The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanland
4/5

I really liked this! I needed another great historical fiction after the lackluster showing of the last one. This was an interesting story and made me care deeply for all involved.

Taking place during and after the Richmond Theater fire of 1811, we follow 4 people whose lives are turned upside down following the tragedy.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC of The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland in exchange for a honest review.This is a wonderfully written and very engaging story that draws the reader in right from the first page.This story revolves around the true story of The Richmond Theater fire in the winter of 1811 and the lingering effects on the 4 central characters -Jack, Cecily, Sally and Gilbert, who tell their tale in alternating chapters.Jack is the stagehand who raised the chandelier that started the fire in the theater.Gilbert is a slave who becomes a hero that night when he saves many women who jump from the theater while white men act cowardly.Sally is a widow who escapes the fire with her friend Margaret who is seriously injured and must battle the friend’s husband to save her life.Cecily, is a slave who has been sexually abused by her master’s son for many years and sees her escape from the fire as a chance at freedom.How Will the aftermath of the fire affect each of the main character? Read the book and find out.Highly recommend.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Not a fire I had heard about before, I enjoyed learning about it from several points of view. I liked that some of those points of view overlapped with each other. Interesting piece of history.

Very, very well written and clearly DEEPLY researched. It made me want to find a non fiction book about this fire to understand more of the world at the time that it happened and what happened in the aftermath.

This novel is based on a true story, The Richmond Theater Fire in 1811. Beanland focus's her story on the lives of four survivors.

Sally is visiting her brother-in- law and sister - in - law and they go to the play and are caught up in the fire.

Cecely a young slave girl accompanies her mistress to the play. They of course, are on different floors but are both caught in the fire.

Jack a fourteen year old young man yearns to be in the play and has a job as stage hand.

Gilbert a slave who is looking for the daughter of his wife's owners when he becomes a hero during the fire.

This book brings out how different people react in a crisis as well as what they are made of and cope afterwards. I loved how the author told how she chose these particular characters to highlight in this tragedy. Very well written.

The House is on Fire is quite different than Florence Adler Swims Forever, Rachel Beanland's first book which I thoroughly enjoyed. This book is a historical fiction story based on a fire in the Richmond Theatre in 1811. The daughter of Patrick Henry survived this fire. I had never heard of this event and am intrigued to learn more about
important people and events that I haven't known about. The interesting part, to me, was the comparison of the wealthy theatergoers and the slaves that were there that night. At times, the book became confusing, and it was hard to keep tract of all the people and scenarios that were going on, but, this is a realistic chaos that would take place in this situation. The responses of the various people involved and their subsequent choices were really interesting and a great example of how an event like this can drastically change lives. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in Historical Fiction. Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to preview this book in exchange fot an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the e-Arc in exchange for an honest review!

This historical fiction novel is based upon an actual event and was wonderfully researched. I did not know much about the burning of the theater in Virginia so I was excited to read this! This story uncovered the horrific things people had to do to survive a fire.

Its 1811 in Richmond, VA and all are enjoying the winter social season. The beautifully dressed men and women fill the the three story theater. But something is wrong. An actor begins to tell people to leave. As people start to realize what is happing, everyone panics. The building is on fire and stairwells burn up leaving people stranded on the second and third floors. Some jump out of windows and some don't make it.

The narrators are two slaves , one socialite woman, and one stage hand. The characters are well developed and accurate for the 1800's time period. This is a great read!

Highly recommend!

I love when a book leads me to want to know more about a topic and sends me down a research rabbit hole. That is exactly what this one did. An interesting historical fiction book about an event I was unaware of- the Richmond Theater fire of 1811. It did take me a while to get all the characters straight in the beginning, but once I got into the book I was hooked.

Thanks to NetGalley for this free Arc. I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel about an early moment in American history. I appreciated all of the different points of view and enjoyed the note at the end from the author about which parts she was able to construct from history and which were entirely fiction.

I really enjoyed Florence Adler Swims Forever, so I was definitely looking forward to reading this newest work from Rachel Beanland. It definitely did not disappoint!

The novel is based on actual events and focuses on the 1811 theatre fire in Richmond, Virginia that killed 72 people from various walks of life, including a widow from the top vestiges of society and slaves who endured horrendous abuse. The story is a fascinating one, and Beanland appears to have done excellent historical research into not only the fire itself but also on life at that time in Virginia. it is very well-written and gives the reader great insight into the personal lives of the people this fire affected. If you enjoy historical fiction, you will surely enjoy this novel.

A well researched book about a true event. It is evident how much time and effort the author put into this book. The characters were well-drawn and realistic. The narrative moves along quickly and doesn't get bogged down even though there, what amounts to, 4 different story lines to keep track of. It speaks of a time in our history where slaves were an accepted part of life and women were second class citizens, at best. In our current push to erase any history we don't like in this country, this is a very brave novel. Thanks for this opportunity, NetGalley.

Four different characters and storylines to follow but done very well and not confusing. First book for me about the theater fire and i definitely enjoyed!! You fall in love with the characters and their families, leaves room at the end to wonder about a few things. Has you hoping the truth will be known and a surprise or two along the way.

An absolutely excellent novel. I haven’t read historical fiction in a while, and this was such a beautiful, well-written, and emotional re-telling of the 1811 theater fire that claimed so many lives. I loved the multiple POV, though I found myself slightly less interested in Jack’s storyline (his was just a little bit less compelling). I loved how the different characters and their stories connected, and I really enjoyed the (at times, gut-wrenching) glimpse into what life was like at this time/place in history. I thought the author handled the subject matter with accuracy (I enjoyed the note at the end where she describes her sources and some of the facts that she included) and with creativity. I felt completely transported and I was so taken by everyone’s stories. I cried at the last line! Really fantastic example of historical fiction done right. Highly recommend.

5/5 stars, thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Set in 1811, this book involves a deadly theatre fire that took place in Richmond, Virginia. The book is well researched (I was inspired to do further research as I was reading the book because I had never heard of this fire!) and the small group of characters are all interesting and fully developed.
I can’t say that I liked this book more than Florence Adler- that was such a great book that it would be hard to follow . I did have a hard time putting this book down, though, after reading the first 30 pages or so.

Thank you NetGallery for a ARC.Wow!

The House Is On Fire by Rachel Beanland, a fictionalized account of the December 26, 1811 theater fire in Richmond, Virginia, is a page-turner. Disaster novels often are, but they are seldom so well written in all ways. The characters are believable and engaging (or hate-worthy) and never take second place to the fire. All of them have depth and lives with challenges apart from that one night’s disaster. Heroism is an expected feature of disaster novels, and it’s present. So are cowardice, stupidity, individual tragedy, hairbreadth escapes, and love.
I particularly appreciated Ms. Beanland’s extensive research, taking the facts, which were well-known because so many of those present were Richmond’s elite, and humanizing them. She also captures the spirit of the time, which is less common.
Something I found particularly interesting is that we see the fire is the result of a combination of human factors rather than one unavoidable accident. Mistakes, bad judgement and bad planning all play a part. That’s something I don’t recall finding in most disaster novels although it’s often present in actual manmade disasters.
The House Is On Fire is due to be released on April 4, 2023 and I’m happy to give it five stars.
I received a Netgalley ARC for my unbiased review.

The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland is a riveting historical novel about the 1811 Richmond Theatre Fire. Told from the perspective of four survivors the author seamlessly weaves her well researched details in a story that feels personal. Additionally the cost of slavery and the inequality of women comes alive through her characters and this story. A very well done novel!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

A riveting, thought-provoking, expertly crafted page turner! Based on historical fact and set over a handful of days in 1811, Rachel Beanland’s immersive The House Is on Fire features four well developed, diverse primary characters, two of whom are enslaved and all of whom are struggling with their respective lots in life and life-altering issues revealed in the moment and aftermath of a devastating and deadly fire in a Richmond, Virginia theater. Given Beanland’s obviously in depth research, skillful world building and intelligent writing, this tale is as transportive and enlightening as it is tragic. The interesting author’s note gives further context. Moreover, the story is so well paced it kept me flipping pages until I had read the whole book in one sitting!

I will also forewarn that this novel is utterly heart wrenching. From the outset, much of the content is quite difficult to read - from the loss of lives in the fire to the experiences of many of the survivors, the horrors of slavery and the horrific treatment of the enslaved characters, the prejudicial treatment and lack of agency of women, people of color and Jews, the medical limitations of the times, etc.

But hope, courage, resilience and heroism also feature in this ultimately stunning and powerful tale. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

I had a little trouble starting this, but then I couldn't put it down. It is based on the real fire in 1811. The characters are based on real people. Patrick Henry's daughter was a main character. A fire devastates Richmond. People from all walks of life are affected. Lies are told about the cause. Lies are told to save lies. People's true characters are revealed . A young slave tries to be free.
I thought this was and excellent fiction/nonfiction story. I highly recommend this for a book club. Thank you, NetGalley and Rachel Bean land for a well written experience.

Having read Beanland's book Florence Adler Swims Forever and chosen it for our library book discussion group, I was excited to be able to read The House is On Fire on NetGalley. Reading it on NetGalley means I can offer my impressions of this new novel when we meet to discuss Florence Adler. And I will most definitely be recommending it to friends, library patrons and book clubs.

Right off the bat, I was impressed with how different this book read and presented compared to Beanland's prior book. Some authors (think Jodi Pucoult) have a formula that makes each new book feel like a repeat of the last. In Beanland, we have an author who adapts her style to the story at hand which I much admire. It brings to mind some of my favorite historical fiction, Mary Beth Keane's Fever, McCallister's The Magician's Apprentice, The Tumbling Turner Sisters and even Goolrick's The Reliable Wife. A book where even the Author Notes at the end are worth reading.

In the first chapters, the reader is introduced to a number of characters. Not to worry, just when you worry you won't be able to keep them straight you find the primary players are in place and we begin to layer on the events that will show their true character. This is nothing if not a study in character and integrity. If I had one complaint it would be that the author chose to place most of the characters at the poles of good/bad, black/white spectrum and could have shaded in as bit more gray areas. (The boy Jack being the exception.)

I don't know what I expected, but this wasn't it - this by no means is a negative! Though this book is based around a theater fire in Richmond, Virginia in 1811, it's really four different stories that describe the aforementioned fire and its aftermath. Though following this different stories was a bit overwhelming at times, I found all of the interesting as well as able to learn about lives of people in various positions in the South in the early 19th century. It was an eye-opener of sorts. Most definitely a book worth reading!