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Fire Witch: Kate Claxton and the 1876 Brooklyn Theatre Inferno
Not yet published
Expected 6 Oct 26- GenresHistoryHistorical
272 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 6, 2026
About the author
Melanie Gall
10 books1 followerMelanie Gall is a professional musician and music historian who holds advanced degrees from several academic institutions, including Manhattan School of Music in New York, Mozarteum University in Salzburg, and Glenn Gould School in Toronto. Melanie is an internationally-acclaimed performer and has sung at Lincoln Center and Royal Albert Hall. She has also written several plays featuring historic music and “Ingenue,” about Deanna Durbin and Judy Garland, had a sold out Off-Broadway run at SoHo Playhouse and won a Best Musical Award at the Adelaide Festival. Melanie divides her time between Alberta, Canada and New York City. She also hosts the Savvy Girls Podcast with her sister.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 18, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Before reading this book, I had never heard of Kate Claxton before but I was curious how she came to be called the ‘Fire Witch’ which is exactly why I requested to read this in advance.
And let me tell you, even if you have never heard of her before, this book or more explicitly getting to know about Kate and her life will leave you want to know even more. The book made me realize just how much I love reading historical books. Especially through the way the story is told, one doesn’t really get tired of it. I would even go as far as saying that I was so hooked by all the facts presented, that if I would’ve had more time, I would’ve finished this in one setting. Besides being really well written, Kate’s life is generally such an interesting one, with so many twists and turns and up and downs, so if you want to learn more about women who were famous in their eras and lived quite a unique life this is just the one for you.
Moreover, I really liked the pace too and how reading this didn’t felt like being thrown into some sort of informational dump but rather felt like being slowly led into Kate’s life and getting to know her more and more with eacb chapter.
Overall, I can only recommend this one! 4 very solid stars from me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and voluntarily given review .
Before reading this book, I had never heard of Kate Claxton before but I was curious how she came to be called the ‘Fire Witch’ which is exactly why I requested to read this in advance.
And let me tell you, even if you have never heard of her before, this book or more explicitly getting to know about Kate and her life will leave you want to know even more. The book made me realize just how much I love reading historical books. Especially through the way the story is told, one doesn’t really get tired of it. I would even go as far as saying that I was so hooked by all the facts presented, that if I would’ve had more time, I would’ve finished this in one setting. Besides being really well written, Kate’s life is generally such an interesting one, with so many twists and turns and up and downs, so if you want to learn more about women who were famous in their eras and lived quite a unique life this is just the one for you.
Moreover, I really liked the pace too and how reading this didn’t felt like being thrown into some sort of informational dump but rather felt like being slowly led into Kate’s life and getting to know her more and more with eacb chapter.
Overall, I can only recommend this one! 4 very solid stars from me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and voluntarily given review .
Displaying 1 of 1 review