The House in on Fire by Rachel Beanland (2023)

The House in on Fire is the story of the Richmond [Virginia] Theater fire that took place on December 26, 1811. The theater burnt to the ground, the worst disaster in history at the time. The book follows Jack, Sally, Cecily, and Gilbert through the fire and the subsequent three days. Although this is a work of fiction, the fire did actually take place and the story for three of the four characters is historically accurate. Even their names haven’t been changed. (The Author’s Notes at the end of the book are well worth reading.) Fictional characters are added to provide the reader with a better window into Southern society in the early 1800s.

All four characters are forced to make split-second decisions that will affect not only their lives but those of many in their community. The fire begins when a young stagehand, Jack Gibson, raises the stage chandelier to the theater rafters even though the candles remain lit and the backdrops catch file. Mass panic follows as the audience of 600+ attempt to exit before the fire consumes the entire three-story wooden building. Sally is a young widow trapped on the third floor, Cecily is a slave seated in the “colored people’s gallery” on the first floor, and Gilbert, is an enslaved blacksmith who offers assistance to the victims.

The theater company, knowing that actors are not held in the highest regard, blame the blaze on an imaginary slave revolt that many in Richmond are quick to believe and even quicker to action. Jack wants to tell the truth and finds his life threatened as a result.

This book has it all - heroism, bravery, cowardice, villainy, love, sacrifice, and suspense. The characters and the story are so fully developed, I felt like I was watching the events unfold in front of me. The class and gender distinctions and hatred of the time are also well represented. Many similarities to 9/11 can be found.

In the end though, The House in on Fire is the story of honorable people who rise above the tragedy to do what needs to be done.