The House is on Fire

The House is on Fire is a well-written work of historical fiction about a tragedy that tore apart a community in a single night.

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On the night after Christmas in 1811, the Richmond Theater was packed with more than 600 showgoers. When the theater goes up in flames in the middle of the performance, four people each make a split-second decision that will affect their own lives and many others. In the days following the fire, as news of the disaster spreads across the country and people try to determine the cause of the fire, the paths of these four people will become forever intertwined.

Based on the true story of Richmond’s theater fire, The House is on Fire offers hope that sometimes in the midst of tragedy, we are offered a chance for something new.

I got sucked into this book from the very first page. It tells the story of four people who experienced the Richmond theater fire in 1811. Each of them sees the world in a new light in the days following the fire. They all come to realize that life as they knew it was darker than they thought, and it is up to them to change their futures. By telling the story not only from multiple sides but from both slave and free perspectives, it gives a more complete look at lives during that time and what an event like this could mean for everyone in the area.