Rachel Beanland's The House is On Fire tells the true story of Richmond's theater fire. Her masterful telling of the events through four perspectives is superbly done. It was so interesting to watch these stories unfold and then intersect. Beanland is a master at historical fiction and I can't wait to see what she tackles next.

This was the well-written and immersive story of the burning of the Richmond, VA theater in 1811.. The author did a great job blending the stories of real people with fictional details to bring the story to life. It was clearly well researched and historically accurate. The book was told from the points view of 4 people who experienced the fire firsthand--two slaves and two white people. Throughout the book their stories intertwine in big and small ways and through their eyes we can see the many ways the fire affected the Richmond community.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an e-arc of this book.

I'd never heard of this fire until reading this book. Beanland does quite a bit to flesh our her characters from likely not a ton of primary sources. We need more historical fiction with a feminist perspective.

This is a novel of historical fiction at its best. Based on an actual event, the burning down of a theater in Richmond Virginia in 1811, Ms. Beanland's narrative describes the horrors, heroism, and connections that arose from this tragedy.

It is the evening after Christmas and the Richmond Theater is filled with over 600 spectators. As the play progresses, a series of unfortunate circumstances cause the lit chandelier to start a fire in the back of the theater, Chaos ensues as people run for their lives and the theater comes crashing down all around them. The theater is separated into sections for black people and whites. Serendipitously, the blacks are seated in a section that is closest to the exit.

During the chaotic scramble for life, people's true natures come to light. There are heroes and cowards, some of whom are very surprising. Gilbert Hunt, a slave trained as a blacksmith, in a huge act of heroism, catches a multitude of women in his arms as they jump from a third floor window of the theater. Sally Henry Campbell, a widow, shows her heroism as she goes back into the flames to save her sister-in-law. Once she brings her injured sister-in-law to safety, she helps care for the injured and dying. Jack Gibson, a young man who is an employee of the theater company, wrestles with his conscience as the bulk of the company wants to tell a lie about the origin of the fire. I think that the character I most rooted for was Cecily Patterson, a slave of the Price family, She sees this fire as a once in a lifetime opportunity to seek her freedom. So many people are dead that she is sure no one will be able to testify to the fact that she escaped the fire with her life. She does not expect, however, the obsession and callousness of Elliot Price, who has raped her since she was a child. He is determined to prove her alive.

With hundreds dead and injured, Richmond is in turmoil. The novel's historical narrative illuminates the horror of slavery and the despicable treatment that slaves endured, I felt like I was on the streets of Richmond, observing history as it unwound.
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Ms. Beanland brings characters to life. The narrative is structured in the voices of the four people. Each one is unique and their voices carry their own struggles and history, along with the struggles and history of Richmond, Virginia in 1811. I recommend this book highly and thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an early reading copy of this novel.

What a unique perspective taken on a little known historical tragedy. I loved how the author took literary liberties to enhance the stories of four different people as they became embroiled in a tragedy in Virginia. To read of the culpability of some, the heroics of others, and the will to survive was empowering. A beautiful novel.

*Many thanks to Simon & Schuster, Rachel Beanland, and Netgalley for my ARC for an honest review. Publication date 4/4/23*

4.5 stars rounded up

This was an incredible intense book that was so hard to put down!

Based on a true story about the Theater fire in Richard Virginia on December 26, 1811. We follow the lives of 4 main characters in the time span of hours leading up to the fire, during the fire, and a few days after the fire. You will fall in love with all 4 of them and be rooting for them the whole way through the book. I loved this book because it did not read as a biography but an intense heart pounding book that will keep you up late at night because you just have to see what happens to everybody. The author notes at the back was an awesome touch to finish off the book. It has a little bit of every genre in it and I think everybody will love this book, I did and I highly recommend it!

I first heard about the Richmond theatre fire in the podcast American Shadows, and loved this deeper, fictionalized dive into the event. It's told from a variety of perspectives and manages to cover relevant social issues. It's well researched and engaging. Highly recommend to anyone who loves historical fiction!

A real revelation, covering a time and place that is seldom written about. The characters are based in real people for the most part, but slightly twisted to increase the drama.
Truly a cant put it down book with gripping plot and characters. The view of pre plantation slavery was very interesting. A book that really melded history and story to great effect.

Get ready to be transported back in time. On a cold December night in Richmond, Virginia in 1811, the theatre in town becomes a raging inferno. This book is based on a great catastrophe in early American history that took the lives of 75 people.

I loved how the author made the characters, many of them based on the lives of real people jump off the pages. As the theatre goes up in flames, the scenes are those of overwhelming panic. The story comes to life through the involvement of a society widow, two slaves and a 14-year-old orphaned theatre worker, and how their actions changed their lives. There is quite a dichotomy in the story between the people who were kind, caring, honest and brave, while others were cruel, savage, deceitful and cowardly. This is a great read for fans of historical fiction!

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanland.

I was not prepared for this heart wrenching saga! Based off of the true events of the Richmond theater fire, Beanland gives up four perspectives of what that must of been like from multiples angles. We see what led up to the fire, and we hold our breath as we watch the aftermath of the fire unfold.

Not only is this a nail biting story, but it takes place in 1811 when slavery was still well and strong, adding a very heavy layer to an already fraught situation. There is a lot of commentary of the conditions for everyone back then, but I especially appreciated the perspective of the enslaved, these are stories that should never stop being told.

This is a very worthwhile read. It's a deeply complex and moving novel, with excellent research backing it up, as well as a wealth of history woven throughout.

In The House on Fire, Rachel Beanland has written a page turning narrative based on the historical event of a theater fire in Richmond, VA in 1811. Beanland imagines the stories behind 4 characters who were all present at the theater on the night of the tragedy; a society widow, an orphaned stage hand, and 2 slaves who are niece and Uncle. Through first person narrative the events and aftermath of the night are told by each character in turn. Each of the characters grapples with the events of the tragedy, and how they and the city are changed forever by it.
Beanland tackles many ethical issues through these 4 people. Slavery is of course at the forefront, but she also delves into women's rights, and responsibility. The chapters are short, and the book moves quickly. You are drawn in immediately by the story of each character, and you can't stop reading until you know what ultimately happens to each of them. The characters are all very human and relatable, and you find yourself rooting for each of them. Beanland certainly has a strong voice and point of view and I am excited to read whatever she does next.

Simply fantastic! I am growing to love this genre more and more, and writing/storytelling like this is a huge reason why. Haunting and heartbreaking, yet sometimes uplifting, telling these stories hopefully helps us not forget what happened and, more importantly, not repeat history. While it's hard to see how life was for people, it's immensely necessary. This is the story of a terrible disaster in a theater back in the early 1800's (hard to believe that's over 200 years ago!!!) People perished because of foolhardy decisions and appalling behaviors. It is a reminder of the way blacks and women were treated and the self-importance of some people. The tale itself is fascinating and told beautifully. There is a note at the end of the book that explains what is fact and what the author took liberties with. All in all, I learned a lot and am thankful this author shared her passion and talent with all of us.

Wow. So much of what this book had elements that don't often work for me - mainly a storyline in present tense (which I often find is poorly done, especially in historical fiction) and short chapters focusing on different main characters, but yet, it was perfectly done. I felt for the characters, without feeling that the author was inserting over the top melodrama to get a reaction from the reader. While I'd have loved the book to be longer, the endings presented were filled with hope - fitting, after all that they'd been through.

In the early years of the United States, there was little in the form of entertainment. Richmond, Virginia was fortunate to have a beautiful theater. The theater had three stories, boxes for the well-to-do, and even an area for the slave to sit and watch. On the night of December 26, 1811, a fire broke out resulting in the death of many theater patrons. One slave sees the chaos at the fire as her opportunity to escape. If she fails to show up, surely they will believe that she has perished in the fire. Who could identify charred remains?

Rachel Beanland has given life to a minor date in history. Her female characters are sympathetic and easy to understand, but the male characters are not so wonderful. We follow several people as they move on after the fire. It is fascinating to witness one of the female characters sadly accepting the poor behavior of her husband fleeing the fire. The fire is not the main story here, it is the vehicle that takes us to the storylines. We witness the treatment of slaves, the attitude toward women, and society's view of actors. The book is fascinating and the progression of the story is well-balanced. The deft hand of Rachel Beanland gives this tragedy depth and meaning.

Rachel Beanland, you have done it again. First it was Florence Adler Swims Forever, a historical fiction novel that revealed myuch about history AND family dynamics. I love it and this book too.

I had never heard of this fire, described as the worst urban disaster in U.S. history at the time. Beanland has revealed the stories of 4 people involved.

Sarah Henry Campbell, daughter of Founding Father Patrick Henry; widow, survived to marry another survivor.

Gilbert Hunt, a slave, who assisted in saving at least 12 women who jumped from the second and third floors.

Cecily Patterson, a fictional slave who had attended the performance, faking her death and attempting to run.

Jack Gibson - a teen stage hand who saw the fire start

I found at least two websites that assisted me in my understanding of the event.

https://encyclopediavirginia.org

http://www.freesurnamesearch.com. (List of victims)

Almost 600 attended that night and 72 died: 54 women and 18 men.

Rachel, you have hit it out of the park.

But what exactly is a bullet window?

5 stars

The House Is On Fire recreates the true story of 1811 theater fire in Richmond, Virginia, that took some lives and extinguished a theater company.

The story is driven by four characters: Sally, a society widow, who after the fire nurses the victims; Cecily, abused slave, who is about to change her fate; Jack, stagehand, who feels guilty about the fire; Gilbert, blacksmith, who saves many lives.

Through their eyes, we experience the events of the night when the fire happens and its effects. We experience the high society of the era, and those who struggled; the injustice of slavery and more.

The chapters are short, giving it a fast pace. The characters are interesting and I like the short chapters, but sometimes I wanted a bit more to character development before it switched to another. There are also secondary characters and sometimes it’s hard to keep track of them. Nevertheless, it is a fascinating and engaging story.

Rachel Beanland, author of Florence Adler Swims Forever, writes another winner! Absolutely fascinating work of historical fiction that takes place in my hometown of Richmond, VA. How did I not know about the devastating theater fire that took place in 1811?!

I could not put this book down! It alternates chapters between 4 people affected by the fire, and is so well researched and well written. The author’s note at the end of the book was also really helpful for my understanding of the time period and interesting to learn connections between many who had been at the theater and other famous people. And to think I’ve passed the site of this tragedy on Broad St. so many times without knowing!

Get this one ASAP! Highly recommend!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Engrossing historical fiction told from the perspectives of multiple characters and based on true events. Fans of Beanland's first novel will not be disappointed.

Meticulously researched, riveting and character-rich, Beanland's second novel covering the Richmond Fire of 1811 is historical fiction at its best. Centering on four compelling and vastly different characters based on their place in society, we see the fire and its aftermath though Jack, a young theater stagehand; Sally Henry Campbell a society widow and daughter of Patrick Henry; Gil Hunt, a slave, blacksmith and ultimate hero, and Cicely, Gil's niece who is a young abused slave seizing the fire as a chance to change her future and fate.

Historical fiction is most compelling when the reader can fully engage in the events portrayed while learning something more deeply about the era - in other words, it's not just a "story" but puts one in the shoes of those living in that time. Here, we feel the consequences of the tragedy and are touched by how various groups - women, slaves, indigenous people, actors and children met different destinies based on both their station in life - and their own moral compass.

Reading the notes from Beanland following the novel's end is a must. Beanland does it again! So different from Florence Adler Swims Again which I also loved. Thanks NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the eARC in exchange for this review. Highly recommend!

Don’t start this until you have time to read for awhile. I read it in one evening…could hardly put it down. I loved Sally and Gilbert! The story is fascinating; the Richmond Theater Fire of 1811 new to me.
I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 because it’s heavy on white male scorn. I’m sure there were men deserving of Rachel Beanland’s derision and I looked for verification in the author’s notes, but it all seems subjective. However, Beanland’s research and vivid depiction of Sally Henry Campbell (daughter of Patrick Henry), Gilbert Hunt, and many other “heroes” made this a great read.
Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.