Veiled in Smoke is set in the days leading up to the infamous Chicago Fire and in the months after during that city’s rebuilding. It is a great backdrop for the story of two sisters caught up in the wreckage of not only the flames but a war over a decade before. Meg and Sylvie are the grown daughters of Steven Townsend, Civil War veteran and bookseller. Their days are filled with keeping the business alive and their father calm and sane. The war may be over, but Steven relives it with every nightfall and loud sound. A POW in Andersonville, Steven has been wounded by the horrific treatment and the hard decisions he made there. I really enjoyed the history explored within the novel. The griefs of the past are all too real and the future of Chicago looked bleak, but Green infuses the story with hope. The story of the Townsend family could have been set anywhere — their struggles are common to all generations. There’s also romance and mystery and a very suspenseful ending — all of which kept me turning the pages.

If you are a historical fiction fan, then Veiled in Smoke is for you. I learned so much from this book. The novel is both fascinating historical fiction and a touching family drama.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults and Older Teenagers.

Thanks to Bethany House for the free book.
Still conquering some backlist NetGalley books, and I am so glad I was able to finally get to this one. It was a beautiful story of sisterhood, friendship, growing love, and family determination. I loved the backdrop of the great Chicago fire because I knew nothing about it, and this made me research it quicker. The mystery was solid and satisfying. The characters were lovable and had such great depth. I liked Stephen especially and how he clung to his faith, even when life felt impossible. I have book two to read now, and I will hopefully get to it soon.

I received an advance copy of this book from Bethany House for my honest review.

The story of Veiled in Smoke by Jocelyn Green, begins about 10 days before the Great Fire of Chicago. Meg and Sylvie lead a quiet but challenging life caring for their father and making a living selling books in their bookshop. Told through the eyes of Meg, Sylvie and Stephen, you experience life at the time from multiple perspectives. But life is about to get harder as the chaos begins on October 8, 1871. The determination and perseverance that emerge is truly heroic. Each character faces the challenges in different ways. Family bonds them together as they fight for survival, truth, faith, and hope.

This book is the first in what I hope will be a long series of books in The Windy City Saga. I was caught up almost immediately with the PTSD Meg’s and Sylvie’s father, Stephen, was experiencing years after the Civil War. Story helps us learn and remember history. I learned about Andersonville in the Civil War and actually went on the internet to learn more. I did not know much about the great Chicago fire, except Mrs. O’Leary’s cow and that a huge portion of Chicago was destroyed. I had no idea that people buried valuables to save them from the fire or that in the cold weather the rebuilding of buildings was faulty. Jocelyn Green’s novel takes you into the fire as you experience its aftermath with the characters. You see human nature portrayed at its best and worst.

I first read the author’s Civli war series and have read all her historical fiction books since then. Jocelyn Green does an amazing amount of research for her novels and it pays off in a masterful story. The character and plot development are so well done. I could hardly put the story down. I am a doer type person and found myself identifying with Meg, but the story helped me develop compassion for the struggles and frustrations of Sylvie. I read to grow and change as a person and this story has left its mark on me.

An emotional and moving story. I found my heart invested fully into the lives of Meg, Stephen, and Sylvie from the start. The pain and suffering was hard to bear, but the end result made all the heart ache worth it. I could most definitely relate with the characters on a very personal level and the author approaches the topics of anxiety and PTSD with wise words.
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Mystery, danger, a sprinkle of romance and you will find yourself swept away to the Windy City in the height of the chaos of the fire & rebuilding. Even amongst the rubble & destruction, there is beauty to be found if you can only open your eyes and heart to it.
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As a co-owner of JustRead Publicity Tours, LLC, I received compensation from the publisher and/or author to coordinate a promotional tour for this title. I was not required to write a review. The opinions expressed are my own

A hauntingly good tale that's rich in detail and depth and takes the reader on an adventurous journey through harrowing stakes and trials. Veiled in Smoke is one of those books that will leave you in tears as you journey with Meg and Sylvie. They've had troubles piling up at their door and yet they cling together as a family and strive forward. I don't think Meg looked back even a single time. The story clung to me long after reading the last page and I spent quite some time preparing myself to step away from this book, knowing that it would be on the edges of memory.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This is a gripping historical novel!

There is definitely a large element of romance in this story but the history is much more important in my mind. I love the four main characters. Meg, Stephen, Sylvie, and Nate are incredibly well developed. Watching the emotional growth of each of them was fantastic. As they grew I enjoyed seeing the changes in how they interacted with each other.

I had read about the Great Chicago Fire in history class. It never really seemed real to me before reading this book. The fear and other emotions the people dealt with in the aftermath was palpable. My heart broke especially for Stephen as he was not only trying to deal with the current situation but also all of his memories and fears from his service in the Civil War.

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how they learned to depend on God to help them. The fact that multiple characters were able to bring scriptures to mind was a great reminder to me about the need to memorize scripture.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

Christian Historical set before, during and after the great Chicago fire. Interesting story with great depth, murder and mystery, faith, family and friends. Meg and Sylvie are sisters, running a bookstore in their home, that was originally established by their parents. Their father had been a prisoner of war in the Civil war and was struggling to cope with his life back home. The night of the Chicago fire changed all their lives, setting a new reality in motion. As the story unfolds, they all start rebuilding their lives. Sometimes it's better to have everything torn down and start over, clearing some of the obstacles in front of us. But no one said it would be easy. It's interesting that more lives were lost in rebuilding the city than in the fire. Love for one another and faith in God are the strength and foundation to build on.

I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#VeiledinSmoke #NetGalley

Veiled in Smoke is set just after the Civil War in Chicago. Several men who had fought, were injured or who had been prisoners of war, are returning home and suffering what we now know as PTSD. Back then, it was given a variety of names and more often than not, these men were committed to institutions and underwent various treatments that are no longer permitted today. The Townsend family are the main characters in this story. Sisters, Meg and Sylvie Townsend manage the family bookshop and look after their father, Stephen, a veteran still suffering in mind and spirit from his time as a POW during the Civil War. When the Great Chicago Fire destroys most of the business district, the store is destroyed and the insurance company they were with declares bankruptcy. As they escape from the fire, they get separated from their father. After the fire they find out a dear family friend has been murdered, and Stephen is arrested for the crime and incarcerated in an institution. His daughters are not allowed to visit and it appears the police are no longer investigating as they are sure they have the murderer. Meg takes it upon herself to continue to investigate to free her father with the help of Chicago Tribune reporter, Nate Pierce.

I enjoyed this story for several reasons. I loved watching the characters grow and change as the story progresses. Meg and Sylvie are complex characters who frequently hold opposing views, most dealing with how to care for their father, who came home from the war a changed man. Soldier's heart is the term they use. The way Jocelyn Green portrays this mental health condition, as well as the strain it places on families, was done with compassion and understanding. I am a Christian, but I did feel that the way Stephen Townsend "cures" himself through prayer and faith was done rather quickly and abruptly. The secondary characters all played important roles in the story and I learned about some other history through them. This story has an historical element, a mental health piece, family, friendship, romance and mystery themes all well meshed in this story. If you enjoy Christian fiction, I definitely recommend this one to you.

The Great Chicago Fire is not a subject that I can remember reading about. Of course, I know the song about the cow and Mrs. O'Leary.

Veiled in Smoke is a beautifully written novel. It brought a part of history to life that I am slightly familiar with. The amount of destruction and the displaced families were vivid. I could picture the scenes that Jocelyn Green described.

The story focuses on Meg and Sylvie. They are sisters whose home and business was destroyed. They have the additional stress of taking care of their father who suffered from PTSD from his time as a POW during the Civil War. The conditions of the asylum and the resources used to help soldiers were very lacking. It makes me grateful for how far we have come in understanding and as a society.

The book has a happy ending. It helps me find hope that happiness can be found after difficult trials.

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

What a tragic story. As you live through the fire that destroyed a large portion of Chicago and the horrendous way individuals with mental health issues were treated. Their faith in God was inspirational. The spiritual focus was done well and not too preachy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bethany House Publisher for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

What a compelling and well written story. I enjoyed this tale of a family during and after the great Chicago fire. It has lots of twists and turns, a interesting mystery and good characters. This was my first Jocelyn Green book and it was an good read. It's got tragedy as well as hope in its pages and the ending was very good. I am looking forward to book two in this saga.

To be honest, I started reading this book almost exactly a year ago, but found myself unable to get into it. I had some personal tragedies going on in my life at the moment, and found the topics of the Chicago fire and 'Soldier's Heart' (or what we know as PTSD) was just a little too heavy for my heart at the moment. So I put the book aside with the intention of getting back to it eventually. With the new book in the series coming out this month, it seemed like the perfect time to try again.

Boy, am I glad I did! In fact, I found myself wishing I hadn't let it sit on my TBR all this time. In this story, we meet two sisters Sylvie and Meg whose father Stephen has come back from the war not quite himself. Of course, we now know this to be PTSD, but at the time was called Soldier's Heart and wasn't nearly as known or understood as it is now. When the fire sends his mind back to the frontlines, it seems to make him the perfect suspect in the murder of his friend.

This story has the perfect blend of mystery and drama, with great historical content, messages of faith and just a touch of romance too. It was both enlightening and heartbreaking to see the attitudes and treatments of mental illness in those days. These difficult topics were written in such a beautiful way that ultimately left a more hopeful feeling at the end. I found myself quite invested in the lives of these characters and can't wait to see what happens to them next. Definitely a must read for fans of historical fiction.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

I’ve heard of the Great Fire in Chicago during that period but I don’t believe or can’t remember if I’ve read an historical fiction story that takes place during that time. I was delighted to come across, Veiled in Smoke and I had not read any of Green’s stories beforehand. Needless to say, I was unfamiliar with her work and was eager to delve in her world-building.

I have to say, while the introduction of the characters in the beginning was intriguing, the build-up to the day of the fire felt rushed and lacked a certain substance. I started to have doubts about this book but rallied on. The story didn’t take off until the fire broke out. At that very moment, I felt a shift in the structure of the storytelling and became immensely captivated. The telling of the fire itself and was outstanding and so realistic, you are completely transported to time and place.

I enjoyed reading about Meg and Sylvie’ life during this tragic event and the author does a marvelous job at creating sisterly tension and, at times, unease in their relationship. She also shows their love for each other, for their father and others.

Although different in many ways, Meg with her artistic ability and Sylvia with her love of books and independent in thought, they are both intelligent and they didn’t give up, despite their daunting predicaments. There are many life lessons to be learned with their story.

Stephen’s suffering from Soldiers Heart AKA PTSD from his time as a POW in Andersonville is heartbreaking, yet, eye opening to read about. The Prison camp is reported to have been the largest prison for holding Union soldiers and its conditions are heartbreaking to say the least.

Having said that, there is a topic about how Andersonville was portrayed that I felt needed to be addressed in the story and wasn’t. I felt the subject a bit one sided and conveniently left out to drive a particular narrative about the South. The soldiers weren’t suffering entirely at the fault of people in charge of running the camps. The guards weren’t in much better shape due to the lack of supplies for all. As the war raged on, throughout the south, there was great suffering of starvation, death due to food shortages, water pollution, lack of clothing, disease, increase violence among the civilians, particularly to the females, and lack medicines. While it is known that the north managed prisons differently, both Union and Confederate, really, suffered deficiencies. There was also Lincoln’s blockade of the southern states that played a huge role in this problem.

I can’t say for certain what the author’s intentions were regarding this topic, but nonetheless, I have to say, this particular part slightly vexed me somewhat because I see this premise often in historical fiction and in our education system. That said, and to be fair, the author does give an indication of how the union prisoners treated each other in Andersonville and quite possibly she is portraying how a union solder’s mindset-at the time-probably was due to trauma experienced to drive the stories narrative. Another consideration is that writing a historical story is far more difficult than it appears. You can’t please everyone.

Years after the war, Stephen still struggles with PTSD. Then when Stephen is charged with a serious crime, that took place during the fire, and taken to the Cook Cunty Insane Asylum, would be anyone’s undoing. In one instance, when he arrived to the asylum, they reduced him to a number, stripping his identity to make him less human.

From previously reading about asylums during that period, I had already known what they were like but reading Stephen’s experience made it all too real and affected me in such a way, that even now, I’m still outraged and sadden over the ill treatment of patients in those places. It is absolutely appalling how he was treated and the lack of respect he was given for his service during the war. Even before he was put in that place. His struggles are deeply felt.

Despite what I said about the prison camp topic, I must confess that this is one of the better stories written I’ve read that takes place during post-civil war in the 19th Century. I have noted many passages that I found to be inspiring and I feel deeply about many of the characters.

Green weaves a compelling story of a family’s fight for survival and healing. She gives us a well-constructed insight into the lives of the characters, Stephen’s mental state and trauma the fire caused the city and its’ people. Overall, there are many elements to the story that make it a noble read.

Veiled in Smoke will be placed among my go-to 19th Century Historical Fiction reads and I look forward to reading the next book in this saga.

Stephanie Hopkins

Side note: If you are a fan of Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott, most likely you will enjoy this story a great deal!

Fire, mystery, murder, oh my! This book was full of deception! I was horrified by all that went on with Stephen. The scary part is that things like that happened and PTSD is a horrible thing to live with. I don’t want to share too much! I’m excited to be on to the next book in the series and will review it shortly.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

What do you do when your world burns? When the family and the future you thought you'd have fade away like ash?

Jocelyn Green grapples with these questions and more in this intriguing look into one of Chicago's greatest tragedies.

Meg and Sylvie thought their family would be complete when their father returned from the Civil War. Turns out, their heartache was only beginning. But perhaps, even through the deepest pain, God can bring impossible healing and incredible redemption.

Although written in a different style than I normally enjoy, Veiled in Smoke challenged me, fascinated me, and drew me in as I experienced the Great Fire and followed the path of one family's journey through the flames and into an unexpected future.

I especially appreciated how the author dealt with the struggle of PTSD--in a time when it was not only misunderstood but also erroneously mistreated. My favorite aspect of this topic addressed in the book was the way Sylvie's relationship with her father changed as they walked through this journey together.

Also, Nate and Meg's friendship and eventual romance were absolutely adorable and so enjoyable to read, particularly as Nate supports and encourages Meg through some of the biggest struggles of her life.

I will admit that I expected the story to go a different way and was slightly disappointed when it didn't, however, that is more of a personal thing. ;)

Content Advisories: This was a very clean book with light romance. Some topics to be aware of include traumatic scenes (including a fire and POW struggles) as well as a heavy emphasis on PTSD.

Overall, FOUR STARS for a well-written and recommended Historical Christian Fiction read.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book for FREE, and a positive review was not required.

This was an interesting story telling by Jocelyn Green weaving the character with the Chicago Fire. Her descriptions in pulling me, the reader, into the story kept me turning page after page for more. It wasn't an overly cheery book, but the melancholy feel I get is perhaps the period of time in Chicago. I don't feel like living in a city full of pollution, and the tragedy of fire, would necessarily be bright and cheerful.

I am so excited about this new series, The Windy City Saga, that Jocelyn Green has started. Veiled in Smoke is set in Chicago at the time of the Great Fire in 1871. This is a fabulous story of the event, the destruction, and the amazing resilience of the people as they rebuilt their city, but it is also SO much more!

Veiled in Smoke is a story of destruction, despair, hope, and redemption wrapped around an intriguing mystery and a bit of romance!

I am absolutely amazed at the amount of research that went into this book and the way Green has intricately woven together so many aspects of life at that time. The heartbreakingly realistic story of the fire and its aftermath had my heart racing as characters ran for their lives and had me in tears as they returned to find their wonderful homes and city desolate. The pain of lost businesses, friends, and even abilities was raw and palpable, and as a reader I was praying for them and cheering them on as they rose above their situations and found new ways to support themselves and each other. This was especially timely for me as I have watched my daughter and her town of Panama City work to recover from the deadly hurricane that hit last year and I've watched from afar as the California and Colorado wildfires have devastated those areas.

The book also includes fascinating secondary stories that provide the reader with a sense of witnessing the inside operations of an insane asylum, the heart-rendering realities of prisoner of war camps and the resulting PTSD (called Soldier's Heart at the time), the operations of an 1800's newspaper, and the changing face of the art world! And it is done in such a way that it seems very logical and in no way overwhelming or confusing. As a history buff, I was in awe!

I highly recommend this book if you like intrigue, historical fiction, and romance that doesn't feel forced. I am in awe of authors who are able to make me feel like I am standing in the midst of history, and Jocelyn Green is a master.

The fires in Chicago are a devastating part of their history and have resulted in a lot of modern fire codes we have today. Reading this book was a little bit hard for me this year as I've been mainly wanting light and fluffy. Jocelyn's time researching, however, is evident and really makes this historical novel shine.
Meg and Sylvie are fascinating characters to follow under problematic circumstances. They each deal with joy and pain in different ways but ultimately rely on each other. I love seeing their sisterly bond.
I started this book several months ago and just finished it. This doesn't speak to how it is written, only me needing and prioritizing comedy over tragedy with other reads. Otherwise, this book is completely worth the read and the thread of hope throughout ultimately kept me coming back for more.
Thank you to Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Loved the history ingrained into the storyline. I did have a harder time getting into the story but stuck with it-the history was fascinating!

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this
in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Such expressive writing is always a joy to read.

The beautiful cover of this book immediately captured my attention, and I added the book to my to-read list solely because of that. The colors, the smoke, and the tone work magnificently together to perfectly set the mood for the story beneath the jacket.

The bookshop and Great Chicago Fire were written in ways that made them come to life for me. The richness of the writing was clearly a help here, and I felt fully immersed in the story for the vast majority of the time. The characters were amazing and interesting and well developed. The complexity of their personal issues created good drama within the family unit and also among acquaintances. The insane asylum was strangely fascinating. I had not heard of “soldier’s heart” before, so it was interesting learning about this. The use of art in the recovery efforts was stupendous!

Through the utter heartbreak in this book, there were stirrings of hope. I especially enjoyed that.

One conversation felt much too modern, as it was clearly a nod to the Five Love Languages:

Sylvie: She’s always felt loved through touch.
Stephen: How do you feel love?
Sylvie: Time.

If this book were set during any year from 1990 to 2020 or beyond, I would have not even blinked through that conversation, but because the story was set in the early 1870s, this interrupted my reading experience as it felt like a very modern ideal.

Content: a couple of expletives, alcohol, drugs