It is 1871, between the sawmill, the wooden ware factory, and the railroad making its way towards them, the residences are becoming quite prosperous. However, due to dry conditions, fires surrounding the village present threatening and dangerous conditions.

Mariah Randolph is a talented aspiring artist who lives in the thriving village of Peshtigo, Wisconsin. Mariah's father has two dry goods stores, one in Peshtigo and one in nearby Mariette, run by his son-in-law. The success of the two stores provide a comfortable life for Mariah, her parents, and her sister and brother-in-law.

Hollis Stanford, Mariah's fiance, is the son of the railroad baron building the tracks that will bring even more prosperity to Peshtigo, Mariette, and beyond. Hollis is a widow and has a daughter, Angelina, back in Chicago.

Jay Franklin is the bookkeeper for the railroad. He is in charge of keeping track of the finances related to the railroad project in Peshtigo. He grew up in poverty, until the senior Mr. Stanford saw his natural ability with numbers. Mr. Stanford educated him and then hired him.

Jay discovered some discrepancies in the books around the same time Mariah received a letter warning her of Hollis' sketchy handling of money. Jay and Mariah had become friends. They had discovered each other's suspicions about Hollis. Mariah didn't want to believe it but agreed to help Jay find out the truth. Then fire turned the town to ashes.

The aftermath was devastating. An entire town was wiped out. Survivors living in tents, no food, no possessions, no proper clothing, and worst of all winter was around the corner.

I enjoyed this story very much. Mariah struggles to recover from the devastating fire, her questioning God, and having to overcome the grief and loss was realistic. Many Christians find themselves going through the process of moving forward despite all the pain of losing so much. The situation and details may be different but I think many people can identify with Mariah's turmoil.

I expected a happy ending, but enjoyed how the author tied up all the events of before and after the fire. There were many pieces in the story, but not so many that the reader couldn't keep up. Liz Tolsma vividly described the fires through Mariah's art leading up to the fire and the hours of survival during the fire, as well as in her description of the aftermath following the fire and the days, weeks, and months of recovery.

When the Sky Burned is a solid sixth addition to Barbour’s moving A Day to Remember series. The historical event depicted in this fictional narrative is a vicious fire that destroyed the town of Peshtigo, an “off-the-beaten track lumbering town in the northeast corner of Wisconsin”, on October 8, 1871. The intriguing plot kept me captivated from beginning to end. As always, Ms. Tolsma excels in meticulous research and seamless integration of real-life people into the fictional story. I was already emotionally invested in the characters before the devastating disaster hit which intensified the effect of the horrific event. With a bit of mystery, emotional familial and romantic relationships, and an encouraging dose of spiritual truths, this is a heart-tugging, inspiring read. I highly recommend this book and the series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley with no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I first started reading this book, it was slow for me. I struggled getting into the story line. I felt the characters were not necessarily original and the story line was very predictable.

When the Sky Burned discusses the dreadful destruction via wildfire of the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, October 8, 1871. This is the same year that the Great Chicago Fire occurred. Peshtigo, however, was utterly destroyed. Hundreds of residents had to go and submerge into the lake to survive which then led to hypothermia and other health issues.

I wanted to like this book, but it just didn't do it for me. It was pretty predictable plot-wise. I found the characters very shallow and unoriginal.

3 stars for it being just okay. I do think that if you hadn't heard of the fire, it would be maybe more interesting. I myself have read other books that included the fire, so that wasn't new to me.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a complimentary copy of the novel. All opinions are 100% my own.

This one took me a minute to get into but once I did I enjoyed it. I love learning about a new event I didn’t know about, this one was hard to read as it was tragic. The book was a little predictable but that doesn’t mean I enjoyed it less, the characters were likeable for the most part. I didn’t realize the faith component that would be involved in this book & did enjoy that.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a strong sixth entry in the Day to Remember series, it had that element that I enjoyed from the previous entries. Liz Tolsma wrote this perfectly and left me caring what was happening with the characters. I enjoyed the historical romance that was going on and left me wanting to read more in this world and from Liz Tolsma.

3.75 stars

Peshtigo, Wisconsin, 1871

Mariah Randolph is satisfied with life. She has her family and her friends, and will soon marry a rich and powerful widower Hollis Stanford. She hopes to exhibit her paintings in museums and galleries in one of the biggest cities in America with the help of her influential fiancé, being the icing on the cake. But when the fire that plagues the community sets ablaze her home and town, Mariah is left heartbroken and blind. All her dreams and aspirations of being a successful artist were like Peshtigo: ashes. But when a friend tries to get her to paint again, is it possible that her dreams may indeed come true again?

Shy and socially awkward Jay Franklin loves numbers. They are consistent, trustworthy, and dependable, unlike life or his employer, Hollis. So when Jay discovers discrepancies in his bookkeeping, he is convinced Hollis is stealing from the company but has no way of proving it, especially after the horrific fire burned his only means of evidence. Left with this unsettling burden and the fact that his friend is blind and depressed, Jay must get out of his comfort zone to do what is right, no matter how high the cost may be or who may be hurt by the truth.

Having never heard of the fires in Wisconsin in 1871, reading this book was quite intriguing. The plot was interesting and engaging, leaving me to wonder what the characters would do amid their unfortunate circumstances. But it wasn't a mystery where this book was going. The ending, for me, was very predictable, but I wasn't mad about how it ended. The setting was beautifully written and the author paints a picture of the beauty of Wisconsin and the devastation the fires bring to Peshtigo and the surrounding area. What I did have a problem with was the dialogue. It was stiff and unrealistic for people who lived in a rural town in Wisconcinhard to read because it didn't sound realistic or warm based on the setting: a rural town in Wisconsin. The characters were complex and had strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures, making them relatable and easy to sympathize with. I did get irritated with Mariah most of the time, but that is beside the point, lol! Other than that, the book was good and I loved the ending. I also loved how the author made the characters question God about the tragedies they faced and how they had to rely on and trust in Him, even if they will never know why people died and a whole town was wiped out of existence. If you love historical fiction with mystery, romance, and faith elements, this book is for you!

I received an advanced reader copy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and statements are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well thought out and well researched. I enjoy historical books about events in history that I was unaware of. I recommend this book. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. This is my own opinion.

Horrible fire changes the life of a painter.. The main character loves to paint but the fire leaves her blind. This is book 6 of a series about different disasters.
I never read from this author and I enjoyed her writing style.

When the Sky Burned
October 8, 1871
by Liz Tolsma
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
Series: A Day to Remember, Book 6
Rated: 3
Obtain: Borrow or buy
Back of the Book: “A Tornado of Fire and Embezzlement Sweep through a Community
Enjoy a series of 6 exciting novels featuring historic disasters that transformed landscapes and multiple lives. Whether by nature or by man, these disasters changed history and were a day to be remembered.
Promising painter Mariah Randolph longs to have her canvases displayed in the world’s best museums, and Hollis Stanford, the heir of a railroad tycoon, is her ticket to success. The railroad’s bookkeeper, Jay Franklin, discovers discrepancies and is convinced that Hollis is stealing from the company. But any proof of his dirty dealings go up in smoke when fire utterly destroys the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, October 8, 1871.
The fire leaves Mariah blind, but Jay befriends her and even helps her to start painting again. But a trip to Chicago to return Hollis’s daughter to him could put both Mariah and Jay in more danger than even the fire that devastated the town and their lives.”

Impressions: This was a haunting story with romance woven in. I cannot imagine my town and the people of it burning like those in the story did. I thought the romance was ok. Something was missing to make this story more suspenseful. I feel like Hollis's character was not given enough depth to make this story convincing. Did he even like Mariah? He loved his wife so much that he couldn’t be around his daughter who reminded him of her? There was not enough content delving into Hollis's background to understand his character's choices. The facts didn’t build the story up well enough. Mariah's blindness to Hollis’s behavior was also strangely portrayed. She loved painting so much that she didn’t care about not being in love with Hollis or she was in love with painting so much that she didn’t know what love for a man might look like? The story was understandable, and I enjoyed reading it but I found my questions along the way distracting from being enthralled. I was excited to learn something new through the true historical events of this book as I’ve enjoyed this series.

Quotes: “Better to be wise and look foolish than to be proven a fool.”

“But how would she know if she didn’t take a chance?”

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review, which I shared here.

Oh my what a rollercoaster of a ride this one was!
Just now finished this one and it definitely deserves 5 stars!
I knew of the Great Chicago fire but had no idea about this one.
When the Lord closes one door He really does open another but at the time, we might not see it.
Wonderful characters that will leave you thinking about them for a long time to come. Too bad there won't be a sequel to this. Mariah still has a lot to tell.
She's one amazing and strong woman. Maybe a woman ahead of her time. However; she is still human. I felt all of of her emotions come rolling off the pages at me. Times she even made me cry.
I loved this one the best. It will be on my favorite shelf of books.
This sad and beautiful story had all the emotions that really affected me. I really felt like I was there.
5 stars from me for keeping me invested from the beginning. I highly recommend this series but especially this book.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.