It Happened at the Fair

It Happened at the Fair #1

by Deeanne Gist

A transporting historical novel about a promising young inventor, his struggle with loss, and the attractive teacher who changes his life, all set against the razzle-dazzle of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.Gambling everything, including the family farm, Cullen McNamara travels to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with his most recent invention. But the noise in the Fair’s Machinery Palace makes it impossible to communicate with potential buyers. In an act of desperation, he hires Della Wentworth, a teacher of the deaf, to tutor him in the art of lip-reading.



The young teacher is reluctant to participate, and Cullen has trouble keeping his mind on his lessons while intently watching her lips. Like the newly invented Ferris Wheel, he is caught in a whirl between his girl back home, his dreams as an inventor, and his unexpected attraction to his new tutor. Can he keep his feet on the ground, or will he be carried away?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Romance, Historical, Historical Romance, Christian, Fiction

432 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

With over a million copies of her books sold, international bestselling, award-winning author Deeanne Gist has rocketed up bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere with her original, captivating historicals. Her latest release, Tiffany Girl, was touted as a “Must Year of the Year!” by USA Today, was one of the Top 10 Most Anticipated Books of 2015 by Huffington Post, and one of WikiEzvid's 10 Must-Read Novels That Take Place in the Past.

Not familiar with her work? Take a quiz to figure out which Deeanne Gist novel you'd like best.

Published by Simon & Schuster, Gist's awards include a RITA for Best Long Historical of the Year, National Readers’ Choice Award, Best Historical of the Year (RT Reviewers), Librarians’ Choice, Book Buyers’ Best, Golden Quill, Books*A*Million Pick of the Month, Seal of Excellent and Award of Excellence.

Her most recent series takes readers into the heart of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, where USA Today says …

“The historical details are absorbing, never intrusive and always eye-opening ... The characterization is rich and authentic ... The narrative is a treat, the tempo impeccable.”

Gist's credits including People Magazine, Parents, and Parenting. Her entertaining and informative presentations have been featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Deeanne lives in South Carolina with her husband. When not writing, she enjoys boating and keeping up with her readers via www.IWantHerBook.com and her very active online community on her blog, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and on her YouTube channel.

Reviews

[Christian Fiction Addiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Deeanne Gist's latest book certain that my manly brain was about to be overwhelmed with romance, and I wasn't entirely sure how much I'd even enjoy the book. Imagine my surprise, then, when I found myself hooked within only a few scenes, and I kept having to sneak away to read just one more chapter to see what would develop next! Now don't get me wrong: though this book is entirely clean of any inappropriate scenes, Deanne Gist still manages to create some moments that seem somewhat scandalous for that day and age and just ooze with romantic tension. As such I have no doubt that book-clubs across the nation will experience a sudden upsweep in swooning ladies. As for me, I of course felt nary a swoon. But the romance that develops between Cullen and Della takes place with numerous moments of hilarity that literally had me laughing out loud, and I enjoyed every moment of watching their relationship unfold.

I also absolutely loved the historical setting of this book at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, a fascinating period of time to place characters in, characters I quickly grew to care about. All of the characters are wonderfully developed, but I especially enjoyed that of Cullen McNamara with his pesky allergies, his worrisome loss of hearing, his sense of duty to his family to help make the family farm prosperous, and his passion to invent things that barely anyone seems to believe in (with the exception of his amazing father!) The issue of deafness in that historical setting made for gripping reading, as we observe those who wanted to make children who were deaf as "normal" as possible by ripping them from their families for years and only allowing them to learn lip-reading. I am amazed how the author takes all of these different subplots and weaves them into an entertaining whole.

All in all, I can honestly say that out of all of Deanne Gist's books, this is my absolute favourite, hands down! Pick up a copy for yourself, and I'm certain you will agree. 5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, Howard Books (a division of Simon & Schuster) and the Litfuse Publicity Group, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

[Jocelyn Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has a little more romance in it than what I usually read, but the history alone--the description of the World's Fair of 1893--made this a delight to read. With characters who had vested interests in the fair and with the setting firmly placed in the fair for almost all of the book, the almost-unbelievable Columbian Exposition burst off the pages. I'm very impressed by this author's work on this novel.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMARY: Gambling everything—including the family farm—Cullen McNamara travels to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair with his most recent invention. But the noise in the fair’s Machinery Hall makes it impossible to communicate with potential buyers. In an act of desperation, he hires Della Wentworth, a teacher of the deaf, to tutor him in the art of lip-reading.

The young teacher is reluctant to participate, and Cullen has trouble keeping his mind on his lessons while intently watching her lips. Like the newly invented Ferris wheel, he is caught in a whirl between his girl back home, his dreams as an inventor, and his unexpected attraction to his new tutor. Can he keep his feet on the ground, or will he be carried away?

REVIEW: This book is first and foremost about the 1893 Chicago World's Fair aka the Columbian Exposition. Gist's meticulous research as well as the wonderful pictures used as the preface to each chapter brought this fair alive which was wonderful since other than the main building the rest was burned to the ground after the fair was over. So many firsts filled this book with interesting details and Gist's notes at the end of the book contained more fascinating information. I loved the sweet and slow developing romance between Cullen and Della. My heart broke with Della's torn feelings toward the way her students were learning. As a retired teacher, I know that every possible modality that can be used with children helps make them that much stronger and more fully developed. Overall a wonderful read. Not as strong as some of Gist's other books, in my opinion, but still very likeable.

[Becky ♡The Bookworm♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful story set against the fascinating background of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Cullen's plight held my interest from cover to cover and I adored the way he treated Della. While he had so much to lose, she struggled with trust issues drilled into her by her overprotective father. Watching this couple overcome their obstacles turned out to be a lovely trip back in time.

There is so much to like in this story that I could fill pages and pages with this review! Here are just a few examples: Cullen's father and his unshakeable confidence in his son, the relationship between Cullen and the firefighters, Della's relationship with her students, and seeing the park through Della and Cullen's eyes as the toured the various exhibits during his lessons. I could go on and on! It was also very poignant to see how different society was in 1897...especially for women. Some of the exhibits in the Children's Building were a bit mind blowing. Women didn't have many options back then, but I enjoyed looking back to see how far we have come.

I initially borrowed the audiobook from the library, but after the first chapter, I bought the e-book, too. I just knew this would be top-notch. I was pleasantly surprised to find black and white photos and penciled artist's drawings of the fair and it's various exhibits. It was a great enhancement to the story and one that would've been missed had I not purchased the book! Just FYI to all my co-audiobook lovers out there.

Don't ask me if I enjoyed the couple's story or the history more...I couldn't tell you. One wouldn't be the same without the other. While the couple is fictional and the author does admit to taking some creative license by tweaking the time line a bit, she did her research and kept things as close to reality as possible. The result is a unique and very, very memorable experience. Bravo, Ms. Gist! I'm definitely looking into more of your books!

I highly recommend this book to all Historical Fiction and Historical Romance fans!

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've read Christian historical romance for any length of time, then you KNOW that Deeanne Gist has long been one of the premier voices for this genre.  Her characters always ooze authenticity, and the chemistry she creates between her heroes and heroines is second to (almost) no one.  I have been trying to catch up on the backlog of books that she's written in the past few years, and thanks to a super quick read over the past 24 hours, I can happily add It Happened at the Fair to my "Books Read" stack.

Simply put, I devoured this book.  

The slow burning romance set my stomach to fluttering more than once.  Cullen and Della tried to deny their feelings for each other, but from the moment she twisted her ankle in the throng of people at the opening ceremony, there was no question that time would reveal their feelings for one another.  And when it happened, sparks flew.  (Exploded was more like it...)

Lest you think that this was just another romance, let me assure you otherwise.  There was loads of historical information sprinkled throughout this story, and how could there not be with a setting as great as the Chicago World's Fair?!  Deeanne admitted that there were some parts that she fudged so that the story could flow more easily, and unless you're a diehard World's Fair historian (I'm not), you'll never notice a thing.  I was more invested in Cullen and Della's story, and the setting was simply a glorious backdrop.

I listened to the audio version of this book, and this narrator has been a favorite of mine for some time.  She beautifully portrayed Cullen and Della throughout the story, and I'd recommend reading the story this way hands down.

There was a brief mention of a woman doctor in one scene, and from all appearances, she gets her own story in book #2 in this series.

What more can I say?  I LOVE Gist's stories, and while my list of books not read by her is getting shorter and shorter, I'm savoring each one while I can.  Here's hoping she has more stories up her sleeve for the future!

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cullen McNamara is a cotton farmer from North Carolina with an unusual – and potentially dangerous - problem. He is badly allergic to cotton and to plants in general. In his twenties, he lives with his father and step-mother on their farm and struggles, year after year, with the effect that the cotton has on his lungs and his body. But he accepts this as his lot, and is content for the most part.

But he has a knack for mechanics, and having lost his mother in a fire when he was a child, he has spent much of his spare time inventing and developing an automatic sprinkler system which he believes could save lives and prevent others from suffering similar losses.

Unbeknownst to Cullen, his father has purchased him a place as an exhibitor at the World’s Fair. He is aghast at the thought of the expense at a time of deep recession, but allows himself to be persuaded when his father tells him that he had saved the money (which isn't true, he discovers much later) and will be able to manage the farm without his help.

Leaving behind his family and his sweetheart, Wanda (who considers herself engaged to him) Cullen leaves for his six months’ stay in Chicago.

As well as his allergy to pollen, Cullen has another problem – he is losing his hearing. His position among the exhibitors in the Machinery Hall, amidst all the incredibly noisy equipment is not helping his condition, and he finds it almost impossible to hear people asking him questions over the noise. Having had several people show interest, but become annoyed with his need to ask them to repeat themselves, he is advised by a Mr Vaughn (a potential investor) that he consider learning to lip-read so that he will be able to carry on a conversation.

At first, Cullen is resistant, but gradually realising he needs to do something, or end up unable to communicate, he approaches one of the teachers at the Pennsylvania Home for Deaf Children, Miss Adeleide Wentworth. Adelaide – known as Della – has had the fear of God put into her by her father with tales of the deceptions men can employ in order to ruin a young, innocent woman; so at first, she is somewhat suspicious of his motives. Eventually, however, she agrees to try to help him and they begin to meet each evening – partly for lessons and partly to tour the Fair.

As their friendship grows, the attraction between them deepens, and what develops is a tender romance with plenty of moments of romantic tension along the way. Della becomes confused and hurt when Cullen starts to put distance between them, which the reader knows he is doing because of his loyalty to Wanda even though he’s known for some time that he doesn’t love her. Eventually, he has to admit to himself that he has fallen irrevocably in love with Della and that he has to break things off with Wanda – but his letter home has an unexpected consequence when she suddenly appears at the Fair.

Della is heartbroken, but fortunately, Ms Gist doesn’t allow the situation to remain unresolved for long. After a short length of time during which Cullen is busy preparing for his make-or-break demonstration, Della comes to realise that they deserve another chance, and it’s not long before apologies and declarations are made and an important question is asked.

This is a gentle and charming story which is strong on background and period detail. The prejudice that prevailed toward the deaf and hard-of-hearing displayed by some of the characters was shocking, although I have no doubt it was accurately portrayed by the author. The descriptions of the Fair and the featured exhibits and events was detailed and informative, and the story of the terrible fire at the Cold Storage Building and its aftermath was both devastating and moving.

The aspect of the novel that dealt with the prevailing ideas about how to help the deaf to function in society was especially interesting. The school at which Della taught adhered to the principle that sign language should never be employed as it would mark out people as deaf and therefore different. To begin with, Della is an adherent of the principle, until something occurs which enables her to empathise more with her deaf students, and to realise that the decision to deny them a method of communication - any method - purely on principle, is wrong and almost cruel.

Both Cullen and Della are well-rounded characters, and although I felt the story took a while to get going, once it did, the pacing was good and I found myself captivated.

I received an ARC of the book in which there was a considerable number of typographical errors, which I hope have been corrected in the finished product.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I've read in some time, one that once you pick it up, you want to read it all the way through and have to force yourself to eat, sleep, and do anything not related to the book. And then when you are doing those things, you're thinking about the book or telling the husband all about it.


It's the Chicago World's Fair in the 1890s...and Cullen is there trying to sell his invention: an automatic sprinkler system. His family is about to lose his farm so he's under tremendous pressure, but he's going deaf and add to that, he's in a noisy environment, and he can't make a single sale!

Enter Della, also at the fair teaching deaf children to lip read. When he seeks her help in learning himself, neither has any clue what this will lead to.

A revelation...and I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. This is how Della has been taught and thus, how she feels, "You must never, ever use sign language. It would brand you as deaf and different. It's critical that you blend in with everyone else."

This attitude, while not without its merits (as witnessed later in the book when a potential client refuses to do business with Cullen upon finding out he's going deaf...grrrr) is like saying deafness is something to be ashamed of and teaches the kids just that.. "I must hide it.."

Cullen and his story about how he one time communicated with a deaf man not only touched my heart, but I think began the slow roll of opening Della's eyes. That and his persistence, as well as her own issues in public with claustrophobia...just because she has a fear of confined spaces doesn't mean she belongs in the looney bit any more than a deaf person does... I loved watching Della change her attitude and thoughts and accept sign language. It was beautiful and made a huge impact on me, a deaf reader.

"The problem was, those who supported sign language accepted difference, while those who supported lip-reading sought equality. What she'd just begun to grasp was the deaf were not one for the other; they were both different and equal."

Romance... These two wonderful people fall in love and it's clean and wholesome. There's no sex, no hardening you-know-whats. Though it's not without its barriers. Cullen is engaged to a girl back home and Della has a severe mistrust of men, thanks to her father's warnings.

I'm not done. I know it's a long one, but I really loved this book. Read the rest: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2013/...

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am, in general, a fan of Deeanne Gist. However, I feel some of her best works are her earlier ones, though, and this novel affirms that feeling.

I really appreciated the historical climate and situation of the 1893 Worlds Fair. The amount of detail poured into the book was done tastefully and I did not feel like it distracted from the story. The problem lies more with the fact that there is very little story. Punctuated by extremely short chapters that rudely segment any sense of flow - the plot cannot fill an entire book - let alone one of this length. We have no significant over-arching conflict that propels the story forward. All we have is tiny snippets of Cullen struggling with being pseudo-engaged, yet attracted to a woman who is not his fiancee. Even in that, though, we have very little understanding of why the financee exists in the first place - or why the relatively loveless "understanding" has not been rectified before this. This takes away significantly from the feeling of tension we should have. His struggle with his invention at the fair is a plausible one - but still done so lightly (and briefly) that it cannot fill the pages it aspires to.
Della is an even more poorly drawn character. There are few scenes that really help us dive into who she is or how she is feeling about Cullen and her struggle with teaching sign-language to the deaf is not explained well enough for us to feel the real conflict.

The entire book just...lacks. And the passion and tension Gist is known for almost entirely gets slammed into the last few pages of the book. It's an awkward transition. But, well, the entire book is a bit awkward. I was happy for a one-time read because of the vivid description of the fair but the pleasure, unfortunately, ended there.

[Ronna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's 1893, and the Chicago World's Fair is hugely popular. While much of the rest of the country is facing bank shutdowns and lost mortgages, everything new and extravagant is happening at the Fair.. North Carolina farmer, Cullen McNamara, is highly allergic to his cotton fields but he's also a talented inventor. He's created an automatic sprinkler system for putting out fires. His father gambles his farm on Cullen's ability to sell his product at the fair.

Della Wentworth is a teacher for deaf children. The whole school has been transported to the Fair for exhibiting the children learning to lip read. When Cullen's increasing hearing loss gets in the way of speaking to customers, he hires Della to teach him to lip read. Though they both see this as only a business relationship, they find each other to be increasingly great company.

The relationship between the characters is wonderfully portrayed, but the descriptions of the Fair and specific events from real history, puts this book over for top for an excellent read. The exhibits are fascinating and descriptions of an actual fire from the Fair, is expertly portrayed. I really grew attached to the characters. The discussion about signing versus lip reading, and the actual school for these children evoked great emotions. Lovely book. First I've read by this author but it definitely won't be the last one.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chicago World’s Fair came once and last six months. The novel, “It Happened at the Fair” has come once and I wish it would have lasted me those six months!

From first chuckle to last sigh, this novel made my five-star book shelves and my favorites for 2013. Sweetly romantic, sassy and charming, I couldn’t have loved spending time with these characters more.

I don’t think you could have a richer in culture and history setting than the World’s Fair. There aren’t many books out there set in this period and it was fun to step into this world created by so many ingenious minds.

Our characters in Cullen and Della are captivating. To watch their dance of avoidance and falling in love, that tension that only comes from truly wanting and loving something you can’t have made the pages irresistible to stop turning. It’s one of those stories, you don’t skim. At all.

With historical depth, romantic symmetry and snappy dialogue, a story world has been created that made this reader ever so eager to spend all the time I could there. It’s just too bad each page takes you closer to the end. Highly recommended historical romance reading!

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers through Litfuse for my copy to review.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun book to read. I love learning about history threw fiction. Now I feel like a know a lot more about the World Fair, this book even included awesome pictures. There is also a great story and two well developed characters that I really enjoyed reading. There is a whole deaf background I never knew about. One of the characters is hard of hearing and is really treated badly but those who find out. I couldn't believe how they used to treat people who couldn't hear. My husband has hearing loss and until he got a surgery had a hard time. It really touched me and made me angry and I an so thankful things have changed. I couldn't put this one down it had me up all night finishing it. I love books more that way, the whole story all in one swoop:} This book is Clean. This is a Christian book because the characters believe in God and pray. There is No preaching. There are some kissing scenes and suggestion of more and there is a behind the door, after marriage scene that is short and not too detailed. I would say this is an older teen to adult read.

[Ren · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a let down. It was so misogynistic. Beyond the clear sexism of the main character, the whole relationship was misogynistic and in turn made to seem like #relationshipgoals. By the author’s closing comments, I’m not even sure she is aware of that. She seemingly try to balance out the unhealthy/sexist relationship by throwing in a woman doctor but the main dude’s sexist comments overshadowed even that. It went beyond sticking to historical accuracy, it was the whole them of the book without a hint of condemnation. Rubbish.

[Dana Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had this book for a while but just now read it. I'm mad at myself for taking so long. This is the first time I have read this author and I loved it. The story was set during the world's fair in 1893. It was heart warming, sweet and romantic. And filled with history. I definitely recommend to all historical romance lovers.

[Tori (Book Chick) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book for all the history!! It was lacking in the "romance" department although there was a love story. But I found myself entranced with the history- especially regarding how the deaf were treated. Good book.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the history, the characters, the story, the emotions, and most of all the romance. :) There was plenty of sizzle while keeping things clean and I loved it! Another great one from Deeanne Gist.

[Susann Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was set during the Worlds’ Fair in Chicago. I enjoy reading historical fiction but I also like any book that starts off with a bang and this book did that. The author did a really good job of storytelling and her notes at the end of the book explain the literary license that she took.

One thing she did do, though, that most books don’t do is to include characters with hearing loss. Since I am the mother of a child who is hard of hearing I was touched by this and also fascinated to learn that the same arguments that were going on in the early 1900s are still going on today in the 2020s— whether deaf and hard of hearing people should merely learn to speak or if they should learn sign language too. I, like one of the main characters, have had similar arguments with experts and I think they should do both.

I enjoyed this book a great deal and I am always glad to see a happy ending. I gave it four stars because there was one loose and that was not tied up.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for Audiogals.net
http://www.audiogals.net/2013/07/it-h...

Narrated by Amy Rubinate

The World’s Fair: Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World Fair of 1893, is the backdrop for this wonderful story. The author’s research is evident in the writing. The book is so steeped in the time, place, and culture that the setting becomes another character. It Happened at the Fair is worth reading for the history and setting alone, but that isn’t the only reason to read. The characters are well drawn and sympathetic, and the plot is engaging.

Cullen McNamara attends the World’s Fair in hopes of selling his design for an automated sprinkler system. A farmer’s son and part time inventor, Cullen is spurred to invent the sprinkler system after his mother is killed in a tragic fire. He reluctantly goes to the fair when he discovers his father has prepaid all his expenses. Cullen’s partial hearing loss is made much worse by the loudness in Machinery Hall, where he has his exhibit. When he realizes his inability to hear may be losing him potential clients, he convinces Della Wentworth, a teacher of deaf students, to teach him to lip read. Della is hesitant at first, but they eventually start working on the lip reading while visiting fair exhibits, and they come to enjoy each other’s company. As they become close, Cullen confuses Della by putting emotional distance between them. Unbeknownst to her, Cullen has a childhood sweetheart at home in North Carolina, and he knows he needs to figure out what he wants before someone gets hurt.

The story is made more complex and interesting by the details of the fair, but also the details of the prejudice most people of this time feel towards the deaf and hearing impaired. There is an ongoing, and often heated, debate over whether deaf children should be taught sign language, or only lip reading. The debate spills over and affects Cullen and Della as well.

It Happened at the Fair is categorized as an Inspirational Romance, but if I’d been handed the book without that knowledge it wouldn’t have jumped out at me. Since some readers seem to avoid inspirational romances, I wanted to be clear that this book isn’t about proselytizing. One character says a prayer when seeing a tragic fire, but I didn’t feel like that was an unusual reaction to the situation. There are other brief mentions of God and beliefs, but nothing out of character for the time period and nothing preachy. There is sexual tension in the book but the only sex scene fades to black. I would categorize this as a “clean” romance (not a word I particularly like, but useful) suitable for teens and older.

To my knowledge, I have never before listened to narrator Amy Rubinate. At first I wasn’t sure if her style of delivery was going to suit me. I tend to be sensitive to the cadence of narrations, the rhythm with which they speak. This unfortunately makes several very popular and talented readers difficult for me to listen to. However, I realized early on that I wasn’t hearing the narrator at all. I was simply enjoying the story. Other than reading a little more slowly than I prefer, Ms. Rubinate is a complete success for me as a narrator. Her pacing is even, her character voices are consistent, and the emotional reactions she conveys match the dialogue perfectly. I’m happy to add her name to my list of go-to narrators.

Whatever you do, when you finish this book make sure you listen to the Afterword. It’s fantastic, funny, and gives an insight into the heart and mind of the author. She quickly details where her writing differs from historical accuracy, and does so in a very winsome, lively manner. It is worth every moment of the 5 or so minutes it takes.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an incredibly charming historical romance. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters, as well as learning a little something about The Chicago World's Fair and that time period in our nation's history. I wouldn't say the 1890s is an era that generally captivates my interest, but this book brought to light so many interesting issues and events that were going on in our country at the time, it really is a fascinating time period. I have to say I know almost nothing about The Chicago World's Fair, or the 1890s. I certainly knew nothing about the plight of the deaf in our country at that time, and I found it incredibly interesting. I had no idea that deaf people had experienced such discrimination in the past. If you do read this book, definitely take a look at the author's note where she clears up what is fact and what is fiction in her account. A lot of the events and most of the Fair are portrayed factually. So if you end up not liking the characters or romance in the story at least you can say you learned something. ;-)

As for our main characters, they are two of the sweetest, most humble, unassuming people you could ever want to meet. I really enjoyed Cullen and Della. This is a very character driven story, and Ms. Gist definitely knows how to write authentic characters you grow to care about. At times I felt the plot was a bit uneven. Things I thought should be a really big deal were glossed over and other things which seemed minor to me, were given more weight. I had a hard time with the 'big issue' that initially kept the two apart. I felt like it wasn't treated very fairly and reflected poorly on our hero in the end. I just felt like it could have been some other issue that would have had less repercussions. I also thought that once the 'big issue' was sorted out, things moved incredibly quickly. I don't think it took away from my overall enjoyment of the story however. As far as the Christian aspect of the novel, aside from being 'clean' (no cussing or sex), and one thought from Cullen about how he doesn't pray much but he knows God has a plan, there wasn't anything overtly Christian about it that I noticed. Overall this was a fun, light hearted, witty, engaging, and even informative, romance.

*I received an advance copy of this book for review from Netgalley.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confession: I don't typically love history because of how it was taught in school. So, I've learned to armchair travel through time and across the globe through my love of fiction. Admittedly, there are problems with taking this tack too far - fiction is fiction for a reason - artistic license. However, most stories I read are at least in a historically real time or place. And this author even tells us (after notes) where she took artistic license. How cool is that?

Confession: Though I am a Christian, I don't typically love Christian fiction/Christian chick lit. Many stories are too trite and predictable. My life is neither, and while I do love to escape, my escapism needs a little more reality than in many of the Christian novels I've read. This book is so beautifully crafted that I feel very comfortable recommending it to my friends of any faith. It won't hit people over the head with God's message, but gently weaves His character throughout each page.

Review: Gist takes us to the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, with a young farmer-turned inventor, Cullen McNamara. Cullen's challenges with hearing in the noisy Machinery Hall (where he presents his invention) cause him to seek the professional, lip-reading, teaching services of Della Wentworth. Miss Wentworth is also presenting at the fair - she's presenting state-of-the-art deaf education for children to the tourists of the fair (some of whom are quite famous). The story unfolds over the next several months at the Fair. Gist's obvious research and the included illustrations/pictures give an amazingly complex and beautiful backdrop to this story. I almost gave it 4 stars because of the predictability factor and because there are a couple of characters whom seemed a bit 2 dimensional, when compared with the others. However, it's a beautiful story, and one that I had a difficult time putting down. This was my first Deeanne Gist novel. So looking forward to getting to know this author even better.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cullen is a young inventor, his father wanting him to go for his dreams has purchased his tickets and applied for him to go to the World Fair in Chicago. Cullen's invention is the automatic fire sprinkler, it's the next step in fire safety and prevention. It could save the lives of many. But he's having a hard time selling any because he can't prove it works.

Della is a young attractive lady who is a teacher for deaf children, teaching them how to read lips rather then use sign language. The whole purpose is to treat them as if they where like everyone else. But is this way of thinking and teaching only going to make them stand out more? Make them feel even less then normal when they are able to read the hate full things people say about them because they are "different"? They are living in a time where to be different, means there is something wrong with you, you're dumb and you should be locked up in the mad house.

Cullen is losing his hearing in one of his ears and with the help of Della's private lessons he starting read lips. Through these lessons and outings together feelings start to grow between the two. But the thing is there is a girl back home who Cullen is to marry but now he's doubting if ever really loved her in the first place.

It Happened at the Fair is a sweet story. With blooming and unexpected love, heartbreak, tragedy. The connection between Della and Cullen made me smile many times and we witness it growing through out the story.

I really enjoyed the pictures through out, it really helped in placing me at the fair with them. Looking forward continuing this series.

Review copy provided by Howard Books, via NetGalley.

[TAMMY CUEVAS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cullen McNamara dreamed of exhibiting his invention at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, but never expected the dream to become reality. When his father pushed him to go, he agreed only because his father had already paid his way, and the fees were non-refundable. Once there, he realized that his secret hearing loss made conducting business almost impossible. His fears of his father losing his investment prompted him to ask Della, a teacher of hearing-impaired children, to teach him to lip-read. The ensuing relationship caused Cullen to feel conflicted between his girl back home and Della.

It Happened at the Fair is a historical romance with an interesting setting. The author includes enough factual details of the Fair and the era to please any history buff. One of my favorite features was the inclusion of Fair pictures at the beginning of each chapter. This really helps the reader visualize what they're reading about.
This is also very informative regarding the attitudes of society toward the hearing-impaired during that time. The fact that Cullen believed he had to keep his hearing loss a secret shows the fears of the disabled.

Very interesting, clean historical romance.

4.5 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Litfuse Publicity Group book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

[Ruth Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first picked up this book, I wondered why on earth I was reading another "sappy historical romance." I am so glad that the author proved me wrong! I was absolutely enthralled by this book to the point that I did not want to put it down. The story was somewhat predictable at times, but it was different enough that I was intrigued. I fell in love with Della and Cullen, and I wanted to see how the author drew everything together at the end. And she did draw it together extremely well.

I really appreciated several things about this book. First, it was clean in every way. The Christian message was there but not too strong. I think the sovereignty of God was there, and it was clear that both characters could not have made it without their faith in God. Secondly, the historical accuracy of the book was a bonus. The author explains at the end how she took a lot of creative license with the story and historical facts, but the gist of the story about the World's Fair was true. She took no more liberties than most historical fiction writers do. I had not realized what a big deal the Chicago World's Fair was. Nor had I known of the lip-reading movement amongst the deaf--or at least not the extent of it.

If you like clean historical romances, I invite you to check out this wonderfully sweet book for yourself.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

[Jessica Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished while babysitting. Conflicted thoughts.

The Good:
I loved this book. I really did. It was expertly researched. The added photographs were amazing. The characters were interesting and dynamic. Really, the book was all-around great. As my first Gist read, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Will I be reading another one of her books? Maybe. There's other books I want to read first. And thanks to the ending, I'm not sure that next read will be any time soon.

The Bad:
The book was paced very well. It had a natural flow and was easy to follow. Then the end came. Like, the book just ended. And I was left flabbergasted. Obviously, my biggest complaint is the rushed ending. It's like Gist thought, "Well, they're together now. Nobody cares about the other subplots." LIE. I care. I care greatly. The final few chapters and epilogue left me feeling disappointed, wanting more, and confused. The ending definitely didn't do the rest of the book justice, which is unfortunate. Your ending needs to be as strong as your beginning and this ending fell way short.

I would have rated the book lower simply because of the ending, but I did enjoy the book overall.

[Rebekah Gyger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeanne's books are always amazing but this was one of her best. Mostly light-hearted, it still had moments of great emotion and pain. The characters had to overcome fears, prejudice, and lose. It Happened at the Fair made it clear that life is not always rosy but that we can live through the pain and find joy in the little things. The backdrop representation of all that man has achieved in history was beautifully juxtaposed with the thoughts and ideas that have held us back.

All this was accomplished while telling a beautiful romance of true love, not the selfish tales that most have substituted for. The hero, Cullen, was all that a woman could want in a man. He was strong, smart, caring, and above all honoring. His moments of weakness only strengthen the understanding of the struggles he undergoes to do what is right instead of what feels good.


To see what other books I back, go to my blog at http://backingbooks.blogspot.com/

[Cookielover · Rating 4 out of 5]

It started off as something to throw in a recycle bin and then progressed to something you enjoy then stick it in your bookshelf to never be read again. I liked learning about the sad history of the fair. The storyline was truly unique. And this author is not afraid of anything, which is good. And this is definitely a book to read in front of a nice cozy fire in the winter. Because reading it in front of a nice cozy fire in summer is just insane.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book sale "judge by the cover" that totally paid off! This story hit close to home in the sense that I'm a sign language interpreter and my husband is a firefighter. The story is set during the Chicago world fair and is about a man who invents an automatic sprinkling system for early fire detection and a woman who is a teacher for the deaf. A sweet, clean story of perseverance and chivalry. Loved every minute.

[Rabbit {Paint me like one of your 19th century gothic heroines!} · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty decent. The accents got a bit old after a while. I definitely did believe I was taken back to that point in time.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well written and entertaining historical romance novel set during the World's Fair in Chicago. Like many of Deanne Gist's novels, I don't consider this one to be Christian fiction, but it is a clean read with only a few sensual scenes towards the end of the novel. Anyway, the character development was decent, and I really liked the protagonists. I'm glad that I finally read this book, as I had read its sequel several years ago and really enjoyed it.

[E.F. Buckles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book at a library sale a couple of years ago and just now got around to reading it, during fall fair season in my home state, since that made me feel in the mood for it, given the topic. The author was not one I’d read before, but the synopsis sounded interesting as I wasn’t sure that I’d read a novel set during the world fair before. It ended up being pretty interesting, though it hasn’t joined the ranks of my personal favorites, largely due to some stylistic things (and a couple story happenings) that weren’t quite my favorite.

The positive:

I thought the historical aspects were very well done. The author described the environment and the feel of the fair very well, to the point I really felt like I could imagine being there with these characters. Bonus points for their being photos and drawings of the real life fair at the beginning of every chapter. I’d never seen that done in a historical novel before, but it was very cool. I also learned about real life occurrences at the fair (like a terrible fire) that I hadn’t heard about before, and it was fascinating to me that people were so resistant to the notion of an automated fire sprinkler system until after they witnessed a fire that started so unexpectedly that a person turning on sprinklers wouldn’t have stopped it. I feel like historical fiction has done something right when it makes me curious to delve deeper into the era and events that it’s covering even after the story is over, and I’ve had that experience here.

The storyline about teaching the deaf and hard of hearing was also very well done. The male lead, Cullen is losing his hearin, but this is back in the day when people who went deaf were often treated like they had one foot in the madhouse, so he has to keep it secret from everyone but his family. He meets Della when he goes to the school for the deaf at the fair, seeking someone who might be willing to teach him lip reading, and maybe some sign language, so he can continue functioning in society even if his hearing diminishes completely. It was fascinating to get a glimpse at how the deaf might have been taught back then (I say “might” because the author states that she struggled to find historical record about “how” it was taught back then, she was only able to find that they were being taught, and why.) It was also fascinating, and equally frustrating that people seemed okay with the deaf learning lip reading, but sign language was somehow considered weird and marked the deaf as different. So, it was good to see some characters recognize that sign language was important too, and start to normalize the teaching of it.

While the romance had some hit-or-miss areas for me, the things that I did like were Cullen’s respect of women to the point of being understanding of Della’s phobias. Della had claustrophobia and then discovered a fear of heights, and Cullen was very considerate of her feelings, and always sure to do what he could to help her when she needed it, no matter what anyone else thought.

To be honest, while I overall found Wanda annoying as a character, I actually thought she was right to come confront Cullen in person about him breaking up with her in a letter that she couldn’t even read by herself because she was illiterate (though she shouldn’t have lied to people about why she was leaving for the fair, obviously). That was rude and inconsiderate of him, and I liked that he acknowledged the mistake and sincerely apologized. I also liked his attitude that even though he wasn’t in love with Wanda anymore, he still cared about her enough to want to set her free to find someone who was passionate about her, because she deserved a deeper love than he could give her.

The negative:

Some things about this author’s writing style didn’t click with me. One of the big issues early on was that she was removing letters from words in some dialog to show us what it was like for Cullen to be hard of hearing, BUT this was not clear at all until about chapter 7. Example, a character would talk and then part of their dialog would be in italics with the vowels removed. Like, if it was the word “removed” it looked like this: *rmvd*. The story started in North Carolina so the characters had heavy accents that the author was writing out. With nothing to tell me *why* vowels were getting removed at random, I assumed these italicized words were people mumbling or slurring words as part of their accents, and I found it highly distracting trying to figure out how on earth they were pronouncing a word that way. But then it kept happening with characters in Ohio and I got even more confused, since people in NC and OH shouldn't have the same accents. Like I said, it took until chapter 7 for Cullen to make one simple comment that showed that these muddled words were meant to be the words that he was having difficulty hearing, NOT people's accents. Once I understood this, I appreciated the author trying to help us experience life in Cullen’s shoes, but this needed to be clarified in chapter 1. It only took one comment on Cullen’s part to make me understand, so it wouldn’t have been that hard to insert it much earlier to avoid confusing readers.

Further things that didn’t click with me were some choices in description, particularly in the romance department. It wasn’t constant, but some descriptions hit me as silly to the point of making me cringe. Examples were Della thinking of Cullen’s “marvelous” chest, and his big, “virile” hands. (She thought the one about his hands just because he was opening a box.) During a passionate kiss, it’s stated that Cullen liked hearing the little noises Della made and that Della “mewed.” It was all giving tiny hints of Harlequin romance, and let’s just say that’s not what I look for when I pick up a Christian fiction book. (Note: Just to be clear, I’m not against Christian fiction acknowledging physical attraction and even addressing sexual topics, but I do care HOW it’s done, and this was not what I prefer.)

There also reached a point late in the book where, every time Cullen cupped a woman’s face in his hands or had his arms around them, it was described as “bracketing” the woman’s face, or “bracketing” the woman. I have never in my decades of reading come across this description before, and it hit me as extremely odd, especially after the third or fourth usage.

As for the story itself, there were some standout odd moments that I simply didn’t like. The first was when Wanda (the woman whom Cullen originally intended to marry) threw herself at him, trying to get him to be intimate with her (before marriage) on the floor of his family’s smokehouse, with meat hanging from the ceiling. And when I say she threw herself at him, I mean that literally. When he tried to walk away from her, she jumped on his back and made them both fall to the ground. I don’t know this author’s work outside of this book, so maybe this was meant to be funny (the rest of the book was not comedic). But it mainly just felt over-the-top, which I felt again when Wanda made a suggestive reference to the smokehouse in one of her letters to Cullen later on.

The second incident was a forced shirtless scene that happened when Della thought Cullen was lying to her about his occupation of being a farmer because she discovered he had severe allergies, and the only way they could figure out for him to prove his occupation to her was to remove his shirt and show her the tan lines where his suspenders have blocked the sun when he works shirtless half the day. This came with a detailed description of his hairy chest and rippling farmer muscles, of course, and somehow was enough to make Della believe him.

I know very well that this was back before you could background check someone on the internet, but I can’t imagine there wasn’t another way for him to prove his occupation (including maybe contacting the fair organizers and finding out if he really came from where he said he came from, etc.) So, this bothered me since it felt like a very forced (and illogical) excuse for Cullen to take his shirt off so he could be ogled by the reader’s imagination. If someone had walked up on them with Cullen shirtless in the middle of the night, this was an era where Cullen probably would have been hit with some kind of public indecency charge and been kicked out of the fair, which he couldn’t afford to happen. (Later on, Della thinks how a real gentleman would have refused to take his shirt off in front of her, but I wanted to reply that she was the one who made him do it lest she stop teaching him something that could save his livelihood…) Also, I can think of at least a few other occupations where a man might have suspender tan lines under his clothes from working shirtless, like possibly laying railroad track, or even doing manual labor in prison. Of all of Della’s paranoias about men, I can’t believe that prison wouldn’t have crossed her mind.

The neutral: For being marketed as Christian fiction, there wasn’t a lot of actual faith content here. I don’t mind Christians writing good fiction for the general market, but if something is marketed as Christian fiction, I tend to want a bit more faith content than this. Not anything preachy, just deeper themes than what I found here.

Overall, this book was a mixed bag for me. I don’t regret reading it since the historical side of it was very well-researched, and the romance sweet, but there were some things that it did a lot better than others. The things that I had issues with were the sort that make me feel that this author’s writing isn’t the best match for my personal tastes, so I don’t think I’ll be reading more by her after this.

Content Advisory:

This book is adult Christian Historical Fiction.

Language:

None.

Violence/Scariness:

Near the beginning of the book, a large crowd at the fair gets overexcited and tramples some people who got pushed to the ground. No description of injuries except Della’s sprained ankle, but our main characters see some injured women getting put onto stretchers and ambulances.

Mentions of Cullen’s mother having died in a fire. No description, but Cullen remembers his helpless feelings and grief, especially when another tragedy reminds him of it.

A historically accurate tragedy occurs when a fire breaks out. (MAJOR SPOILER) A building catches fire and multiple firefighters become trapped on the side of the building and ultimately die. No graphic descriptions, but Cullen and a crowd can only watch helplessly as the firefighters slowly realize their escape route has been cut off by flames. One man falls through a makeshift net and dies. (Mention of the sound and seeing a crumpled body.) Cullen witnesses his firefighter friend get blown off the roof by an explosion (no description of the body). Della sees ambulances attendants with blood on their faces as they scramble to help the survivors. Later, as Cullen helps clean up the debris, he stumbles across a dead body, but it’s not described.

Sexual/Romance:

As stated in the main review, Wendy literally throws herself at Cullen, trying to insist that they should have their “wedding night" right there and then on the floor of the smokehouse so that she’ll feel guaranteed that he won't look at other women while he's gone. He refuses.

In one of Wendy’s letters to Cullen while he’s at the fair, she makes vaguely suggestive references to the smokehouse to remind Cullen how much she wants him.

After Cullen breaks off his engagement with Wend she asks him if he’ll kiss her one more time. He kisses her forehead instead and tries to ask her to promise that, no matter who she ends up with in the long run, she’ll save the “special kisses” only for the person she intends to marry. She doesn’t really want to make that promise and ultimately says she’ll “try really hard” to do so, but it doesn’t feel very sincere.

As stated in the main review, Della has a lot of fears about men in the beginning because her father gave her a laundry list of all the ways they could take advantage of and harm her. (She feels that, being a man, he should know.) She’s very mistrusting of Cullen’s requests to learn lip-reading at first, and when she learns he has severe allergies that make his face swell up, she thinks he’s lying to her about being a farmer and refuses to have anything to do with him anymore. They end up trying to figure out how he could prove himself to be a farmer who has simply been suffering through severe allergies for his whole life for the sake of helping his family. On the list of things ends up being (to Cullen’s deep embarrassment) taking off his shirt so she can see where his suspenders have left pale lines from when he’s out plowing the fields shirtless. His upper torso gets very described in a sensual “female gaze” manner.

As they fall in love, Cullen does some noticing of Della’s lips and curves. Della does some noticing of Cullen’s physique, including his “marvelous chest” and his hands that she thinks of a “big and “virile”. They also admire each other’s character qualities, though.

Cullen and Della nearly kiss a time or two, and finally share a few passionate kisses after declaring their love for each other near the last few chapters of the book. The kisses are briefly described in terms of physical sensations, but nothing “below the belt” so to speak. They kiss several more times after that, with the descriptions remaining brief but still focused on the physical sensation.

After their wedding, there is a sensual scene with a lot of (described) flirtatious touching and kissing described as Cullen and Della head toward their bridal suite. The scene lingers until Cullen removes Della’s stockings (him touching her leg is very described), and then it ends when he carries her away to the bedchamber.

Spiritual:

As stated, this is marketed as Christian fiction, but the spiritual elements are pretty light. Both Cullen and Della are Christians, but it’s nearly the last chapters of the book before Cullen realizes he hasn’t prayed about things in a long time and makes that correction. Then it doesn’t get mentioned much again afterward.

“Jesus Loves Me” is a comfort song for Della after she got lost in a cornfield as a small child and her grandpa told her to sing it until he could find her. She still sings it to herself when anxious.

Other:

TW for panic attacks: Della has claustrophobia from a childhood incident, and then she discovers a newfound fear of heights at the fair. She’s surprised to get pale and clammy while riding a high elevator for the first time in her life, but doesn’t realize it’s a true phobia until she and Cullen get on the Farris Wheel (heights and claustrophobia combined since 40 people fit in the closed carriage) and she has a massive, unexpected panic attack to the point of feeling unable to breathe and fearing that she’s dying. Her physical sensations are graphically described from her perspective, which may be uncomfortable to read for people who have experienced severe panic attacks themselves. (Note that Cullen takes it seriously and does what he can to help, but the other people in the Farris Wheel carriage stare at and whisper about her, all of which she can lip-read.)

Passing mentions of alcohol and smoking.

Della teaches the deaf students in her care the story of “Little Red Cap” which apparently mentions a bottle of wine, so she acquires a wine bottle as one of her story props (along with a red cap and other objects from the story) and expresses to Cullen that it was hard to explain to the head of the school why she wanted it. Cullen asks if he can borrow it to celebrate his recent business success.

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

"When the fire bell rang, the whole town poured into the streets, me included. I'd been running toward the billowing smoke for a good minute before I realized it was the mill. But even then I wasn't worried. I knew my mother would have gotten out."

White powder fell from their clothing, leaving a trail behind them. Smoke obliterated all sunlight, though they could still see.

"The owner of the mill kept the windows tightly closed so the humidity wouldn't weaken the cotton fibers. The air inside was so thick with cotton dust and lint, you couldn't hardly see or breathe. That's why I wasn't with her. Cotton dust makes me break out in hives."

She still couldn't fathom a cotton farmer whose body rejected the very crop that provided for him.

"Sad thing is," he said, "the mill had a sprinkler system."

Her lips parted. Please, God, she thought. Not one of his. Then she remembered he'd been much older when he'd tested out his first one of the cowshed.

"It was a manual system," he said, "and the operatives weren't able to activate it. I don't know why, but they weren't. Some of the folks on the ground floor made it out, but cotton is highly flammable and the windows were sealed. The people on the second floor didn't stand a chance."



She swallowed. "And your mother was on the second floor?"



"She was." His voice didn't rise or fall or crack, but flattened into a monotone. "The hook and ladder carts arrived, of course, but even with their steam engines throwing water onto the building, there was no saving it."



She bit her lip. She didn't know whether to reach for him or leave him be. Crossing her arms, she held tight to her elbows.



"I was held back from fighting the fire. But even as they restrained me, I promised her I'd do something. Something to conquer fire. And that's when the idea for automatic sprinklers came to me. It was as if my mother paused on her way to heaven and offered a parting suggestion. A dying wish, if you will." For the first time, his voice wavered. He looked down. "What she failed to mention was what to do if I invented such a thing but no one wanted it."



Uncrossing her arms, she grabbed his hand. "Oh Cullen. Even if no one places an order, you've done your part. You've offered the fruit of your hands. No one would ask you for more. Not your mother, not God, not anyone."



He gave her a self-deprecating smile. "I would. I would ask for more." (pg 188-189).



In the beautiful researched novel, It Happened At The Fair by Deeann Gist, an inspiring inventor and farmer, Cullen McNamara finds himself at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair at the insistence and belief of his father. His father believes that Cullen needs just the right push to take his invention and hope to make enough money at it that he won't have to go back to farming. In fact, his father provides him with the money to go and fills out all the necessary paperwork for him. Leaving behind the women he believes he loves, he heads off to Chicago in hopes of selling his invention he believes can truly save lives. He will have to spend six months trying his best to convince people his invention works over the manual sprinkler systems the world is used to.

However he's hiding the one thing that may make it hard for him to sell anything at all, his ability to hear. In Machinery Hall, he finds the noise so overwhelming, he can barely make out what people are asking him. Worse yet is the fact he is going deaf in his right ear. If he can't understand what people are asking him, he appears to be uneducated in his invention. That's when a suggestion is made for Cullen to learn lip reading in an effort to save his business and save his self respect. Only he doesn't expect his teacher to be quite so intriguing and beautiful.

I received It Happened At The Fair by Deeann Gist compliments of Howard Books for my honest review. Being a huge history fan, I love how Deeann took the time to research the exhibits and the issues that happened at the Chicago World's Fair as her back drop for her novel. The pictures that accompany the story make it that much more believable and add to the ambiance of the characters of Cullen McNamara and Della Wentworth, the deaf teacher whom Cullen hires. This is a must read for anyone who truly appreciates the history and industrial age of America at a time when so many exciting things were being invented. I even loved the first movable sidewalk which showed a trend in making things easier for business and keeping it fun to watch and learn from. I easily rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and love the way the Deeann removes parts of words to show how difficult it was for Cullen to understand what people were saying in order to appreciate his challenge in communication with people and how he had to simply fill in the blanks based on the context of the conversation they were having to make sense of things. This one for me, is a true keeper.