waiting to watch the Placide & Green Company perform. When the theater goes up in flames, split-second decisions by four people - a new widow who realizes how little women have in the world, an abused slave who sees her chance for escape, a young stagehand got in a moral quandary, and a local enslaved blacksmith hailed as a hero - have lasting repercussions in this novel based on a true event.

Beanland takes the true story of the Richmond fire and then gives a peek at how it might have changed the lives of four people. Quickly you are caught up in the world of slavery of colored people but also a world that disempowers women. Beanland keeps the historical fiction fairly grounded, making each of the characters feel very plausible. The blacksmith actually was a hero of the fire. Although the story lacked a powerful concluding message, I found the story interesting and engaging.

The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland is a story of survival. A fire in Richmond in 1811 causes different repercussions for many people. This novel centers on the lives of four different individuals. Each one responds to this tragedy in a different way and attempts to move on with their lives. Sally. a widow, helps to save women from the fire. Sally eventually finds strength to let her voice be heard. Gilbert, a slave, is a hero that day. While his plans for his future don’t work out as he planned, Gilbert is a hopeful man. Jack, a young apprentice in the theatre, grows in character and becomes an admirable man. Cecily, a slave, uses the fire as an event that allows her to think about her freedom and to attempt a plan. In the novel Beanland also gives us glimpses of other players in this tragedy and how they reacted, both in good and bad ways, to the loss of lives and the town’s disaster. Almost all of the characters have to process the fire and decide how it will impact them for good or bad. Some rose to the occasion and offered help to their fellow man. Some used the fire to cause damage and hurt to others. The one aspect of this novel that was a very interesting thread was that a woman and slave were the heroes of the day, a very unusual position in that period in history. Enjoyed this book.

The fire burning within was far greater than the flames surrounding the atmosphere.

Rachel Beanland presents an outstanding fictional novel based on the actual theater fire in Richmond, Virginia that occurred on the 26th of December in 1811. It was the Winter social season in which the elites and many accompanying slaves were in attendance. As in your social standing, the advantage of your seating depended on which rung of the ladder you were relegated to. And that, most definitely, determined your fate that night.

Sally Henry Campbell, a recent widow, was in the box seats in the balcony on the second floor. She sat alongside her sister-in-law, Margaret, chatting before the intermission. Being a widow brought with it a great dilemma. One still mourned while others encouraged gentlemen callers. Sally only attended that evening to pacify Margaret. But it would come with a great price.

No sooner had they settled themselves for the next act when everyone smelled smoke. Panic broke out as the theater goers made for the exits. The crush of people caused individuals to lose all sense of mind. The fight for survival was taken by any means. Sally kept her wits about her while surveying the scene. Those internal flames saved her life.

Rachel Beanland creates a panoramic view of what transpired before, during, and the aftermath of this great tragedy. Her research is impeccable while also presenting the voices of Sally, Gilbert Hunt, a blacksmith slave who saved lives that night, Cecily, a lady's maid, and Jack, a stage hand who saw what actually caused the fire that evening.

What moves the storyline so brilliantly is Beanland's ability to portray the characters so closely impacted by what happened. She has a talent for presenting dialogue reflective of the times, the place, and the social status. Loss of life hit all pockets of this society, but how and if you could even grieve was left to those in the higher realms. Beanland doesn't soft soap the reality of life in Richmond in 1811. It all came down to what you owned and then who owned you. But death, the greatest reality, is buried in the same amount of dirt. A finality is a finality no matter who you think you are.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Simon & Schuster and to Rachel Beanland for the opportunity.

Rachel Beanland creates four well chosen characters to voice this story based on the real tragedy of the 1811 Richland, VA theater fire. The House Is On Fire takes this dark moment and brings to light so much of the discomfort that was doled out daily in this historic American era built for staying in your own lane or else. As Rachel’s characters spoke their truths, my pages turned and some hard decisions were laid out. I became lost in the considerations of their sometimes dire and pressing needs,. The hard bite of the culture of this place and time became so real to me. Without being preachy, old storylines from unfair systems that support the privileged few and divide the rest into unprotected subclasses along lines of race, trade, economic status, and gender value are superbly woven into place by the author. Sometimes the story's revelations flip the narrative of who is right or wrong, weak or strong. Beanland uses her creative fictional story beats to let us in on what could have been the truths behind the details behind the stories that up to now have never been told.
Published by Simon & Schuster
I just reviewed The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland. It will hit the stands on April 4, 2023 #TheHouseIsOnFire#NetGalley

A terrific immersive read that pulls you quickly into its grip and doesn't let go. Told by several people, it's the story of the Richmond Theater Fire of 1811- and it's so much more. Sally, the widowed daughter of Patrick Henry, is at the theater with her sister in law Margaret and brother in law Angus. Cecily, an enslaved and abused teen, is accompanying her mistress Maria. Young Jack is the stagehand whose mistake leads to the fire. And Gilbert is the enslaved man who becomes a hero in more ways than one. They all find a surprise within themselves- for Sally it's her commitment to getting other women out of the fire and then nursing the wounded, for Cecily it's that she can run, for Jack it's the need to tell the truth and for Gilbert, well, a close reading of Gilbert will convince you that his actions are no surprise given his character. This blends reality with fiction and does it wonderfully. It's incredibly atmospheric- not just the fire itself as people struggled to get out and in the slave quarters (and when Cecily is hiding in the boat) but also in the small things such as the meeting of the legislature in the middle of chaos to issue a proclamation. There are horrors here, from what happens to Cecily and her mother to the attitudes of theater owner who wanted to blame the fire on slaves, but there are also moments of great grace. Don't miss the afterword, which gives more insight into the fire and the real people who figure in the story. This is great wonderfully written storytelling that will keep you on the edge of your seat turning the pages. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Highly recommend.

Thanks so much @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. This is a fictionalized story about a real theater fire in Richmond Virginia in 1811 that killed 72 people. It follows 4 characters who were in the theater and survived, two are black slaves. Cecily sees the opportunity to escape slavery, Gilbert is a hero but people don't believe that a slave would help selflessly. This is a good story, and really shows the horrors of slavery and inequality. #historicalfiction #richmondtheaterfire #thehouseisonfire #rachelbeanland #netgalley #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks

I had read this author’s previous book, Florence Adler Swims Forever, and really liked her writing style so I was thrilled to get an advanced readers copy of her latest book. The House Is On Fire is historical fiction and based on a true event of which I really knew nothing about - The Richmond Theater Fire of 1811. The theater was packed for a performance the night after Christmas when it went up in flames killing more than seventy people. The story is told from the perspective of four people who were there that night and whose lives became forever intertwined as a result of the tragedy. Each of these four stories are compelling on their own but as the author slowly reveals the connections among them, the book really turns into a page turner! The author did a fantastic job on her research and her descriptions of the time period as well as the event easily transport the reader to that era. The House Is On Fire deserves all five stars and Rachel Beanland has proven herself once again to be an incredible writer.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In The House is on Fire, Rachel Beanland wrote a historically accurate and imaginative account of the Richmond Theater Fire on December 26, 1811. Using four characters from the time period, Beanland describes in detail the events of that evening. The hero, a Black Slave, is portrayed as a dreamer while the firesetter, a white boy of about 14, only wants justice and honesty to prevail for his crime. Her vivid description of the chaos before, during, and after the fire keeps the reader riveted. The female characters play a riveting role as the white woman of society and the slave girl trying to find her freedom. In this propulsive novel of fact interwoven with fiction, Beanland keeps you entrenched in the tragedy, devastation, cowardice, and heroism of the people during the early 1800's.
#ThankyouNETGALLEYand SIMON&SCHUSTERforthisemotionalARC!

Rich in historical detail, this was a phenomenal work of historical fiction. Thought provoking.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland is a historical fiction set around the 1811 Richmond theater fire. What? You haven't heard of the fire? Neither had I until I read this book. I probably would have plowed my way through this book without putting it down, except I had to go research more about this fire. This book definitely sent me down a rabbit hole. Which I loved.

The book follows four distinct characters: Sally, a young widow who is attending the theater with her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Cicely, a slave girl attending the theater with the daughter of her master, Jack, a young stage hand backstage during the play, and Gilbert, a slave who dreams of buying his and his wife's freedom. The fire changed these four characters' lives forever.

Fire is a beautifully written and well-researched book. Sally and Gilbert were real people actually involved in the fire. Cicely and Jack were based on real people. The story is definitely a fictionalized version of events, but there is so much historical accuracy, it reads almost like a series of first-hand accounts of the night.

Beanland really delves deep into the issues that women and slaves dealt with in 1811, not very many years after the United States gained their freedom from Britain. You can't help but feel for Sally, Gilbert and Cicely as they navigate the obstacles they face as they navigate the days following the fire.

I absolutely loved this book. My degree is in US History, however, I had never heard of this event. Beanland not only drew me into the narrative of the story, which was enthralling, she inspired me to do my own research into the event. The characters felt so real, which they were, they were real people, but Beanland still made these names that can often feel two dimensional in a historical document become three-dimensional characters.

If you enjoy historical fiction, I recommend you pick up this book when it comes out. Rumor is this will be an April Book of the Month selection, so this could also be a wonderful opportunity to try that service out, if you've been interested.

Historical fiction is not usually my preferred genre, but I so enjoyed Rachel Beanland's debut novel, Florence Adler Swims Forever, that I thought I'd give her sophomore effort, The House is on Fire, a go. And I'm very glad that I did. Beanland's new novel is situated in 1811 Richmond, when a fire during a performance at its theater claimed more lives than any incident in the young United States had before then., Through four intertwined stories, each told through separate chapters devoted to one of four characters who experienced the fire and its aftermath, Beanland brings the incident, the setting, and the characters to life with the hand of a much more experienced novelist. Although the story starts a little slowly, soon I could not stop reading until the end. The author's note documents the historic sources from which she drew her material, making the stories of a time in our history when people with skins of color were enslaved, owned, and treated as property, when men were raised to be chivalrous but selfish, and yet a time when people loved, grieved, and covered up their own actions just as we do today, real. Beanland's novel is masterful and I wait eagerly to read her next book.

This story is a novelization of the horrific Richmond theater fire of 1811 in which 72 people including the Governor of Virginia were tragically killed. Some of the characters in the novel are loosely based on real people. Others are completely made up.

The book is absolutely riveting and unputdownable. It will have you hanging on every word anxious to see what happens next. On the one side are the good and likable characters like the slave Gilbert who helps several women escape from the fire and Sally Henry Campbell with her devotion to helping care for her injured sister-in-law, Margaret, and others as well. On the other side are the hateful and unlikeable characters like most of the theater troupe members who want to spread a malicious rumor blaming the fire on an attempted slave revolt and Margaret's husband who insists that Margaret's badly broken leg be set even though she would have a better chance of surviving if it were amputated because he only wants her whole. Very few characters have shades of good and bad most are either one way or the other. Jack, a young stagehand torn between his loyalty to the theater troop and his desire to do the right thing both for the people killed in the tragedy and the blameless slaves by telling the truth about what happened is one of the few.

In fact, the good people in this book are mostly the slaves and the women. The men want to be in charge and make the decisions but the decisions they make are detrimental particularly to the women and the slaves who have no say in them. However, of course, when there is credit to be taken for doing what is right the men are always there to accept it even if they are not the ones who rightly deserve the credit. Most of the men in this story and their actions are absolutely infuriating. The book is a perfect allegory for the current time we are living in which some people want to control the lives of others in ways that are not only none of their business but not necessarily best for the people whom they are trying to control. If reading this book doesn't stir up your anger, maybe you should examine your own morals.

An up-putdownable historical fiction about a horrific tragic fire that burned a Richmond theater to the ground and killed dozens.

This story is based on a historical event I’d never heard about set in Virginia during the early eighteen hundreds and is by an author I haven’t read. Her attention to detail, historical accuracy and true to life characters results in an interesting and emotional read. The disparity between men and women and between slaves and their owners was well illustrated. The mystery of how the fire originated and the resulting consequences kept me enthralled.
Sally, Cecily, Jack, and Gilbert are the primary focus of the story with many well developed supporting townspeople. I cared what happened to them and soaked up the story. Sally is a young widow with compassion and strength. Jack is a stagehand at the theater who believes in honesty and doing the right thing. He’s threatened and coerced to lie. Gilbert is married to Sara, they are slaves in different homes trying to buy their freedom. Cecily is also a slave, a Lady’s Maid, with a bold and brave life changing opportunity. All of them were forever changed by the actions of that one night.
Even though the characters were fictional, (based on history and research) their respective plights were probably even worse overall than we’d like to imagine. I was reminded to be grateful my world is more equitable, still lacking but, better than back then. I found the book well written. It will stay with me and recommend to anyone who appreciates historical fiction.
A digital advance reader copy of “The House Is On Fire” by Rachel Beanland, Simon & Schuster, was provided to me by NetGalley. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

This book exceeded all expectations for me. Normally, books with so many storylines put me off but the way the plot began immediately and how the story only takes place over three days does not make it hard to keep up with at all. Each character was fully developed and I was deeply invested in each one's individual tragedies that resulted from the fire. I was blown away reading the author's note at the end that all four characters are based off real people from the night of the actual Richmond theatre fire in 1811. Rachel Beanland does an amazing job breathing life into each one of them and the ending was realistic and not overly fictionalized, as I believe historical fiction should be. An absolutely delightful and emotional read.

Wow, what a propulsive book about a little known historical event in Richmond, VA!

The Great Richmond Theater Fire of 1811 occurred the day after Christmas and took the lives of over one hundred men, women, and children - including the governor of Virginia. Beanland explores the lives of four different people on the night of the fire - a young widow, Sally, who is wondering what life holds for her; an enslaved young woman, Cecily, who sees the chaos as a means to forge a new life; a young stagehand, Jack, who is caught up in the swirl of lies surrounding the fire’s origins; and enslaved blacksmith Gilbert who dreams of freedom but is bound by his own sense of duty.

This book is so captivating that I couldn’t put it down! I was thoroughly involved in the story and could smell the burning embers and choking smoke as I read about the horrific scenes. Crises bring out the best and worst in humanity, and both are on full display in this compelling story. Even if you haven’t visited Richmond, you’ll be invested in the characters and the story, a tale of sacrifice and greed, compassion mixed with the fallacies of human nature, and a portent of the civil war yet to come.