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The House Is on Fire
A “wildly entertaining” (NPR), “gripping” ( The Washington Post ) work of historical fiction about an incendiary tragedy that shocked a young nation and tore apart a community in a single night, from the author of Florence Adler Swims Forever .
Richmond, Virginia 1811 . It’s the height of the winter social season, the General Assembly is in session, and many of Virginia’s gentleman planters, along with their wives and children, have made the long and arduous journey to the capital in hopes of whiling away the darkest days of the year. At the city’s only theater, the Charleston-based Placide & Green Company puts on two plays a night to meet the demand of a populace that’s done looking for enlightenment at the front of a church.
On the night after Christmas, the theater is packed with more than six hundred holiday revelers. In the third-floor boxes sits newly widowed Sally Henry Campbell, who is glad for any opportunity to relive the happy times she shared with her husband. One floor away, in the colored gallery, Cecily Patterson doesn’t give a whit about the play but is grateful for a four-hour reprieve from a life that has recently gone from bad to worse. Backstage, young stagehand Jack Gibson hopes that, if he can impress the theater’s managers, he’ll be offered a permanent job with the company. And on the other side of town, blacksmith Gilbert Hunt dreams of one day being able to bring his wife to the theater, but he’ll have to buy her freedom first.
When the theater goes up in flames in the middle of the performance, Sally, Cecily, Jack, and Gilbert make a series of split-second decisions that will not only affect their own lives but those of countless others. And in the days following the fire, as news of the disaster spreads across the United States, 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 is a “stunning” (Jeannette Walls, New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle ), “all-consuming exploration” ( E! News ) that offers proof that sometimes, in the midst of great tragedy, we are offered our most precious—and fleeting—chances at redemption.
Richmond, Virginia 1811 . It’s the height of the winter social season, the General Assembly is in session, and many of Virginia’s gentleman planters, along with their wives and children, have made the long and arduous journey to the capital in hopes of whiling away the darkest days of the year. At the city’s only theater, the Charleston-based Placide & Green Company puts on two plays a night to meet the demand of a populace that’s done looking for enlightenment at the front of a church.
On the night after Christmas, the theater is packed with more than six hundred holiday revelers. In the third-floor boxes sits newly widowed Sally Henry Campbell, who is glad for any opportunity to relive the happy times she shared with her husband. One floor away, in the colored gallery, Cecily Patterson doesn’t give a whit about the play but is grateful for a four-hour reprieve from a life that has recently gone from bad to worse. Backstage, young stagehand Jack Gibson hopes that, if he can impress the theater’s managers, he’ll be offered a permanent job with the company. And on the other side of town, blacksmith Gilbert Hunt dreams of one day being able to bring his wife to the theater, but he’ll have to buy her freedom first.
When the theater goes up in flames in the middle of the performance, Sally, Cecily, Jack, and Gilbert make a series of split-second decisions that will not only affect their own lives but those of countless others. And in the days following the fire, as news of the disaster spreads across the United States, 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 is a “stunning” (Jeannette Walls, New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle ), “all-consuming exploration” ( E! News ) that offers proof that sometimes, in the midst of great tragedy, we are offered our most precious—and fleeting—chances at redemption.
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 2023
1586 people are currently reading
99967 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Beanland
5 books958 followersRachel Beanland is the author of the novels FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER, THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE, and the forthcoming THE HALF LIFE, which will be released by Simon & Schuster in the summer of 2026. She earned her MFA in creative writing from Virginia Commonwealth University and lives in Richmond, Virginia.
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April 3, 2023
The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanland
Richmond, Virginia in 1811 was the location of the worst urban disaster in U.S. history at that time. Known as the Richmond Theatre fire, The House is on Fire is historical fiction based on that tragedy. The story focuses on four people and those around them. The cast of characters is huge but by keeping the chapters short and moving from one of the main characters to another often, I was able to keep up with the story easily.
As a widow, Sally Henry Campbell spends time with her brother-in-law and his wife and despite the extremely cold and windy weather, the trio is attending two plays put on by the Charleston-based Placide & Green Company. The three story theater is packed with over six hundred people. The descriptions of the the new theater verify that it's a fire trap, with the rickety structure featuring windows nailed over to keep drafts out, people crushed together, and a stairwell that won't be able to handle a stampede of frightened humans.
Fourteen year old orphan, Jack Gibson, loves the theater and is working as a stagehand for the theater company. Jack's late father was well respected in town and when Jack is disturbed when he realizes that the men he's been working with have no scruples about destroying the lives of others to keep the company and themselves from looking bad after the tragedy. Jack wants nothing more than to tell the truth but it'll be at the risk of losing his life.
Slave, Cecily Patterson, attends the play with her mistress but she's got a lot on her mind. She has spent her entire life being abused in every way by her master's son and now she has been given to the son. The tragedy gives her a chance that she would never have otherwise but taking that chance could hurt those she loves most.
Slave, Gilbert Hunt, is a true hero. In conjunction with another man, he performs in a miraculous fashion. But he has no time to give thought to his amazing feat since his family and friends are in great danger due to lies and the greed of those who can destroy his life and the lives of those who depend on him. It's impossible for me to pick a favorite out of these four people. I'm so glad the author chose to give these four the main focus and it's by showing their plights that we can see that each of them fight a tough fight almost everyday, even before this theater tragedy.
This time period was not an easy time to be alive. Slaves had no rights, women have not much else if they don't have a man, losing that man can mean losing everything, even if those things were what they brought to the marriage. This is a time when a broken limb is better amputated rather than risk infection but it's also a time when a man might prefer his injured wife be dead rather than "damaged". After all, a man can just get another wife to take care of the kids and do the household chores. No need to have one that isn't "whole". The story left me a lot to think about and had me researching the real people mentioned in this story.
Pub Apr 4, 2023
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the digital and print copies of this book.
Richmond, Virginia in 1811 was the location of the worst urban disaster in U.S. history at that time. Known as the Richmond Theatre fire, The House is on Fire is historical fiction based on that tragedy. The story focuses on four people and those around them. The cast of characters is huge but by keeping the chapters short and moving from one of the main characters to another often, I was able to keep up with the story easily.
As a widow, Sally Henry Campbell spends time with her brother-in-law and his wife and despite the extremely cold and windy weather, the trio is attending two plays put on by the Charleston-based Placide & Green Company. The three story theater is packed with over six hundred people. The descriptions of the the new theater verify that it's a fire trap, with the rickety structure featuring windows nailed over to keep drafts out, people crushed together, and a stairwell that won't be able to handle a stampede of frightened humans.
Fourteen year old orphan, Jack Gibson, loves the theater and is working as a stagehand for the theater company. Jack's late father was well respected in town and when Jack is disturbed when he realizes that the men he's been working with have no scruples about destroying the lives of others to keep the company and themselves from looking bad after the tragedy. Jack wants nothing more than to tell the truth but it'll be at the risk of losing his life.
Slave, Cecily Patterson, attends the play with her mistress but she's got a lot on her mind. She has spent her entire life being abused in every way by her master's son and now she has been given to the son. The tragedy gives her a chance that she would never have otherwise but taking that chance could hurt those she loves most.
Slave, Gilbert Hunt, is a true hero. In conjunction with another man, he performs in a miraculous fashion. But he has no time to give thought to his amazing feat since his family and friends are in great danger due to lies and the greed of those who can destroy his life and the lives of those who depend on him. It's impossible for me to pick a favorite out of these four people. I'm so glad the author chose to give these four the main focus and it's by showing their plights that we can see that each of them fight a tough fight almost everyday, even before this theater tragedy.
This time period was not an easy time to be alive. Slaves had no rights, women have not much else if they don't have a man, losing that man can mean losing everything, even if those things were what they brought to the marriage. This is a time when a broken limb is better amputated rather than risk infection but it's also a time when a man might prefer his injured wife be dead rather than "damaged". After all, a man can just get another wife to take care of the kids and do the household chores. No need to have one that isn't "whole". The story left me a lot to think about and had me researching the real people mentioned in this story.
Pub Apr 4, 2023
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the digital and print copies of this book.
October 20, 2023
***WANT TO GIVE THIS BOOK AN EXTRA BOOST BECAUSE I LOVE HF BUT AM TIRED
OF WW2***
This historical novel was fantastic!! Impeccably researched with writing that flowed wonderfully throughout.
This novel of early America’s deadliest tragedy, the Richmond Theater Fire of 1811 is told from the perspectives of four characters whose lives are irrevocably altered in the aftermath of the inferno” This one checked all the boxes for me.
***A true incident of grave proportions that I hadn’t heard of before or knew little about
**Beautiful writing that describes scenes so well I could envision myself and the characters there
**Multiple viewpoints to understand how the incident affected different groups of characters
**An ending that felt true and not overly fictionalized
** The fire brought out some of the most selfish violent acts and also some of the most awe-inspiring heroism.
Gilbert an enslaved Black man “catches” many women who dropped from an open window.
Cecily is trying to gain her freedom,
Sally, a recent widow, stops at nothing to get help for everyone that is injured and works tirelessly.
Jack is a young stagehand and knows exactly what happened, although his theater company wants him to make up a different story
I can highly recommend this historical novel, it was really something special. The author’s notes also added to the reading experience.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.
OF WW2***
This historical novel was fantastic!! Impeccably researched with writing that flowed wonderfully throughout.
This novel of early America’s deadliest tragedy, the Richmond Theater Fire of 1811 is told from the perspectives of four characters whose lives are irrevocably altered in the aftermath of the inferno” This one checked all the boxes for me.
***A true incident of grave proportions that I hadn’t heard of before or knew little about
**Beautiful writing that describes scenes so well I could envision myself and the characters there
**Multiple viewpoints to understand how the incident affected different groups of characters
**An ending that felt true and not overly fictionalized
** The fire brought out some of the most selfish violent acts and also some of the most awe-inspiring heroism.
Gilbert an enslaved Black man “catches” many women who dropped from an open window.
Cecily is trying to gain her freedom,
Sally, a recent widow, stops at nothing to get help for everyone that is injured and works tirelessly.
Jack is a young stagehand and knows exactly what happened, although his theater company wants him to make up a different story
I can highly recommend this historical novel, it was really something special. The author’s notes also added to the reading experience.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.
April 27, 2023
4.5⭐️
On the night of December 26, 1811, the Charleston-based Placide & Green Company was performing two full-length productions at the Richmond Theater to a packed house (almost six hundred people). A fire broke out during the performance that led to the loss of over seventy lives, including the Governor. This novel is inspired by that tragedy.
The narrative follows the events of the night and its aftermath as is shared through multiple perspectives- those whose lives are irrevocably impacted by the tragic events of that fateful night - Jack Gibson, a young stagehand who is aware of what truly happened on that fateful evening; Sally Henry, a young widow who attended the production with her sister and brother -in-law, and who participates in the effort to care for those injured in the fire; Gilbert Hunt, a Black man hoping to purchase his freedom someday, who actively helped those trapped in the burning building and Cecily Patterson, a young black girl who was also in attendance that evening with her mistress and for whom the incident becomes a turning point in her life.
Thoroughly researched, exquisitely written, informative and absorbing, The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland is a compelling novel. The author not only tells the story of a shocking tragedy of that era but in doing so also gives us insight into what society and societal norms were like during that period – racial injustice, slavery and exploitation and the struggle to purchase one’s freedom, if at all; how lack of dedicated healthcare facilities was made up for by local residents who offered their homes to those who needed treatment for their injuries; how women’s voices and their lives were marginalized by men during that period; the politics of justice and inquiry and so much more.
The Author’s Note deserves a special mention here. The author discusses, in detail, her meticulous research into the incident and the real people on which her characters are based. She has maintained the real names of a few of the characters and also shares details of what became of these people post the events described in the book which I really feel adds to the depth of the story.
I paired my reading with the brilliant full-cast audio narration by Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Andi Arndt, Michael Crouch, Ruffin Prentiss III, and Rachel Beanland which made for an immersive experience.
Overall, I believe this is one the most fascinating works of historical fiction that I have read this year and would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre in general and/or those who are keen to read stories set in this particular time period.
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On the night of December 26, 1811, the Charleston-based Placide & Green Company was performing two full-length productions at the Richmond Theater to a packed house (almost six hundred people). A fire broke out during the performance that led to the loss of over seventy lives, including the Governor. This novel is inspired by that tragedy.
The narrative follows the events of the night and its aftermath as is shared through multiple perspectives- those whose lives are irrevocably impacted by the tragic events of that fateful night - Jack Gibson, a young stagehand who is aware of what truly happened on that fateful evening; Sally Henry, a young widow who attended the production with her sister and brother -in-law, and who participates in the effort to care for those injured in the fire; Gilbert Hunt, a Black man hoping to purchase his freedom someday, who actively helped those trapped in the burning building and Cecily Patterson, a young black girl who was also in attendance that evening with her mistress and for whom the incident becomes a turning point in her life.
Thoroughly researched, exquisitely written, informative and absorbing, The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland is a compelling novel. The author not only tells the story of a shocking tragedy of that era but in doing so also gives us insight into what society and societal norms were like during that period – racial injustice, slavery and exploitation and the struggle to purchase one’s freedom, if at all; how lack of dedicated healthcare facilities was made up for by local residents who offered their homes to those who needed treatment for their injuries; how women’s voices and their lives were marginalized by men during that period; the politics of justice and inquiry and so much more.
The Author’s Note deserves a special mention here. The author discusses, in detail, her meticulous research into the incident and the real people on which her characters are based. She has maintained the real names of a few of the characters and also shares details of what became of these people post the events described in the book which I really feel adds to the depth of the story.
I paired my reading with the brilliant full-cast audio narration by Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Andi Arndt, Michael Crouch, Ruffin Prentiss III, and Rachel Beanland which made for an immersive experience.
Overall, I believe this is one the most fascinating works of historical fiction that I have read this year and would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre in general and/or those who are keen to read stories set in this particular time period.
Connect with me!
My Blog
The StoryGraph
March 6, 2023
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I loved Rachel Beanland's debut Florence Adler Swims Forever and her sophomore release is a hit as well. I love southern historical fiction and this one is based on the true story of a theatre fire in 1811 in Richmond, Virginia.
It's quite obvious that the author was meticulous in her research. The story is from four points of view and shows how the fire affected each of the narrators' lives. Rachel Beanland took me away to a different time and place, and what a time it was. Such a hard time in history to be a woman, an African American or a person of no means. (Imagine being all three!) This book really makes you think, but it especially made me feel. My emotions were all over the place whilst reading, I felt such sadness and anger.
It turns out the people you least expect are the true heroes of this story. If you read this book make sure you read the author notes at the end, it is very enlightening and you'll be glad you did. All. The. Stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
I loved Rachel Beanland's debut Florence Adler Swims Forever and her sophomore release is a hit as well. I love southern historical fiction and this one is based on the true story of a theatre fire in 1811 in Richmond, Virginia.
It's quite obvious that the author was meticulous in her research. The story is from four points of view and shows how the fire affected each of the narrators' lives. Rachel Beanland took me away to a different time and place, and what a time it was. Such a hard time in history to be a woman, an African American or a person of no means. (Imagine being all three!) This book really makes you think, but it especially made me feel. My emotions were all over the place whilst reading, I felt such sadness and anger.
It turns out the people you least expect are the true heroes of this story. If you read this book make sure you read the author notes at the end, it is very enlightening and you'll be glad you did. All. The. Stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
July 12, 2025
A favorite of 2023
The House is on Fire is Rachel Beanland’s sophomore effort and I was even more pleased with it than her debut, Florence Adler Swims Forever.
The story covers the fire on December 26, 1811 at the Richmond Theatre. Plantation owners came to Richmond in winter for their social season. Thus, the theater was especially full on the 26th. The fire was the worst urban disaster of our young country, resulting in the death of 72 individuals, mostly women.
The story starts with the night of the fire and progresses from there. I wasn’t sure how Beanland would maintain any suspense once the fire was over and done, but boy, was I wrong.
The story centers around four characters - Jack Gibson , a young stagehand; Sally Henry Campbell, daughter of Patrick Henry and newly widowed; Cecily Patterson, a young black slave who was acting as a chaperone for her young white mistress but was required to sit on a different floor, and Gilbert Hunt, an enslaved blacksmith who ends up helping rescue 12 white women from the theater. Each of these four made decisions at the crisis point which affected not just themselves but others. By switching between their POVs, the story maintains a brisk pace. Each of the four is also fully drawn and I was equally engaged by each of their stories.
The book does a wonderful job of showing the places of women and blacks in southern society. For example, when a young wife breaks her leg jumping from the window and the surgeon announces only her husband can give permission for her leg to be amputated. And, of course, black women are chattel to be used in whatever way a man wants.
Let’s just say most of the men in the story don’t come off in a good light. There aren’t a lot of heroes in this story, at least white ones. But there are several heroines.
The writing is clear and succinct and it was easy to envision each scene. Beanland has the ability to give the reader a firm grasp on the time and place. There are several aspects of this story which have been fictionalized, but Beanland spells them out in her Author’s Note. She gives a rationale for each of those modifications. Overall, this is exactly what I want from historical fiction. It taught me about a moment in history that I previously knew nothing about while telling a good story.
My thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book.
Re-reading this on the back of The Demon on Unrest, I was struck by the quote:
“Why does Sally continue to be surprised by the depravity of men?perhaps because so much has been made of their civility?”…They pay lip service to the idea of civility, while doing whatever they want at all times.”
The House is on Fire is Rachel Beanland’s sophomore effort and I was even more pleased with it than her debut, Florence Adler Swims Forever.
The story covers the fire on December 26, 1811 at the Richmond Theatre. Plantation owners came to Richmond in winter for their social season. Thus, the theater was especially full on the 26th. The fire was the worst urban disaster of our young country, resulting in the death of 72 individuals, mostly women.
The story starts with the night of the fire and progresses from there. I wasn’t sure how Beanland would maintain any suspense once the fire was over and done, but boy, was I wrong.
The story centers around four characters - Jack Gibson , a young stagehand; Sally Henry Campbell, daughter of Patrick Henry and newly widowed; Cecily Patterson, a young black slave who was acting as a chaperone for her young white mistress but was required to sit on a different floor, and Gilbert Hunt, an enslaved blacksmith who ends up helping rescue 12 white women from the theater. Each of these four made decisions at the crisis point which affected not just themselves but others. By switching between their POVs, the story maintains a brisk pace. Each of the four is also fully drawn and I was equally engaged by each of their stories.
The book does a wonderful job of showing the places of women and blacks in southern society. For example, when a young wife breaks her leg jumping from the window and the surgeon announces only her husband can give permission for her leg to be amputated. And, of course, black women are chattel to be used in whatever way a man wants.
Let’s just say most of the men in the story don’t come off in a good light. There aren’t a lot of heroes in this story, at least white ones. But there are several heroines.
The writing is clear and succinct and it was easy to envision each scene. Beanland has the ability to give the reader a firm grasp on the time and place. There are several aspects of this story which have been fictionalized, but Beanland spells them out in her Author’s Note. She gives a rationale for each of those modifications. Overall, this is exactly what I want from historical fiction. It taught me about a moment in history that I previously knew nothing about while telling a good story.
My thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book.
Re-reading this on the back of The Demon on Unrest, I was struck by the quote:
“Why does Sally continue to be surprised by the depravity of men?perhaps because so much has been made of their civility?”…They pay lip service to the idea of civility, while doing whatever they want at all times.”
April 22, 2023
A compelling title. A compelling story.
Richmond, Virginia 1811. A theatre, packed to capacity, goes up in flames trapping people on the 2nd and 3rd floors. 70+ perished.
Character is revealed when the stakes are high.
An unlikely one, a hero. Too many to count, cowards. And the story of how it happened, becomes a blame game of who did what and why. Racism and discrimination fuelling the fire. Split second decisions became life altering events. This story is from the perspective of 4 residents and how their lives were impacted.
White vs black; men vs women; vice vs virtue.
The author’s notes reflect the deep dive into the research around this historically significant calamity
4.25⭐️
Richmond, Virginia 1811. A theatre, packed to capacity, goes up in flames trapping people on the 2nd and 3rd floors. 70+ perished.
Character is revealed when the stakes are high.
An unlikely one, a hero. Too many to count, cowards. And the story of how it happened, becomes a blame game of who did what and why. Racism and discrimination fuelling the fire. Split second decisions became life altering events. This story is from the perspective of 4 residents and how their lives were impacted.
White vs black; men vs women; vice vs virtue.
The author’s notes reflect the deep dive into the research around this historically significant calamity
4.25⭐️
October 21, 2024
Over explains ad nauseum, boring narrative voice, and flat, one-dimensional characters (all good or all bad).
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Electronic Text – Free through Libby
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Hardcover Text - $13.65 (signed first edition first print) purchased on Pango
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The Green Light at the End of the Dock (How much I spent):
Electronic Text – Free through Libby
Audiobook – Free through Libby
Hardcover Text - $13.65 (signed first edition first print) purchased on Pango
Connect With Me!
Blog Twitter BookTube Insta My Bookstore at Pango
April 11, 2023
Another excellent historical fiction novel from Rachel Beanland. On December 26, 1811, Virginia lost its governor and almost one hundred citizens in a devastating fire that tore through a packed Richmond playhouse. This carefully researched story explores the lives of four people involved with the fire, including a widowed socialite, a young stagehand, and two slaves. The socialite and one of the slaves were real-life characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my advanced reader copy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my advanced reader copy.
May 5, 2023
Wow! Words won't adequately describe the incredible book by Rachel Beanland, The House Is on Fire. I highly recommend it; it is one of the top books I have read in 2023.
Beanland's thorough, detailed research into the theater fire in Richmond, VA in 1811 and the people impacted by the tragic event is phenomenally woven into a rich tapestry about the intersection of race as well as the response to emergency situations. In the midst of a roaring fire, do people save themselves or do they help save others? When evaluating the cause of over 100 deaths, do people tell the truth or lie to create a new narrative about who is to blame?
Powerful, poignant, and indelibly embedded in my memory.
Beanland's thorough, detailed research into the theater fire in Richmond, VA in 1811 and the people impacted by the tragic event is phenomenally woven into a rich tapestry about the intersection of race as well as the response to emergency situations. In the midst of a roaring fire, do people save themselves or do they help save others? When evaluating the cause of over 100 deaths, do people tell the truth or lie to create a new narrative about who is to blame?
Powerful, poignant, and indelibly embedded in my memory.
November 7, 2022
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.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2023
The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanland was based on the true story about the fire that tragically destroyed the theater in Richmond, Virginia on December 26, 1811. Sadly, over seventy innocent lives were lost that night as a result of that fire. Before reading this gripping story, I had not known about this tragedy. Rachel Beanland’s research surrounding the circumstances that led to the cause of the fire, the community’s response to the fire itself, the loss of life that occurred as a result of the fire and the riveting investigation that was conducted to determine how the fire was caused and handled was impeccable and extensive. The House Is on Fire was a character driven book. It was told from the perspective of four distinct and well developed characters whose lives became intertwined with each other as the story developed. The choices and actions each one of the four characters made during the actual fire and then afterwards altered the course of each of their lives. The Richmond theater fire was a shocking tragedy that was felt throughout the entire country and world.
During the month of December 1811, Richmond, Virginia was experiencing the height of its winter social season. The government’s General Assembly was in full swing. This was the time when many of the wealthiest families who owned plantations planned visits to the city of Richmond. One of the main attractions was the Richmond Theater. The Charleston based theater company, Placide and Green, were performing two plays each night at the theater. On the night of December 26th, the theater was packed to capacity. There were at least six hundred guests in attendance that night. One such guest was Sally Henry Campbell, an upper middle class widow, who had come to Richmond to visit her sister-in -law Margaret and brother-in-law Archie. The three of them had tickets to see a play that night. Their seats were in the third floor boxes. Sally would be forced to make split second decisions once the fire began. Her actions and the choices she made would determine the outcome of not only her life but the lives of others. Also in attendance was Cecily Patterson. Cecily was a young slave that had been required to escort her master’s daughter to the theater. Her master’s daughter met her three friends at the theater and proceeded to their seats that were in the boxes on the second floor. Cecily proceeded to the colored gallery and took a seat there. She was more than happy to escape from the nightmare she was dealing with at the time. When the fire started and the theater was being evacuated, Cecily was presented with the biggest decision in her young life. Jack Gibson was also at the theater that evening. He had been hired by Placide and Green as a stagehand. Jack was working backstage that night helping with scenery changes. He aspired to earn a permanent position with the company so he was trying very hard to impress the directors of Placide and Green. Jack would have to decide that fateful night whether or not to follow his conscience or be persuaded to follow the lead of his employers. The fourth person, Gilbert Hunt, a slave that worked as a blacksmith, was not at the theater when the fire broke out. Gilbert was visiting his wife. When he learned that the young mistress of the house that his wife had helped raise had been at the theater that night he went to the theater to see if he could find her. His caring and selfless demeanor put him in the position to help others. As the theater was consumed by flames in the middle of an act, Sally, Jack, Cecily and Gilbert would all have to make split-second decisions. It was from their perspectives that the details of the fire and the aftermath were revealed.
Rachel Beanland was able to convey each character’s experience, ordeal, decisions, actions and emotions so vividly. She made sure that each character’s story was told and that each character was given the platform they needed and required to do so. The House is on Fire explored the themes of racism, sacrifice, sexism, class distinctions and loyalty. The author, Rachel Beanland, provided a substantial explanation for which characters and elements were true and which were imagined in her author’s notes. I had previously read Florence Adler Swims Forever and enjoyed it very much but The House Is on Fire far exceeded my expectations. I can’t wait to see what she writes next. If you enjoy historical fiction, then I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
During the month of December 1811, Richmond, Virginia was experiencing the height of its winter social season. The government’s General Assembly was in full swing. This was the time when many of the wealthiest families who owned plantations planned visits to the city of Richmond. One of the main attractions was the Richmond Theater. The Charleston based theater company, Placide and Green, were performing two plays each night at the theater. On the night of December 26th, the theater was packed to capacity. There were at least six hundred guests in attendance that night. One such guest was Sally Henry Campbell, an upper middle class widow, who had come to Richmond to visit her sister-in -law Margaret and brother-in-law Archie. The three of them had tickets to see a play that night. Their seats were in the third floor boxes. Sally would be forced to make split second decisions once the fire began. Her actions and the choices she made would determine the outcome of not only her life but the lives of others. Also in attendance was Cecily Patterson. Cecily was a young slave that had been required to escort her master’s daughter to the theater. Her master’s daughter met her three friends at the theater and proceeded to their seats that were in the boxes on the second floor. Cecily proceeded to the colored gallery and took a seat there. She was more than happy to escape from the nightmare she was dealing with at the time. When the fire started and the theater was being evacuated, Cecily was presented with the biggest decision in her young life. Jack Gibson was also at the theater that evening. He had been hired by Placide and Green as a stagehand. Jack was working backstage that night helping with scenery changes. He aspired to earn a permanent position with the company so he was trying very hard to impress the directors of Placide and Green. Jack would have to decide that fateful night whether or not to follow his conscience or be persuaded to follow the lead of his employers. The fourth person, Gilbert Hunt, a slave that worked as a blacksmith, was not at the theater when the fire broke out. Gilbert was visiting his wife. When he learned that the young mistress of the house that his wife had helped raise had been at the theater that night he went to the theater to see if he could find her. His caring and selfless demeanor put him in the position to help others. As the theater was consumed by flames in the middle of an act, Sally, Jack, Cecily and Gilbert would all have to make split-second decisions. It was from their perspectives that the details of the fire and the aftermath were revealed.
Rachel Beanland was able to convey each character’s experience, ordeal, decisions, actions and emotions so vividly. She made sure that each character’s story was told and that each character was given the platform they needed and required to do so. The House is on Fire explored the themes of racism, sacrifice, sexism, class distinctions and loyalty. The author, Rachel Beanland, provided a substantial explanation for which characters and elements were true and which were imagined in her author’s notes. I had previously read Florence Adler Swims Forever and enjoyed it very much but The House Is on Fire far exceeded my expectations. I can’t wait to see what she writes next. If you enjoy historical fiction, then I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
December 12, 2022
[4+] Wow! This fact-inspired novel about a devastating theatre fire in Richmond, Virginia held me in its grip from first to last page. Set in 1811, the focus is on a small cast of characters - each one fully rendered. The world outside disappeared as I curled up with this novel. Thank goodness I started it (and finished it) on a Sunday. I also loved the afterword where the author discusses her inspiration for each character. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me an ARC.
April 7, 2023
Audiobook…..read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Andi Arndt, Michael Crouch, Ruffin Prentiss III, and
Rachel Beanland
…..12 hours and 28 minutes.
Having enjoyed “Florence Adler Swims Forever” ……
was enough reason for me to read “The House On Fire”.
Plus..
the outstanding reviews from Linda, Liz, Lisa, Mary, Dorie, Marilyn & Marilyn …..
and others ….. were added inspirational endorsements …
I already knew of the true story —
I wasn’t comparing —
but
Rachel Beanland’s interpretation was one to admire — I like how she developed this entire story and gave it a beating human heart…..
….she took a horrifying tragedy and gave women a stronger voice. She was a stand for their freedom….their dignity - their civil rights …. and with at least one woman in particular. … hope for a brighter future.
Rachel Beanland explored the horrific catastrophes — while managing to dial down the overwhelming insurmountable details that would purely exhaust anyone — and instead blended intimate fiction ‘with’ history …..giving us (readers & listeners) a riveting story …..
with four distinct well developed main characters: Sally, Jack, Cecily, and Gilbert .
The setting, the theater, the time period, the history, the characters, the inspiration and wisdom fiction brought ‘to’ this history ….
along with the cultural and racial strife
had flaming energy —
Of course heartbreaking — but Rachel Beanland didn’t aim to literally break our hearts — rather she gently educated — leaving elbow room for us to appreciate the heroines and heroes who lived through this mostly forgotten tragic time.
5 easy stars.
Rachel Beanland
…..12 hours and 28 minutes.
Having enjoyed “Florence Adler Swims Forever” ……
was enough reason for me to read “The House On Fire”.
Plus..
the outstanding reviews from Linda, Liz, Lisa, Mary, Dorie, Marilyn & Marilyn …..
and others ….. were added inspirational endorsements …
I already knew of the true story —
I wasn’t comparing —
but
Rachel Beanland’s interpretation was one to admire — I like how she developed this entire story and gave it a beating human heart…..
….she took a horrifying tragedy and gave women a stronger voice. She was a stand for their freedom….their dignity - their civil rights …. and with at least one woman in particular. … hope for a brighter future.
Rachel Beanland explored the horrific catastrophes — while managing to dial down the overwhelming insurmountable details that would purely exhaust anyone — and instead blended intimate fiction ‘with’ history …..giving us (readers & listeners) a riveting story …..
with four distinct well developed main characters: Sally, Jack, Cecily, and Gilbert .
The setting, the theater, the time period, the history, the characters, the inspiration and wisdom fiction brought ‘to’ this history ….
along with the cultural and racial strife
had flaming energy —
Of course heartbreaking — but Rachel Beanland didn’t aim to literally break our hearts — rather she gently educated — leaving elbow room for us to appreciate the heroines and heroes who lived through this mostly forgotten tragic time.
5 easy stars.
June 4, 2023
The House is on Fire is based on the true story of a tragic fire that destroyed the only theater in Richmond, Virginia in 1811, along with many of
its residents.
December 26, 1811, Richmond Virginia, the city’s only theater puts on two plays to entertain people from miles around. Many have traveled long distances with their families to attend this performance. The theater is packed with 600 people, young and old.
The story focuses on the lives of four different people with different perspectives of what happened that night.
Young Jack was a stagehand working behind the scenes, who knows what caused the fire. Sally a widow attended the performance and survived that horrific night, but questions why so many woman died. Gilbert a black man hoping to buy his freedom was not at the performance but was at the right place to help. A young black girl named Cecily was there with her young mistress, but had to sit in another section of the theater.
This is a well researched book about a true story and how it changed people’s lives. It is compelling filled with injustices including slavery and the treatment of women. Also doing what us right no matter what the circumstances.
A must read.
its residents.
December 26, 1811, Richmond Virginia, the city’s only theater puts on two plays to entertain people from miles around. Many have traveled long distances with their families to attend this performance. The theater is packed with 600 people, young and old.
The story focuses on the lives of four different people with different perspectives of what happened that night.
Young Jack was a stagehand working behind the scenes, who knows what caused the fire. Sally a widow attended the performance and survived that horrific night, but questions why so many woman died. Gilbert a black man hoping to buy his freedom was not at the performance but was at the right place to help. A young black girl named Cecily was there with her young mistress, but had to sit in another section of the theater.
This is a well researched book about a true story and how it changed people’s lives. It is compelling filled with injustices including slavery and the treatment of women. Also doing what us right no matter what the circumstances.
A must read.
September 29, 2023
A well written, well researched book that totally succeeded in bringing the fire that occurred at a theatre in Richmond, Virginia in 1811 to life.
The author uses 4 main characters to move the story forward. Sally Henry Campbell, recently widowed, is at the theatre when the fire breaks out. Gilbert Hunt, a Black slave, was not at the theatre but rushes there to help. Cecily Patterson, also a Black slave, is at the theatre and she makes a decision that affects many around her. Jack Gibson, a stagehand, saw the fire start. Will he stay silent or will the truth come out?
There are heroes and there are cowards. There is extreme racism and male domination over women.
The story moves forward quickly as we move from one character to the next. How each reacted at the time of the fire and what occurred afterwards was mesmerizing.
To be honest, I had absolutely no interest in this historical event.Seemed rather small in the grander scheme of the world. I read this book for my IRL bookclub and I am glad I did. I have to give credit to Rachel Beanland as she captured my interest right away and held it throughout. The event and people’s reactions was so well depicted- true mark of an exceptional historical read. Her afterword is not to be missed. Thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Published: 2023
The author uses 4 main characters to move the story forward. Sally Henry Campbell, recently widowed, is at the theatre when the fire breaks out. Gilbert Hunt, a Black slave, was not at the theatre but rushes there to help. Cecily Patterson, also a Black slave, is at the theatre and she makes a decision that affects many around her. Jack Gibson, a stagehand, saw the fire start. Will he stay silent or will the truth come out?
There are heroes and there are cowards. There is extreme racism and male domination over women.
The story moves forward quickly as we move from one character to the next. How each reacted at the time of the fire and what occurred afterwards was mesmerizing.
To be honest, I had absolutely no interest in this historical event.Seemed rather small in the grander scheme of the world. I read this book for my IRL bookclub and I am glad I did. I have to give credit to Rachel Beanland as she captured my interest right away and held it throughout. The event and people’s reactions was so well depicted- true mark of an exceptional historical read. Her afterword is not to be missed. Thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Published: 2023
April 19, 2023
Rachel Beanland returns with her second book, an historical fiction based on the Richmond, Virginia Theater fire of December 26, 1811. At this time of year, the city was full as families have journeyed in from their plantations for the winter. The Assembly is in session; the social season is in full swing. People from throughout the city are drawn to the theater which has a full schedule planned for the evening of the 26th.
The author has chosen four representatives of those caught up in all that happened who show and tell us what happened, first hand. There is Sally Henry Campbell, a young widow who uses her maiden name at times when it will get her needed attention as Patrick Henry’s daughter. She attended the play with her brother in law and his wife. Second, there is Cecily Patterson, a slave to a young woman, Marie Preston, but constantly beset by Marie’s older brother Elliott. She was Marie’s companion at the theater though, of course, they didn’t sit together. Third is Gilbert Hunt, a blacksmith, sneaking across town to visit his wife. Both are enslaved but with different owners. He is not at the theater though nearby. Lastly there is Jack Gibson, a boy working as a stage hand for the theater group. He hopes to become an actor one day. He’s in the middle of it. The fire breaks out during the performance while the house is packed with about six hundred people on three levels. They all rush to get out.
Working from historical records, Beanland has created an exciting, terrible and sad picture of what happened on that terrible night: exciting for the bravery shown, terrible for the loss of life and the awful injuries, sad for some of the behavior exhibited on the night and after. This is such a good novel, one that presents the realities of history, i.e. the place of black people in the southern United States and the status of women anywhere at that time, the state of medicine.
Highly recommended.
There is an excellent Author’s Note that describes the historical background for the book which is interesting and, in some cases, quite extensive.
Thank you to the author, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review.
The author has chosen four representatives of those caught up in all that happened who show and tell us what happened, first hand. There is Sally Henry Campbell, a young widow who uses her maiden name at times when it will get her needed attention as Patrick Henry’s daughter. She attended the play with her brother in law and his wife. Second, there is Cecily Patterson, a slave to a young woman, Marie Preston, but constantly beset by Marie’s older brother Elliott. She was Marie’s companion at the theater though, of course, they didn’t sit together. Third is Gilbert Hunt, a blacksmith, sneaking across town to visit his wife. Both are enslaved but with different owners. He is not at the theater though nearby. Lastly there is Jack Gibson, a boy working as a stage hand for the theater group. He hopes to become an actor one day. He’s in the middle of it. The fire breaks out during the performance while the house is packed with about six hundred people on three levels. They all rush to get out.
Working from historical records, Beanland has created an exciting, terrible and sad picture of what happened on that terrible night: exciting for the bravery shown, terrible for the loss of life and the awful injuries, sad for some of the behavior exhibited on the night and after. This is such a good novel, one that presents the realities of history, i.e. the place of black people in the southern United States and the status of women anywhere at that time, the state of medicine.
Highly recommended.
There is an excellent Author’s Note that describes the historical background for the book which is interesting and, in some cases, quite extensive.
Thank you to the author, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review.
October 9, 2022
This book is on FIRE!! A breathtaking, heart pounding, unputdownable, powerhouse of a historical fiction retelling the 1811 tragedy of the Richmond, Virginia theater fire that not only extinguished 72 lives, but extinguished a theater company from the town of Richmond.
The tale is meticulously researched and the fictional liberties taken were off of real people’s experiences through this dark tragedy.
Rachel Beanland provides you with a first class ticket to this terrifying tragedy, allowing you to be up close and personal in the lives of the people it affected. You visit the events from start to finish through the eyes of Sara, a young society widow, Jack, the teenage orphaned stage hand that’s working that night, Gilbert, a slave and uncle who runs toward the disaster to render aide, and his niece Cecily, and abused slave who decides the fire will change her fate in more ways than one.
This is a society that becomes more like a war within itself following this tragedy, and you will see how the choices we make or don’t make, the aide we render or don’t render, affects not just the people we run into, but the inner working of the town as a whole.
This is set in a time where certain voices were not heard or counted. Women. Slaves. Children. But Beanland lends a voice to them all, and allows you to be swept away in the madness, the courage and cowardice of the people, to the love, hate and even obsession of man, and the ability to either hold firmly to hope, or the ability to become hopeless.
These pages flew by and I connected with all the characters presented, good, bad, villainous, and even the wall flowers. This is a sweeping tale that will stay with you long after you close the book.
A definite 5/5 star read for me and one I highly recommend to anyone who loves historical fiction and loves to read a novel that invokes deep feelings in you.
Thank you so much to #NetGalley, the publishers and author for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. This is one that you should not miss.
Happy reading my friends! 😊
The tale is meticulously researched and the fictional liberties taken were off of real people’s experiences through this dark tragedy.
Rachel Beanland provides you with a first class ticket to this terrifying tragedy, allowing you to be up close and personal in the lives of the people it affected. You visit the events from start to finish through the eyes of Sara, a young society widow, Jack, the teenage orphaned stage hand that’s working that night, Gilbert, a slave and uncle who runs toward the disaster to render aide, and his niece Cecily, and abused slave who decides the fire will change her fate in more ways than one.
This is a society that becomes more like a war within itself following this tragedy, and you will see how the choices we make or don’t make, the aide we render or don’t render, affects not just the people we run into, but the inner working of the town as a whole.
This is set in a time where certain voices were not heard or counted. Women. Slaves. Children. But Beanland lends a voice to them all, and allows you to be swept away in the madness, the courage and cowardice of the people, to the love, hate and even obsession of man, and the ability to either hold firmly to hope, or the ability to become hopeless.
These pages flew by and I connected with all the characters presented, good, bad, villainous, and even the wall flowers. This is a sweeping tale that will stay with you long after you close the book.
A definite 5/5 star read for me and one I highly recommend to anyone who loves historical fiction and loves to read a novel that invokes deep feelings in you.
Thank you so much to #NetGalley, the publishers and author for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. This is one that you should not miss.
Happy reading my friends! 😊
January 29, 2023
4 stars Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon and Schuster for the free copy for review. This book publishes April 4, 2023.
If you like historical fiction you should love this book. It is based on a true event, mentions real people and even though it is a fictional account it convincingly tells the story of the Richmond Theater Fire of 1811.
The story is basically told by four people from their point of view, detailing how it effected their lives and the lives of the people surrounding them.
Sally Henry Campbell. a social elite, was in attendance the night of fire and was stuck on the third floor with her sister in law, when the staircase gave way.
Cecily Patterson, a Negro lady's maid had accompanied her charge to the theater and then was relegated to the Negro section. No one saw Cecily leave the theater with all the disruption of the fire and she had to decide if she was staying in her miserable position or if she was running and letting everyone think she had also died among the many others who perished.
Jack Gibson was a stagehand, new to the theater company, hoping for a permanent home with them. However, Jack had a major hand in starting the fire, quite by accident.
Gilbert Hunt is a Negro blacksmith, Cecily's uncle, who just happens to be in the right place at the right time. However this puts undue praise on Gilbert and causes more problems than he needs.
Each of these people see the Richmond Theater fire from a different perspective and their actions that night will make waves in, not only their own lives, but the lives of many others, in addition to becoming enmeshed with each other.
In the seven pages of authors notes Beanland accounts for her part of the story, the fictional part, while giving details of the historical nonfiction factual bases of the book.
I am happy I got an ARC of this book, I enjoyed it very much, and will be looking for the future works of Rachel Beanland.
If you like historical fiction you should love this book. It is based on a true event, mentions real people and even though it is a fictional account it convincingly tells the story of the Richmond Theater Fire of 1811.
The story is basically told by four people from their point of view, detailing how it effected their lives and the lives of the people surrounding them.
Sally Henry Campbell. a social elite, was in attendance the night of fire and was stuck on the third floor with her sister in law, when the staircase gave way.
Cecily Patterson, a Negro lady's maid had accompanied her charge to the theater and then was relegated to the Negro section. No one saw Cecily leave the theater with all the disruption of the fire and she had to decide if she was staying in her miserable position or if she was running and letting everyone think she had also died among the many others who perished.
Jack Gibson was a stagehand, new to the theater company, hoping for a permanent home with them. However, Jack had a major hand in starting the fire, quite by accident.
Gilbert Hunt is a Negro blacksmith, Cecily's uncle, who just happens to be in the right place at the right time. However this puts undue praise on Gilbert and causes more problems than he needs.
Each of these people see the Richmond Theater fire from a different perspective and their actions that night will make waves in, not only their own lives, but the lives of many others, in addition to becoming enmeshed with each other.
In the seven pages of authors notes Beanland accounts for her part of the story, the fictional part, while giving details of the historical nonfiction factual bases of the book.
I am happy I got an ARC of this book, I enjoyed it very much, and will be looking for the future works of Rachel Beanland.
April 5, 2023
Richmond, Virginia 1811. At the city’s only theatre, the Charleston-based company Placide & Green are getting ready to hold two performances on Boxing Day, first a play called, The Father and second a pantomime named Raymond and Agness. All three levels are packed for the nights performance, over six hundred people are in the playhouse, including children and they have no idea disaster is about to strike!
The story is told from the points of view of the four main characters, some are attending the performance, one is working back stage and two are slaves, one is watching from the coloured gallery and another helps rescue stranded patrons.
Sally Henry Campbell is a widow, she’s in one of the third floor boxes, with her sister-in-law Margaret and brother-in law Archie. Cecily Patterson is in the coloured gallery, she's happy to get away from her masters son for the night and she’s to meet her mistress Miss. Maria Price at a designated spot at the end. Jack Gibson is a teenage stage hand, he changes over the sets and props used in the production and he wants to be an actor. Gilbert Hunt is a coloured blacksmith, he dreams of no longer living apart from his wife Sara and them both being free.
When the theatre suddenly goes up in flames and in the chaos, Sally, Cecily, Jack and Gilbert have to make decisions quickly, some need to get out of the burning building and others help people leave, a couple look for survivors and nurse the injured afterwards. The fire spreads rapidly from the fly gallery, the people on the third floor are stranded, and most of them are women and some get knocked to the ground during the stampede. Based on the true story of the Richmond Theatre fire, it’s the first urban disaster in the United States and who’s to blame?
I received a copy of The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanland from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Once again Ms. Beanland has written a historical fiction masterpiece, using a real tragic event as a basis to create her narrative around and she does this perfectly. The author explains what caused the fire to start and the attempts made to cover it up and who the culprits tried to blame.
The characters are remarkable and unforgettable, and you’re given an idea of what it was like living in Richmond in the early 1800’s, on the night of the fire and afterwards. More women perished than men, many of the injured were nursed in nearby homes and at the time Richmond didn’t have a hospital. It’s a story about class, race, slavery, tragedy, bravery, loyalty, lies, redemption and the fight to survive and how two men became heroes. I highly recommend reading, The House Is on Fire and the authors previous book, Florence Adler Swims Forever and five big stars from me.
The story is told from the points of view of the four main characters, some are attending the performance, one is working back stage and two are slaves, one is watching from the coloured gallery and another helps rescue stranded patrons.
Sally Henry Campbell is a widow, she’s in one of the third floor boxes, with her sister-in-law Margaret and brother-in law Archie. Cecily Patterson is in the coloured gallery, she's happy to get away from her masters son for the night and she’s to meet her mistress Miss. Maria Price at a designated spot at the end. Jack Gibson is a teenage stage hand, he changes over the sets and props used in the production and he wants to be an actor. Gilbert Hunt is a coloured blacksmith, he dreams of no longer living apart from his wife Sara and them both being free.
When the theatre suddenly goes up in flames and in the chaos, Sally, Cecily, Jack and Gilbert have to make decisions quickly, some need to get out of the burning building and others help people leave, a couple look for survivors and nurse the injured afterwards. The fire spreads rapidly from the fly gallery, the people on the third floor are stranded, and most of them are women and some get knocked to the ground during the stampede. Based on the true story of the Richmond Theatre fire, it’s the first urban disaster in the United States and who’s to blame?
I received a copy of The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanland from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Once again Ms. Beanland has written a historical fiction masterpiece, using a real tragic event as a basis to create her narrative around and she does this perfectly. The author explains what caused the fire to start and the attempts made to cover it up and who the culprits tried to blame.
The characters are remarkable and unforgettable, and you’re given an idea of what it was like living in Richmond in the early 1800’s, on the night of the fire and afterwards. More women perished than men, many of the injured were nursed in nearby homes and at the time Richmond didn’t have a hospital. It’s a story about class, race, slavery, tragedy, bravery, loyalty, lies, redemption and the fight to survive and how two men became heroes. I highly recommend reading, The House Is on Fire and the authors previous book, Florence Adler Swims Forever and five big stars from me.
June 3, 2023
This was an interesting story of once again alerting me to a fact I was not aware of, the burning of the Placide & Green Company Theater, in Charleston It occurred in 1811 and the season of social soirees was in full swing. The theater company was putting a a play when it was noticed that the candle lit chandelier was still showing during a scene in a dark forest. Instructed to raise the chandelier and when it happens using a faulty pulley system, the theater goes up in flames. People are trapped inside, falling over one another to get to the outside.
In the end over one hundred people perished and then the finger pointing started.
The four main characters, Sally Campbell, recently widowed, Jack Gibson, a company worker hoping to attain a permanent job with the theater company, Cecily Patterson, a slave, looking for a few hours reprieve from a brutish son of her master, and Gilbert Hunt, black blacksmith, who runs into the fray hoping to be of service.
All of these people come together in a horrific tragedy to show what human nature is capable of.
This book is based on true happenings although much is fiction in the story, its effect is profound and interesting.
So, why only three stars. have to say it was the writing style. It, to me, seemed unemotional, as if the author was just reporting to the readers the details of a horrific tragedy.
I was not a great fan of Beanland's Florence Adler book so perhaps it is her way of writing that is the sticking point.
However, this incident was indeed a tragedy and required its telling.
Thank you fro Rachel Beanland, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for a copy of this story which published in April of this year.
December 17, 2023
Fascinating! I love it when I come across a historical fiction book that teaches me a new part of history. The audiobook was beautifully done with 4 narrators. The authors note was also a great bonus to the story. I’ll be thinking about this one for awhile!
September 24, 2023
The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland it is 1811 the day after Christmas. Couples are out and about. Enjoying their time alone, most without their little ones. The theater they say would be a great way to enjoy the day. They purchase their tickets. Snug and warm to enjoy a lively time. Little did they know the theater would catch fire. Immersing them all in a panic and chaotic state. This 5 star novel tells of the 1811 theater fire in Richmond, Va. like most disasters it did not discriminate between age, race or sex…Well in this case anyway, possibly age and race.
This wonderfully researched novel was unputdownable for sure! Not my first novel by Rachel Beanland, she showed societal divides between race and sex of it’s time. This will certainly not be my last. Well done!
This wonderfully researched novel was unputdownable for sure! Not my first novel by Rachel Beanland, she showed societal divides between race and sex of it’s time. This will certainly not be my last. Well done!
October 16, 2023
Six hundred people were packed into Virginia's Richmond Theater when the wooden structure went up in flames. Some backstage errors had resulted in the backdrop catching on fire. People were jumping out of second and third-story windows trying to escape the December 26, 1811 inferno, but seventy people died.
The fast-paced book follows four main characters in alternating short chapters. Jack Hudson is a stagehand and aspiring actor. Sally Henry Campbell is a widow who escapes from the theater, and helps nurse the burned and injured. Gilbert Hunt is an enslaved blacksmith whose heroic deeds saved many lives. Cecily Patterson is a slave who escaped from the theater, and decides to run away from her sexually abusive master, hoping that she will be assumed dead in the fire. It was ironic that the slave gallery was in the safer lower balcony, but the best box seats were on the third floor.
The theater company did not want to shoulder the blame for the fire so they concocted a story about a slave revolt. This is one of the many moral quandaries that are present in the story.
"The House is on Fire" is a character-driven story with a fast-moving plot based on an actual fire and many real historical figures including Jack, Sally, Gilbert, and Cecily. Rachel Beanland is an exciting storyteller who should not be missed.
The fast-paced book follows four main characters in alternating short chapters. Jack Hudson is a stagehand and aspiring actor. Sally Henry Campbell is a widow who escapes from the theater, and helps nurse the burned and injured. Gilbert Hunt is an enslaved blacksmith whose heroic deeds saved many lives. Cecily Patterson is a slave who escaped from the theater, and decides to run away from her sexually abusive master, hoping that she will be assumed dead in the fire. It was ironic that the slave gallery was in the safer lower balcony, but the best box seats were on the third floor.
The theater company did not want to shoulder the blame for the fire so they concocted a story about a slave revolt. This is one of the many moral quandaries that are present in the story.
"The House is on Fire" is a character-driven story with a fast-moving plot based on an actual fire and many real historical figures including Jack, Sally, Gilbert, and Cecily. Rachel Beanland is an exciting storyteller who should not be missed.
January 12, 2023
Through the lives of four people who survive a devastating fire, The House is on Fire transports readers to 1811 Richmond. The novel is a page-turner, with heartbreaking scenes inspired by historic events and people and the fire that destroyed a full theater.
There is Sally, a young widow, who attends the play with her best friend Margaret and Margaret’s husband. Cecily, a slave who accompanied her mistress to the theater. The teenage orphan Jack Gibson, stage hand for the theater troupe, and hopeful future actor. And slave blacksmith Gilbert Hunt, saving for his wife’s freedom.
The characters grapple with moral choices. During the conflagration, there are those who help others to get out and those who abandon family to save their own lives. Those who rescue victims and those who watch. Those who take responsibility for their actions and those who blame others.
Why does Sally continue to be surprised by the depravity of men? Perhaps because so much has been made of their civility? (…) These men have no consciences.
from The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland
Rachel Beanland doesn’t shrug away from the brutal truth of slavery. Gilbert’s second master enjoys his power, patrolling at night for slaves without a pass and runaways. Gilbert’s niece Cecily is abused by her master’s son, just as the master abused her mother. The slaves are easy targets for blame. Then, there is the free black healer, who identifies as Native American, who generously takes in victims of the fire, black and white.
The vivid writing of the disaster was disturbing, recalling 9-11. Bodies falling from second story windows, people stumbling out of the theater covered in white ash. Family members franticly searching for the missing. The burnt remains unidentifiable. A mass grave. In 1811, a broken bone meant amputation or gangrene. There were no DNA or dental records to identify bodies.
Jack’s Greek was never very good, but he remembers a bit of Aristotle, who was so concerned with the virtue of man. Virtue means doing the right thing, in relation to the right person, at the right time, to the right extent, in the right manner, and for the right purpose.
from The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland
As thrilling a read as this is, with wonderful characters, what impressed me most about the novel is the characters’ moral corruption or growth. It also shows how slavery distorted the conscience of men with too much power, while often the least powerful, the women and the slaves, display the most compassion and selflessness.
Thank you to Book Club Favorites' and Simon and Schuster for a free book.
There is Sally, a young widow, who attends the play with her best friend Margaret and Margaret’s husband. Cecily, a slave who accompanied her mistress to the theater. The teenage orphan Jack Gibson, stage hand for the theater troupe, and hopeful future actor. And slave blacksmith Gilbert Hunt, saving for his wife’s freedom.
The characters grapple with moral choices. During the conflagration, there are those who help others to get out and those who abandon family to save their own lives. Those who rescue victims and those who watch. Those who take responsibility for their actions and those who blame others.
Why does Sally continue to be surprised by the depravity of men? Perhaps because so much has been made of their civility? (…) These men have no consciences.
from The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland
Rachel Beanland doesn’t shrug away from the brutal truth of slavery. Gilbert’s second master enjoys his power, patrolling at night for slaves without a pass and runaways. Gilbert’s niece Cecily is abused by her master’s son, just as the master abused her mother. The slaves are easy targets for blame. Then, there is the free black healer, who identifies as Native American, who generously takes in victims of the fire, black and white.
The vivid writing of the disaster was disturbing, recalling 9-11. Bodies falling from second story windows, people stumbling out of the theater covered in white ash. Family members franticly searching for the missing. The burnt remains unidentifiable. A mass grave. In 1811, a broken bone meant amputation or gangrene. There were no DNA or dental records to identify bodies.
Jack’s Greek was never very good, but he remembers a bit of Aristotle, who was so concerned with the virtue of man. Virtue means doing the right thing, in relation to the right person, at the right time, to the right extent, in the right manner, and for the right purpose.
from The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland
As thrilling a read as this is, with wonderful characters, what impressed me most about the novel is the characters’ moral corruption or growth. It also shows how slavery distorted the conscience of men with too much power, while often the least powerful, the women and the slaves, display the most compassion and selflessness.
Thank you to Book Club Favorites' and Simon and Schuster for a free book.
April 12, 2023
It was Rachel Beanland's first book, Florence Adler Swims Forever, which led to my reading this one. Although both books are historical fiction, their similarity ends here.
"The House is on Fire" is about a historic fire which killed seventy two people in Richmond, Virginia in 1811. The novel follows several people who were at the city's theater, which burned down that fateful night. Six hundred people were in attendance. It's a story about living conditions during this period. Treatment of slaves and women feature prominently in the novel. A native American healer works nonstop in the aftermath of the fire to tend to the burn victims, using what we would consider to be primitive methods.
In the author's note at the end, Beanland writes that some of the characters are based upon real people. Her note is fascinating to read. Her careful research shows in crafting the novel. At times, I thought the writing was a bit dry, but I kept reading due to feeling involved with the characters. I wanted to know how their situations worked out.
It's not lost on me that I was reading this during Passover, the Jewish holiday which is in remembrance of slavery and the celebration of freedom. * Here in the U.S., last week two black state representatives to the Tennessee statehouse were stripped of their elected positions due to supporting the cause of gun control. This was in the aftermath of a mass shooting in a school in Nashville. The book is timely and illustrates racism's ugly roots.
Content Warning: Rape, Violence, Cruelty
4-12-23 Update: * As of today, both black state representatives have been reappointed by local officials in their districts to serve as interim legislators in the Tennessee statehouse. They both intend to run in special elections later this year for the positions they had lost.
"The House is on Fire" is about a historic fire which killed seventy two people in Richmond, Virginia in 1811. The novel follows several people who were at the city's theater, which burned down that fateful night. Six hundred people were in attendance. It's a story about living conditions during this period. Treatment of slaves and women feature prominently in the novel. A native American healer works nonstop in the aftermath of the fire to tend to the burn victims, using what we would consider to be primitive methods.
In the author's note at the end, Beanland writes that some of the characters are based upon real people. Her note is fascinating to read. Her careful research shows in crafting the novel. At times, I thought the writing was a bit dry, but I kept reading due to feeling involved with the characters. I wanted to know how their situations worked out.
It's not lost on me that I was reading this during Passover, the Jewish holiday which is in remembrance of slavery and the celebration of freedom. * Here in the U.S., last week two black state representatives to the Tennessee statehouse were stripped of their elected positions due to supporting the cause of gun control. This was in the aftermath of a mass shooting in a school in Nashville. The book is timely and illustrates racism's ugly roots.
Content Warning: Rape, Violence, Cruelty
4-12-23 Update: * As of today, both black state representatives have been reappointed by local officials in their districts to serve as interim legislators in the Tennessee statehouse. They both intend to run in special elections later this year for the positions they had lost.
April 2, 2023
Rachel Beanland, you have done it again. First it was Florence Adler Swims Forever, a historical fiction novel that revealed much 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/entr...
http://www.freesurnamesearch.com/sear... (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
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/entr...
http://www.freesurnamesearch.com/sear... (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
April 25, 2023
3.5 🔥🔥🔥
BINGO N 5 ✅
This was all right but obviously I am not feeling as lit up with enthusiasm as most of my friends who read this.
BINGO N 5 ✅
This was all right but obviously I am not feeling as lit up with enthusiasm as most of my friends who read this.
July 31, 2025
When asked for Play Book Tag, what is your favorite "category", I think the one that always emerges as the clear winner is "Thought Provoking." Which can mean a lot of things, and a lot of things to a lot of people. This book is one that is not simply an entertaining read. It makes you think. And consider yourself, and the moral, ethical, legal decisions you might or would make in an absolutely impossible situation.
I like it when books are not formulaic and they try something a little different. This one is no exception. Set in 1811, the book traces four people who were or may have been involved in a devastating fire in a theater located in Richmond Virginia. Told from four different points of view, we have a young widow socialite, an abused slave who sees a chance for freedom, another slave who understands he will never be free, and a young orphaned teenager, who wants to be a part of theater, and who is a huge part of how the fire began. The quintessential line, "The House is On Fire" actually belongs to him.
As the book traces the devastating events, the consequences that follow, and the choices that are made, each one of the individuals has to decide some incredibly complex moral questions. Or perhaps they are not complex at all, and its really about instinct and character, despite the impossible times in which one lives. Separate from the morality of slavery, and owning a person, which is heinous to contemplate to begin with, there are the questions of "Do you save yourself, or save others?" Do you step in to help, or do you sit back? Do you take responsibility, or allow others to take the fall for you? Do you make a problem worse or try to confront the rising tide of hatred? To whom are you indebted? How does one act in grief? What choices are made when everything is on the line? Who do you save? Do you have a moral compass, and how do you act and behave when that moral compass is pressed.
Everything to me these days is a reflection of the moral and humane challenge we currently face in the United States. I simply cannot separate it. The question of how we behave when the House is One Fire has everything to do with who we are as people. Do we stand up today to moral injustice? Do we allow nameless faceless others to take the blame for our own selfish greed? Do we trample others to make it out alive, or do we lend a helping hand? Are we the ones who put ourselves in danger to save others? Do we take responsibility? Do we speak truth to power? The book is unsettling on that front, as are the times we live in today. I have thought a lot about how to live during these times, and the answer I keep coming up with is this. We must be the people we wish others and our country to be. We must live our values and character by behaving in the way we believe to be correct, even if that places us in danger. Sometimes sacrificing ourselves for another, or coming close, is what is needed to put that change into consciousness. And that as people, especially as minority groups, we are connected. And we must live that way.
We must also find joy and connection amidst darker times. We simply cannot live in a space without music, and theater, and laughter, and art, and beauty. We must live with hope and resiliency and love, no matter our circumstances. We must always be the light. A very small amount of light always defeats the darkness, and each of us can be a pinprick. Together, we can be a beacon.
I like it when books are not formulaic and they try something a little different. This one is no exception. Set in 1811, the book traces four people who were or may have been involved in a devastating fire in a theater located in Richmond Virginia. Told from four different points of view, we have a young widow socialite, an abused slave who sees a chance for freedom, another slave who understands he will never be free, and a young orphaned teenager, who wants to be a part of theater, and who is a huge part of how the fire began. The quintessential line, "The House is On Fire" actually belongs to him.
As the book traces the devastating events, the consequences that follow, and the choices that are made, each one of the individuals has to decide some incredibly complex moral questions. Or perhaps they are not complex at all, and its really about instinct and character, despite the impossible times in which one lives. Separate from the morality of slavery, and owning a person, which is heinous to contemplate to begin with, there are the questions of "Do you save yourself, or save others?" Do you step in to help, or do you sit back? Do you take responsibility, or allow others to take the fall for you? Do you make a problem worse or try to confront the rising tide of hatred? To whom are you indebted? How does one act in grief? What choices are made when everything is on the line? Who do you save? Do you have a moral compass, and how do you act and behave when that moral compass is pressed.
Everything to me these days is a reflection of the moral and humane challenge we currently face in the United States. I simply cannot separate it. The question of how we behave when the House is One Fire has everything to do with who we are as people. Do we stand up today to moral injustice? Do we allow nameless faceless others to take the blame for our own selfish greed? Do we trample others to make it out alive, or do we lend a helping hand? Are we the ones who put ourselves in danger to save others? Do we take responsibility? Do we speak truth to power? The book is unsettling on that front, as are the times we live in today. I have thought a lot about how to live during these times, and the answer I keep coming up with is this. We must be the people we wish others and our country to be. We must live our values and character by behaving in the way we believe to be correct, even if that places us in danger. Sometimes sacrificing ourselves for another, or coming close, is what is needed to put that change into consciousness. And that as people, especially as minority groups, we are connected. And we must live that way.
We must also find joy and connection amidst darker times. We simply cannot live in a space without music, and theater, and laughter, and art, and beauty. We must live with hope and resiliency and love, no matter our circumstances. We must always be the light. A very small amount of light always defeats the darkness, and each of us can be a pinprick. Together, we can be a beacon.
January 30, 2024
I love fictional accounts of real events. Listened on audio and loved the narrators! Each character's story was woven into each other's but each stayed uniquely their own, and I was invested in each and every one of them. Great balance and representation of the oppression, slavery, and women being treated as property versus the human beings we all are. Many parallels between this time line (2 centuries ago) and what Americans still face today as far as inequality is concerned. Very grateful to my fellow library patron for the recommendation!!
January 3, 2024
The House is On Fire is based on a real fire, events and people that lived it.
This is a multi POV, historical fiction story that is unputdownable, immersive, and thought provoking. Each perspective adds such excellent and emotional insight to the events surrounding the fire that I couldn't decide which POV I liked best. The writing is fantastic in such a way that you will not have a problem keeping characters straight even with such a large cast.
This is a book about how women were treated as secondary citizens and slaves even less so. It is about unsung heroes and the more despicable parts of humanity. This is a book about standing up and doing whats right even when it isn't to their benefit. It is about how certain people were treated during this time period and the lack of rights given to them.
I thoroughly enjoyed this going in blind and not knowing what to expect, even though I did read the synopsis a bit of the ways in to gather further insight. It is one that will have you googling afterwards to know more about these historical figures.
This is a 4.5 star for me and one that stayed with me days after finishing it. Recommend! DO NOT MISS the full cast audio. I'm so glad I did it this way and it made the book even more immersive to me.
This is a multi POV, historical fiction story that is unputdownable, immersive, and thought provoking. Each perspective adds such excellent and emotional insight to the events surrounding the fire that I couldn't decide which POV I liked best. The writing is fantastic in such a way that you will not have a problem keeping characters straight even with such a large cast.
This is a book about how women were treated as secondary citizens and slaves even less so. It is about unsung heroes and the more despicable parts of humanity. This is a book about standing up and doing whats right even when it isn't to their benefit. It is about how certain people were treated during this time period and the lack of rights given to them.
I thoroughly enjoyed this going in blind and not knowing what to expect, even though I did read the synopsis a bit of the ways in to gather further insight. It is one that will have you googling afterwards to know more about these historical figures.
This is a 4.5 star for me and one that stayed with me days after finishing it. Recommend! DO NOT MISS the full cast audio. I'm so glad I did it this way and it made the book even more immersive to me.
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