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A Fireproof Home for the Bride: A Novel
Emmaline Nelson and her sister Birdie grow up in the hard, cold rural Lutheran world of strict parents, strict milking times, and strict morals. Marriage is preordained, the groom practically predestined. Though it's 1958, southern Minnesota did not see changing roles for women on the horizon. Caught in a time bubble between a world war and the ferment of the 1960's, Emmy doesn't see that she has any say in her life, any choices at all. Only when Emmy's fiancé shows his true colors and forces himself on her does she find the courage to act—falling instead for a forbidden Catholic boy, a boy whose family seems warm and encouraging after the sere Nelson farm life. Not only moving to town and breaking free from her engagement but getting a job on the local newspaper begins to open Emmy's eyes. She discovers that the KKK is not only active in the Midwest but that her family is involved, and her sense of the firm rules she grew up under—and their effect—changes completely. Amy Scheibe's A FIREPROOF HOME FOR THE BRIDE has the charm of detail that will drop readers into its time and place: the home economics class lecture on cuts of meat, the group date to the diner, the small-town movie theater popcorn for a penny. It also has a love story—the wrong love giving way to the right—and most of all the pull of a great main character whose self-discovery sweeps the plot forward.
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2015
59 people are currently reading
2922 people want to read
About the author
Amy Scheibe
3 books33 followersI was born in Moorhead, Minnesota, but reared on a small farm in the southeast corner of North Dakota, seven miles from the hamlet of LaMoure. We raised cattle, sheep, chickens, and the occasional 4-H rabbit. After high school, I attended Minnesota State University Moorhead in the theater arts discipline for two years before taking a position as a nanny in East Rockaway, New York. Not long after, I began modeling and acting, but within a couple of years I decided to go back to school at Columbia University, from where I hold my BA in creative writing. This education provided me with the skills to make my living for many years as an editor in book publishing, where I edited such bright lights as David Rakoff, Anne Carson, Haven Kimmel, Jenny McPhee, Victoria Redel, Debra Marquart, Myla Goldberg, and Jill Soloway. With my second child came my first novel, What Do You Do All Day, and the desire to write full time. I co-wrote Laura Bennett’s hilarious memoir, Didn’t I Feed You Yesterday, and began work on A Fireproof Home for the Bride. Seven years, a move to the Catskills, and many free-lance projects later, I am thrilled to be back with St. Martin’s Press for my sophomore effort.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
March 5, 2015
2.5 I think this was a case of an author trying to do and cover too much. The first part of the book was rather slow, the last part was faster paced but I question so many bad things happening in one story. A bit of an overkill. Did like the history that was covered, never knew the KKK had a part in Minnesota's history. Lutheran strict upbringing and the woman seen and not heard bit made me want to throw something, so I did buy into the story. There was one historical mistake concerning Eleanor of Aquitaine that was hard to overlook, since I have read extensively on that part of history.
I did enjoy parts of this book, parts I felt were too unbelievable so for me this was an uneven reading experience.
ARC from NetGalley.
I did enjoy parts of this book, parts I felt were too unbelievable so for me this was an uneven reading experience.
ARC from NetGalley.
November 28, 2014
Just finished this book which is due to come on sale in March. While the title makes it sound like a romance , it is actually a complicated story about a young woman who was raised by a rigid mother in a highly religious and restrictive home in North Dakota in the 1950's. Growing up with a nearby neighborhood boy it is always assumed that they will marry and she will have the life she sees around her. But this is a smart young woman who knows there must be more to life. On a broader scale, this is a book about the damage that is done to people who are forced into molds in life that they don't fit.
Enough suspense to attract the fans of mysteries and thrillers. Wonderfully drawn characters, so real that you just want to reach out and slap some of them. Read straight through this book - highly recommended.
Enough suspense to attract the fans of mysteries and thrillers. Wonderfully drawn characters, so real that you just want to reach out and slap some of them. Read straight through this book - highly recommended.
June 12, 2015
I can say one thing ~ this author can write! It just got old after while.
I also wasn't sure what decade this girl was supposed to live in! It was 1958. Granted, her parents, in particular her mother, were Fundamentalist Lutherans. Emmy went to school, she read, and seemed to have a head on her shoulders, but... arranged marriage? She was 18 years old, and didn't know what a peacock was? And being so niave? No friends? As I said, she went to school, she didn't live in a bubble, or live under a rock. I just couldn't buy it.
Yes, the prose was beautiful, but after while, I just wanted the author to get on with it. I did not need a page and a half to tell me about her interpretation of a remark that someone made, segueing into whatever her imagination conjured up with a significant amount of similes, analogies, or how she thought she should react because of her religious background, or because her mother was not affectionate. Her grandmother was loving and kind, but never talked about her family. And I could go on and on and.... Well, you get the picture.
I'm not sure which direction the author was going either. There were so many issues and stories going on that it was too much. I think if the author had just stuck to a few issues it would have been better. As it was, instead of doing justice to a couple issues, addressing them accordingly, the story was a little thin in parts. And the boyfriend Bobby? Who couldn't get his story? I mean, seriously.
There was another issue I had. I was born and have lived in Wisconsin (almost) my entire life. Our weather is nearly identical to Minnesota. In my almost 65 years, I have NEVER, and I repeat, NEVER, have seen a hoarfrost, then before it melts, a snowstorm. I'm not sure it would even be meteorological possible. But, yes, this happened two or three times a winter? Hoarfrosts are not that frequent.
Thank goodness I am done with this book!
I also wasn't sure what decade this girl was supposed to live in! It was 1958. Granted, her parents, in particular her mother, were Fundamentalist Lutherans. Emmy went to school, she read, and seemed to have a head on her shoulders, but... arranged marriage? She was 18 years old, and didn't know what a peacock was? And being so niave? No friends? As I said, she went to school, she didn't live in a bubble, or live under a rock. I just couldn't buy it.
Yes, the prose was beautiful, but after while, I just wanted the author to get on with it. I did not need a page and a half to tell me about her interpretation of a remark that someone made, segueing into whatever her imagination conjured up with a significant amount of similes, analogies, or how she thought she should react because of her religious background, or because her mother was not affectionate. Her grandmother was loving and kind, but never talked about her family. And I could go on and on and.... Well, you get the picture.
I'm not sure which direction the author was going either. There were so many issues and stories going on that it was too much. I think if the author had just stuck to a few issues it would have been better. As it was, instead of doing justice to a couple issues, addressing them accordingly, the story was a little thin in parts. And the boyfriend Bobby? Who couldn't get his story? I mean, seriously.
There was another issue I had. I was born and have lived in Wisconsin (almost) my entire life. Our weather is nearly identical to Minnesota. In my almost 65 years, I have NEVER, and I repeat, NEVER, have seen a hoarfrost, then before it melts, a snowstorm. I'm not sure it would even be meteorological possible. But, yes, this happened two or three times a winter? Hoarfrosts are not that frequent.
Thank goodness I am done with this book!
March 10, 2015
I received an advanced reader's copy of this book and want you to know that I have marked "Bride" as another book I was unable to put down. This is Scheibe’s second book, the first being “What Do You Do All Day” and I found it to be a very interesting book about the coming of age during the mid-50s in the mid-west. Filled with enough romance, intrigue, and racial prejudices, it’s a book that will appeal to readers of all types of literature.
Centered around the life of main character, Emmeline, Scheibe does a wonderful job solidly creating characters that will either tear at your heart or fill you with anger. This book is full of so many raw emotions it will leave you feeling the joy, pain, and anger of the characters. In a time and space where one wouldn’t imagine arranged marriages, racial injustices, and social prejudices still existed, the characters of “Bride” find their lives ruled by the social mores of the day.
Although not an arranged marriage of the traditional sort, Emmeline’s family basically assumed that she would marry Ambrose when the time was right, thus merging the land holdings of both families into a much larger farm that would provide a more influential presence in the community. However, because of the expectations and pressures of their families and a desire to know more about life before becoming committed to just one person, 18 year old Emmy breaks off her engagement with Ambrose and moves out of the family home.
On her own, she discovers family members and their histories and unpleasant facts about Klan activity in the community, but most importantly, she discovers herself and what she is truly capable of doing. At a time when women were expected to get married and have children, Emmy finds her true calling in investigative reporting for the local newspaper. With the help of one of the reporters, she is able to uncover and expose the activities of some of the seamier residents of the community.
In a book that is as interesting to read as it is compelling, Scheibe has boldly hit on subjects often thought of as taboo and off-limits for people of the 50s, where such things didn’t exist (really?) or, if they did, certainly weren’t talked about. In my opinion, this book is well worth the read.
Centered around the life of main character, Emmeline, Scheibe does a wonderful job solidly creating characters that will either tear at your heart or fill you with anger. This book is full of so many raw emotions it will leave you feeling the joy, pain, and anger of the characters. In a time and space where one wouldn’t imagine arranged marriages, racial injustices, and social prejudices still existed, the characters of “Bride” find their lives ruled by the social mores of the day.
Although not an arranged marriage of the traditional sort, Emmeline’s family basically assumed that she would marry Ambrose when the time was right, thus merging the land holdings of both families into a much larger farm that would provide a more influential presence in the community. However, because of the expectations and pressures of their families and a desire to know more about life before becoming committed to just one person, 18 year old Emmy breaks off her engagement with Ambrose and moves out of the family home.
On her own, she discovers family members and their histories and unpleasant facts about Klan activity in the community, but most importantly, she discovers herself and what she is truly capable of doing. At a time when women were expected to get married and have children, Emmy finds her true calling in investigative reporting for the local newspaper. With the help of one of the reporters, she is able to uncover and expose the activities of some of the seamier residents of the community.
In a book that is as interesting to read as it is compelling, Scheibe has boldly hit on subjects often thought of as taboo and off-limits for people of the 50s, where such things didn’t exist (really?) or, if they did, certainly weren’t talked about. In my opinion, this book is well worth the read.
March 6, 2016
Emmy Nelson, an eighteen year old girl from Minnesota, has her life planned out by her parents and she has no say in her own life. It's 1958, and her parents rule her world; in fact, they have plans to marry her off to Ambrose Brann, a family friend, whom she has known her whole life. This would be all well and good, except Emmy's family has recently moved to a town and she realizes there is so much more to life than being a farmer's wife. One teacher in particular has inspired her to reach higher and she realizes that not everyone lives the way she does with smothering parents and oppressive rules. As Emmy's horizons expand, she is able to go on her first date, go to a party and even get her first job at the switchboard for her local newspaper. Also, as Emmy's learns more about herself and life, she then remembers at the end of this she is to marry Ambrose. Ambrose was an ok guy when they were kids, but now he is a much older man that has strange notions. Not only is he extremely conservative, he is sexist, racist, and violent at times. Emmy wants more for her life, more than Ambrose and his farm, but what can she do? How will she get out of this cage her parents created? A Fireproof Home for the Bride by Amy Scheibe is an entertaining glimpse into rural conservative life in the late 1950s as well as a captivating coming of age tale. I was on the edge of my seat with worry for Emmy and was desperate for her to spread her wings and fly far away from it all.
Read the rest of my review here:
http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
Read the rest of my review here:
http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
January 11, 2017
3.5 stars. This was a good read. Thought it was interesting that Emmy's dad was way more supportive of her than her mom.
December 23, 2014
I read an ARC of this book from Bookbrowse.
Amy Scheibe's tale of racial and ethnic discrimination in the upper Midwest of the 1950s is a great read for the last 100 pages - but the first 267 are a slog, poorly paced with wooden characters and little plot direction. Is it a coming of age story? A love story? A murder mystery? Hard to tell -and since the author sets up all of these possibilities, the direction of the story is unclear and the plot has little sense of dramatic tension. Scheibe finally decides which story she wants to emphasize and the book ends well, but had I not been reading this to review it, I would never have read that far.
June 7, 2024
Okay I enjoyed the book in that I wasn’t sure where it was going a lot of the time, which is nice! But like…were Bobby and Pete gay??? I’m genuinely so confused by that whole friendship and subplot I’m just looking for answers lmao
June 16, 2015
Emmy Nelson's life was already planned. She was raised in a fairly strict and religious household, never questioning her parents nor her faith. She was to be married to Ambrose Brann and settle into life as his farm wife. This prospect for her future did not excite her, but she accepted it. After a fun evening out with friends, she began to see that the world was much bigger than she thought and there may be more to the life than settling for what she was told she must be. After a frightful evening out with Ambrose, Emmy broke off her engagement and moved away from her parents home. She got a job and began to experience some of the freedom and independence that she had only recently begun to dream about.
While all of these things and more were going on with Emmy, there were stirrings in Minnesota in the late 1950's: religious divide, class divide, racial divide, and gender equality issues were all brewing in this rural area. It took a couple of chapters to become fully invested in exactly what was going on, but once I did, I WAS RIVETED. I love the way that Emmy's coming-of-age was woven into the rest of what was going on outside of the walls of her home, how she played increasingly important roles in certain events as she realized her importance to her family and to the community and in general. And to herself.
Emmy did not want to be told what she should do with her future nor how she should feel. She wanted to think and feel for herself. The very culture of the area didn't dictate this as a norm, however. The standards of the area were that it was permissible not only to pre-decide on marriages for your children, but the gender norms from back in the 1950's supported basically everything that Emmy wanted to fight against. So here we have this young main character that wants to fight against the system that everyone else in the area seems to be falling to, and it is brilliant.
There is a group that begins to stir and talk and speak, beginning early in the book -- and, yes, it includes Ambrose. These men despised anyone not like themselves; they tried to rally the community around their own beliefs, trying to drive out anyone that was different, anyone they deemed un-American in their ideals. Unfortunately some of the members of this group were important players in Emmy's life, which is interestingly part of what helped to push Emmy to become more independent - she realized that sometimes people aren't who we think they are and that sometimes things are not as they seem. This created distrust, which is what encouraged her to be more independent, which is really a huge theme of this book.
The writing is very descriptive, which is why it felt like it took me a little while to finish this story. It is beautifully executed in terms of setting and I absolutely loved the change of pace of this lush Minnesota farming community. I love the characterization equally so. The cast is so robust and developed - all of them, the good guys and the bad guys. Sidenote: I also love that there is a map included because I referred to it so many times as the story moved around through various places in the community.
Regarding the romance aspect in this story: this is the part of the book that I think surprised me most. There is romance throughout the book, even as everything else is occurring. The romance storyline is something that I could not consider conventional, meaning it isn't really what you think. I went into the story thinking one thing and was surprised a few times with regard to the love interests. I enjoyed this - I honestly did not love every single thing that occurred between the love interests and in the romantic scenes, but readers are not supposed to. As with everything else in the book, the romantic portion of the story and of Emmy's life is all part of her growing-up, her coming-of-age, and I love how it added to everything else to fit together and make the whole of who she was at the end of the book. The Emmy at the beginning vs. the Emmy at the end - I love the growth, and I love the fact that Emmy had no clue at the beginning that she would embark on such a journey.
I think that there is so much in this story that it would appeal to almost anyone that enjoys adult fiction, as long as they can be patient with the beginning and set-up. I would consider rereading this one for sure, especially given the coming-of-age and the way Emmy embraced her role of growing independence. I'm excited that my curiosity for this particular setting and time period paid off in such a large way - this is a great book.
Read my full review HERE at Into the Hall of Books.
While all of these things and more were going on with Emmy, there were stirrings in Minnesota in the late 1950's: religious divide, class divide, racial divide, and gender equality issues were all brewing in this rural area. It took a couple of chapters to become fully invested in exactly what was going on, but once I did, I WAS RIVETED. I love the way that Emmy's coming-of-age was woven into the rest of what was going on outside of the walls of her home, how she played increasingly important roles in certain events as she realized her importance to her family and to the community and in general. And to herself.
Emmy did not want to be told what she should do with her future nor how she should feel. She wanted to think and feel for herself. The very culture of the area didn't dictate this as a norm, however. The standards of the area were that it was permissible not only to pre-decide on marriages for your children, but the gender norms from back in the 1950's supported basically everything that Emmy wanted to fight against. So here we have this young main character that wants to fight against the system that everyone else in the area seems to be falling to, and it is brilliant.
There is a group that begins to stir and talk and speak, beginning early in the book -- and, yes, it includes Ambrose. These men despised anyone not like themselves; they tried to rally the community around their own beliefs, trying to drive out anyone that was different, anyone they deemed un-American in their ideals. Unfortunately some of the members of this group were important players in Emmy's life, which is interestingly part of what helped to push Emmy to become more independent - she realized that sometimes people aren't who we think they are and that sometimes things are not as they seem. This created distrust, which is what encouraged her to be more independent, which is really a huge theme of this book.
The writing is very descriptive, which is why it felt like it took me a little while to finish this story. It is beautifully executed in terms of setting and I absolutely loved the change of pace of this lush Minnesota farming community. I love the characterization equally so. The cast is so robust and developed - all of them, the good guys and the bad guys. Sidenote: I also love that there is a map included because I referred to it so many times as the story moved around through various places in the community.
Regarding the romance aspect in this story: this is the part of the book that I think surprised me most. There is romance throughout the book, even as everything else is occurring. The romance storyline is something that I could not consider conventional, meaning it isn't really what you think. I went into the story thinking one thing and was surprised a few times with regard to the love interests. I enjoyed this - I honestly did not love every single thing that occurred between the love interests and in the romantic scenes, but readers are not supposed to. As with everything else in the book, the romantic portion of the story and of Emmy's life is all part of her growing-up, her coming-of-age, and I love how it added to everything else to fit together and make the whole of who she was at the end of the book. The Emmy at the beginning vs. the Emmy at the end - I love the growth, and I love the fact that Emmy had no clue at the beginning that she would embark on such a journey.
I think that there is so much in this story that it would appeal to almost anyone that enjoys adult fiction, as long as they can be patient with the beginning and set-up. I would consider rereading this one for sure, especially given the coming-of-age and the way Emmy embraced her role of growing independence. I'm excited that my curiosity for this particular setting and time period paid off in such a large way - this is a great book.
Read my full review HERE at Into the Hall of Books.
March 31, 2015
Several of my friends have recently posted they are looking for book recommendations for Sprint Break or Summer. Here is a review I wrote for a book I am recommending.
Full disclosure, I’m related to the author and this book is connected to my relatives. I have also read Amy’s first book, and while I enjoyed it very much, this one is very different.
That being said, I loved this book! Born in the 70s and growing up on the west coast, it took me a couple of chapters to get into this very different time, place, and way of life. But once I did, I was completely behind Emmy and her journey to figure out who she was and who she wanted to become.
I appreciated Emmy’s struggle to leave everything she had grown up with in order to seek out a different kind of life even though it was unknown to her. Although it was not a central theme to the story, I also appreciated how she wrestled with her faith, what she had been taught to believe all her life, whether or not there was truth in another religion/denomination, and how a loving God could allow people to hurt other people.
Complicated family relationships, women’s roles and rights, racial tension, domestic abuse, navigating love, and becoming an adult are all themes included in this book. I was so eager as I approached the end of the book to find resolution. But then I was so sad that it had to end.
However, nothing prepared me for the Acknowledgements at the end of the book. Normally this is a page or two of thanking people I have never heard of. But as I read through this one, I realized that the women in my family who have served as role models, trail blazers, and inspiration for me to be the woman I am today, were the very fabric that was woven together to create the characters of Emmy and Josephine. I was overcome with emotion and thankfulness. The women in my family are so strong and awesome! I only knew a few of the women mentioned personally, but the influence on my life by my Great Aunt Evie, Great Aunt June, Cathy Scheibe and even Amy Scheibe are profound. And it is easy to trace my love of readying back to my family.
Full disclosure, I’m related to the author and this book is connected to my relatives. I have also read Amy’s first book, and while I enjoyed it very much, this one is very different.
That being said, I loved this book! Born in the 70s and growing up on the west coast, it took me a couple of chapters to get into this very different time, place, and way of life. But once I did, I was completely behind Emmy and her journey to figure out who she was and who she wanted to become.
I appreciated Emmy’s struggle to leave everything she had grown up with in order to seek out a different kind of life even though it was unknown to her. Although it was not a central theme to the story, I also appreciated how she wrestled with her faith, what she had been taught to believe all her life, whether or not there was truth in another religion/denomination, and how a loving God could allow people to hurt other people.
Complicated family relationships, women’s roles and rights, racial tension, domestic abuse, navigating love, and becoming an adult are all themes included in this book. I was so eager as I approached the end of the book to find resolution. But then I was so sad that it had to end.
However, nothing prepared me for the Acknowledgements at the end of the book. Normally this is a page or two of thanking people I have never heard of. But as I read through this one, I realized that the women in my family who have served as role models, trail blazers, and inspiration for me to be the woman I am today, were the very fabric that was woven together to create the characters of Emmy and Josephine. I was overcome with emotion and thankfulness. The women in my family are so strong and awesome! I only knew a few of the women mentioned personally, but the influence on my life by my Great Aunt Evie, Great Aunt June, Cathy Scheibe and even Amy Scheibe are profound. And it is easy to trace my love of readying back to my family.
December 23, 2014
The time: the 1950s; the setting: small Midwestern towns in Minnesota and North Dakota.
Emmeline Nelson is our main character, and almost from the very first moments, I could feel for her plight. Controlling family, a husband already picked out for her, and all the options closed.
I have lived some of that life, except for the specific husband picked out.
But another point where mine and Emmeline's differ is that under the surface of the world she had known were secrets, betrayals, hatred, and racism. Deep, dark racism.
Turning the pages of "A Fireproof Home for the Bride: A Novel," I could not wait to see what would happen next, even as I wanted to throw things and shout at some of the characters, like Ambrose Brann, the fiancé, who showed his dark side almost immediately.
What would Emmy have to do to extricate herself from the strictures of the life planned out for her? Who would help her, and what would be the consequences? And how would the forbidden love of Bobby Doyle change her life, and would he be the one? How did the KKK figure into the lives of those closest to Emmy, and what did Ambrose have to do with it? How did the string of fires connect to the past and to the dark future planned by a nefarious group?
As Emmy struggles to find her place in the world as a writer for the newspaper, the answers will come to her.
I really enjoyed her Great Aunt Josephine, who was the kind of woman that would inspire a young girl like Emmy. And in the end, Christian, her father, turned out to be a sympathetic character, and the detached mother Karin had her own painful past. But the surprising rush of more unexpected connections would bring this intriguing story to a satisfactory close. 4.0 stars, primarily because some of the prose felt stilted to me; the story behind it was very captivating, however.
Emmeline Nelson is our main character, and almost from the very first moments, I could feel for her plight. Controlling family, a husband already picked out for her, and all the options closed.
I have lived some of that life, except for the specific husband picked out.
But another point where mine and Emmeline's differ is that under the surface of the world she had known were secrets, betrayals, hatred, and racism. Deep, dark racism.
Turning the pages of "A Fireproof Home for the Bride: A Novel," I could not wait to see what would happen next, even as I wanted to throw things and shout at some of the characters, like Ambrose Brann, the fiancé, who showed his dark side almost immediately.
What would Emmy have to do to extricate herself from the strictures of the life planned out for her? Who would help her, and what would be the consequences? And how would the forbidden love of Bobby Doyle change her life, and would he be the one? How did the KKK figure into the lives of those closest to Emmy, and what did Ambrose have to do with it? How did the string of fires connect to the past and to the dark future planned by a nefarious group?
As Emmy struggles to find her place in the world as a writer for the newspaper, the answers will come to her.
I really enjoyed her Great Aunt Josephine, who was the kind of woman that would inspire a young girl like Emmy. And in the end, Christian, her father, turned out to be a sympathetic character, and the detached mother Karin had her own painful past. But the surprising rush of more unexpected connections would bring this intriguing story to a satisfactory close. 4.0 stars, primarily because some of the prose felt stilted to me; the story behind it was very captivating, however.
January 8, 2015
This book started fairly slow for me, and I wasn't quite sure of where it was going. But after it "set the stage" giving some background on the people and families involved, it really took off then. It went down a road I never would have suspected.
Set in the mid-west in the 50s, the story revolves around young Emmeline Nelson, raised in a strict religious (Lutheran) home. It has been concluded that she will marry young Ambrose whom she has known all her life. But then she meets Bobby, a handsome Catholic boy. Now her world will never be the same again. Did she want it to be the same? She feels drawn to the local newspaper and wants to be a journalist. Her family and Ambrose are totally against it. Emmeline starts to research a couple of fires that took place in her small town. She thinks there is a common thread between them. She starts digging and uncovers some shocking truths about her family and people she thought she knew.
Having grown up in the South in a poor family, many of the scenes in the book took me back to my childhood. The writing is very descriptive. I found myself totally immersed into the story.
Set in the mid-west in the 50s, the story revolves around young Emmeline Nelson, raised in a strict religious (Lutheran) home. It has been concluded that she will marry young Ambrose whom she has known all her life. But then she meets Bobby, a handsome Catholic boy. Now her world will never be the same again. Did she want it to be the same? She feels drawn to the local newspaper and wants to be a journalist. Her family and Ambrose are totally against it. Emmeline starts to research a couple of fires that took place in her small town. She thinks there is a common thread between them. She starts digging and uncovers some shocking truths about her family and people she thought she knew.
Having grown up in the South in a poor family, many of the scenes in the book took me back to my childhood. The writing is very descriptive. I found myself totally immersed into the story.
January 29, 2015
With saga after saga set in Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, New England, Charleston, the Hampton’s, the Outer Banks and other familiar, postcard-perfect American locations, it’s refreshing to find an engrossing historical novel that takes place in the quieter splendor of Minnesota and North Dakota. Amy Scheibe artfully reflects Upper Midwestern repression in an era that begins in 1952 and extends over a period of years when suspicion ran deep between the strict, dominant Lutheran culture and the oppressed Roman Catholic minority. It's easy to forget that not that long ago such anti-Catholic sentiment was not uncommon, and of special note given today's attitudes toward Muslims.
After Emmaline Nelson is all but betrothed by her parents to the farm boy next door, she begins a quiet rebellion that leads to a deep, first love; newfound confidence and a professional calling. The revelation of family secrets and a surprising and ugly display of racial unrest round out the plot in this well-researched book. The author, a New Yorker transplanted from the Upper Midwest and a former editor at a distinguished publishing house, deserves kudos for staying true to her roots.
After Emmaline Nelson is all but betrothed by her parents to the farm boy next door, she begins a quiet rebellion that leads to a deep, first love; newfound confidence and a professional calling. The revelation of family secrets and a surprising and ugly display of racial unrest round out the plot in this well-researched book. The author, a New Yorker transplanted from the Upper Midwest and a former editor at a distinguished publishing house, deserves kudos for staying true to her roots.
June 4, 2015
I really liked this book. It is the story of Emmaline Nelson a teenager growing up in small town North Dakota in the 1950's. It is a well written coming of age story in which she struggles to overcome a very restrictive mother to become a well rounded and assertive young lady. She learns about things like racism, anti Catholicism and a somewhat dark family history. She is a very sympathetic heroine and you can't help but hope that she makes the right decisions in her life. The characters are very well developed and realistic.
May 23, 2015
Very good read. First the main character was Emmy so I was drawn in because that's my youngest daughter's name. But the novel was good and held my interest. It had just enough intrigue to keep me reading and the setting was Fargo/Moorhead. The author grew up in Minnesota but now lives in California.
July 11, 2016
Interesting. I read this book immediately after finishing The Secret Life of Violet Grant. The similarities are startling. For some reason, I enjoyed this one a bit more. Both are pretty light and predictable. Books that would be welcome finds on the shelf of a beach rental house, but not memorable.
March 29, 2015
fantastic book!! Five + stars.
If you were born and raised in Fargo-Moorhead, Dilworth, etc., this is a must read. If you spent your summers in the "lakes area" this is a must read!
If you were born and raised in Fargo-Moorhead, Dilworth, etc., this is a must read. If you spent your summers in the "lakes area" this is a must read!
March 28, 2015
Intriguing, Emotional, Gripping & Riveting! I Loved It!
June 5, 2017
This novel was absorbing and atmospheric. I was immediately drawn in by the main character and the locale of the book. The story unravelled to much more than a coming of age story for a young woman maturing in the rural midwest. This book tackles some big themes, many of which seem all to present today. It was fast moving, engrossing and beautifully written!
March 24, 2019
An exciting story to me as I grew up in Moorhead - I was 13 in 1958. Most of the events, places, and names are based in reality. Lots of small town intrigue swirling around our young protagonist, Emmaline.
Emmy’s struggle coming into her own is represented by the symbol/image of sewing. Both she and her mother sew; Emmy sews for Josephine; her mother surprises Emmy with a nearly complete wedding dress. The crux of Emmy’s story is encapsulated in an extended metaphor:
“...marriages were entered into, and like a garment cut for sewing, each rule had to be laid out, pinned, and adjusted until everything came together to create something whole. If she could picture Ambrose’s warning as merely a sleeve or a placket, then perhaps she could find a way to set down a stitch or two of her own.” Was her future sewn up?
Emmy’s struggle coming into her own is represented by the symbol/image of sewing. Both she and her mother sew; Emmy sews for Josephine; her mother surprises Emmy with a nearly complete wedding dress. The crux of Emmy’s story is encapsulated in an extended metaphor:
“...marriages were entered into, and like a garment cut for sewing, each rule had to be laid out, pinned, and adjusted until everything came together to create something whole. If she could picture Ambrose’s warning as merely a sleeve or a placket, then perhaps she could find a way to set down a stitch or two of her own.” Was her future sewn up?
June 11, 2019
There was a lot to this book, I felt as though there was almost too much. There were a few plot lines that trailed off and details that were too vague for me. It was still very enjoyable, I just wish there had been more depth to it!
November 16, 2024
A super strong coming of age story set in the 50s and 60s, and I really loved the book overall. However, I felt like towards the end, there was almost too much going on at once, that some of the storylines felt rushed or empty. I enjoyed the historical fiction portions of the story a lot.
February 8, 2015
a fireproof home for the bride
by
amy scheibe
The main and most important characters in this book...
This book revolved around Emmaline Nelson...Emmy...and her family, friends, and neighbors. The time frame for this book was the mid 1950's and the location...the setting...for this book was Southern Minnesota.
My very brief story summary that includes bits and bobs from the beginning, middle and end of this book...
Emmy lived within the boundaries of a very strict church going Lutheran family. Her mother seemed cold and frugal with her husband...Christian...her daughters and her life. Actually she was frugal with everything. My impression was that Emmy was lost in a black and white austerely cold environment. Food without flavor, clothes without color and a life without fulfillment. She was betrothed to a neighbor...Ambrose...and headed for a life similar to her mother's...and then...she gets the courage to leave her home and stop allowing others...especially the creepy/controlling Ambrose...to influence her.
My actual most favorite part of this book...
My favorite part of this book was the slow awakening of Emmy. She carefully began to question everything. She finds out about a wonderful aunt that she has never even known about. She breaks off her betrothal...she begins to work at a newspaper, she makes a red checked colorful gingham skirt...she hangs out with Catholics, she dances, she begins to live! I write this casually but for Emmy to escape this life...was absolutely a powerful thing. Her father...though quiet...always seemed to be silently approving of her choices.
Then there is the dark side of this book...the Ku Klux Klan part...I had no idea that this was a part of this part of the country...there was an evil in some of these people...mostly men who professed to be good church going men. These men...one in particular...had hidden sexual perversions and depravities for years. That and cross burnings and burning businesses owned by anyone they perceived to be "different"...that was the dark side...we could probably add fiancé abusing, wife mistreatment and rape to the list of dark things, too.
My actual true feelings about this book and whether or not other potential readers will enjoy it...
I loved this book...it was filled with family issues...and relationships that were tangled as well as complex. Emmy is the star of this book. It was enthralling to watch her grow. I cheered for every step she took that led her to her own personal independence...she followed her inner voice and it usually took her in the direction she should be heading in.
There was danger and mystery and a ton of people who needed to wake up in this book...especially Emmy's mother and sister. Readers who love this kind of family saga...should love this book!
by
amy scheibe
The main and most important characters in this book...
This book revolved around Emmaline Nelson...Emmy...and her family, friends, and neighbors. The time frame for this book was the mid 1950's and the location...the setting...for this book was Southern Minnesota.
My very brief story summary that includes bits and bobs from the beginning, middle and end of this book...
Emmy lived within the boundaries of a very strict church going Lutheran family. Her mother seemed cold and frugal with her husband...Christian...her daughters and her life. Actually she was frugal with everything. My impression was that Emmy was lost in a black and white austerely cold environment. Food without flavor, clothes without color and a life without fulfillment. She was betrothed to a neighbor...Ambrose...and headed for a life similar to her mother's...and then...she gets the courage to leave her home and stop allowing others...especially the creepy/controlling Ambrose...to influence her.
My actual most favorite part of this book...
My favorite part of this book was the slow awakening of Emmy. She carefully began to question everything. She finds out about a wonderful aunt that she has never even known about. She breaks off her betrothal...she begins to work at a newspaper, she makes a red checked colorful gingham skirt...she hangs out with Catholics, she dances, she begins to live! I write this casually but for Emmy to escape this life...was absolutely a powerful thing. Her father...though quiet...always seemed to be silently approving of her choices.
Then there is the dark side of this book...the Ku Klux Klan part...I had no idea that this was a part of this part of the country...there was an evil in some of these people...mostly men who professed to be good church going men. These men...one in particular...had hidden sexual perversions and depravities for years. That and cross burnings and burning businesses owned by anyone they perceived to be "different"...that was the dark side...we could probably add fiancé abusing, wife mistreatment and rape to the list of dark things, too.
My actual true feelings about this book and whether or not other potential readers will enjoy it...
I loved this book...it was filled with family issues...and relationships that were tangled as well as complex. Emmy is the star of this book. It was enthralling to watch her grow. I cheered for every step she took that led her to her own personal independence...she followed her inner voice and it usually took her in the direction she should be heading in.
There was danger and mystery and a ton of people who needed to wake up in this book...especially Emmy's mother and sister. Readers who love this kind of family saga...should love this book!
May 19, 2015
Originally reviewed at Novel Escapes
I’d read a few reviews before picking up this novel (not good practice I know and very unlike me) and so I was prepared for the onset of the story to be slow. I have to agree with others that the pace didn’t pick up until a quarter of the way into the story. However, there is very good reason for the slow start. Emmy isn’t living a fast paced existence in the beginning of this novel and it therefore makes perfect sense that the narration is somewhat sluggish. Like her life and prospects ahead the vision in front of her is a slow-moving sludge rather than a free-flowing river.
I appreciated this only once I got into the story though and admit that I pushed myself to keep reading (again, due to the fabulous reader reviews) and am so very glad I did. I’m no expert on the period or the area so any historical liberties or misplaced facts slipped right past me. I was entirely caught up in the life of Emmy and the awakening of her own desires. It was indeed a peculiar time to be coming of age in small-town America - a time when religion still dominated the landscape and ones parents planned out one’s life- it was valuable to try to place myself in Emmy’s shoes. Her refusal to accept the man she’s been planned for was a relief but I liked that Amy Scheibe didn’t rush this part- it was done methodically with as much back and forth as one would expect. I would have hated for her to suddenly up and change her life without a second thought- it would have never given credibility to the character of Emmy.
The remainder of the novel took a number of twists and turns as Emmy uncovered not only her own self but her family’s secrets and history. I found the story plausible (though perhaps a touch convoluted) and it was made more realistic by the family members who come into Emmy’s life. I ached for her aunt Josephine as well as her father and even her mother and sister were characters I was fond of in the end. I also was impressed with the subtle storyline surrounding Bobby- it was well executed without becoming another “big” thing.
A great book- if you find yourself less than attached to Emmy at the start please keep reading!
Thank you to St Martin's Press for our review copy. All opinions are our own.
I’d read a few reviews before picking up this novel (not good practice I know and very unlike me) and so I was prepared for the onset of the story to be slow. I have to agree with others that the pace didn’t pick up until a quarter of the way into the story. However, there is very good reason for the slow start. Emmy isn’t living a fast paced existence in the beginning of this novel and it therefore makes perfect sense that the narration is somewhat sluggish. Like her life and prospects ahead the vision in front of her is a slow-moving sludge rather than a free-flowing river.
I appreciated this only once I got into the story though and admit that I pushed myself to keep reading (again, due to the fabulous reader reviews) and am so very glad I did. I’m no expert on the period or the area so any historical liberties or misplaced facts slipped right past me. I was entirely caught up in the life of Emmy and the awakening of her own desires. It was indeed a peculiar time to be coming of age in small-town America - a time when religion still dominated the landscape and ones parents planned out one’s life- it was valuable to try to place myself in Emmy’s shoes. Her refusal to accept the man she’s been planned for was a relief but I liked that Amy Scheibe didn’t rush this part- it was done methodically with as much back and forth as one would expect. I would have hated for her to suddenly up and change her life without a second thought- it would have never given credibility to the character of Emmy.
The remainder of the novel took a number of twists and turns as Emmy uncovered not only her own self but her family’s secrets and history. I found the story plausible (though perhaps a touch convoluted) and it was made more realistic by the family members who come into Emmy’s life. I ached for her aunt Josephine as well as her father and even her mother and sister were characters I was fond of in the end. I also was impressed with the subtle storyline surrounding Bobby- it was well executed without becoming another “big” thing.
A great book- if you find yourself less than attached to Emmy at the start please keep reading!
Thank you to St Martin's Press for our review copy. All opinions are our own.
March 9, 2016
Disclosure -- I received this book from the Goodreads First Reader program in exchange for ah honest review.
No problem, great books are always a pleasure to review. I was hooked from the start with Emmy and her family of the mid-50's. As a baby boomer myself, I could identify with the customs and norms of that time; It made me glad that I was out of the 50-'s and into the 70's when I married and had a family. I did think that the book started off a bit slow, but then, that was part of the times and the part of the country where Emmy lived. It took me a while to figure out the title of the book, but soon realized that this book was much more than a romance novel and likened it to a slow burning campfire that when stoked turned into a hot, crackling fire not suitable for making s'mores.
I loved watching Emmy make her way out of the tight restrictions imposed by her family. I waited for the next revelation of the web of intrigue that was wound around this complicated family. I think it was especially important that she made peace with her mother in the end, showing us that we can rise above hurts and sorrows. Emmy could have turned out being a copy of her mother if she hadn't taken that trip to the "movies" with her more adventurous classmates. Decisions are like pebbles. Each pebble thrown into the water, creates the ripples that change the surface of the lake.
The characters in this book, were memorable. If an author doesn't have good characters, then the book will not succeed. I cared about what happened to the "good" ones and also had strong feelings for the antagonists as well. Like I said at the beginning of this review, this was not a simple love story or coming of age book. It had mystery, intrigue, history in addition to a bit of romance. This will be a wonderful book for book clubs to talk about. We think of the 50's as the happy days and families like the Cleavers. It was a breath of fresh air to find out that the stereotypes we hold so dear of the 50's were just not so. Racial injustice, the submissiveness of women trapped into marriage, domestic violence -- it was all there back then, smoldering maybe, but waiting to be the fire that it turned into. Read this book and pass it on to others.
No problem, great books are always a pleasure to review. I was hooked from the start with Emmy and her family of the mid-50's. As a baby boomer myself, I could identify with the customs and norms of that time; It made me glad that I was out of the 50-'s and into the 70's when I married and had a family. I did think that the book started off a bit slow, but then, that was part of the times and the part of the country where Emmy lived. It took me a while to figure out the title of the book, but soon realized that this book was much more than a romance novel and likened it to a slow burning campfire that when stoked turned into a hot, crackling fire not suitable for making s'mores.
I loved watching Emmy make her way out of the tight restrictions imposed by her family. I waited for the next revelation of the web of intrigue that was wound around this complicated family. I think it was especially important that she made peace with her mother in the end, showing us that we can rise above hurts and sorrows. Emmy could have turned out being a copy of her mother if she hadn't taken that trip to the "movies" with her more adventurous classmates. Decisions are like pebbles. Each pebble thrown into the water, creates the ripples that change the surface of the lake.
The characters in this book, were memorable. If an author doesn't have good characters, then the book will not succeed. I cared about what happened to the "good" ones and also had strong feelings for the antagonists as well. Like I said at the beginning of this review, this was not a simple love story or coming of age book. It had mystery, intrigue, history in addition to a bit of romance. This will be a wonderful book for book clubs to talk about. We think of the 50's as the happy days and families like the Cleavers. It was a breath of fresh air to find out that the stereotypes we hold so dear of the 50's were just not so. Racial injustice, the submissiveness of women trapped into marriage, domestic violence -- it was all there back then, smoldering maybe, but waiting to be the fire that it turned into. Read this book and pass it on to others.
April 10, 2015
Emmaline Nelson and her sister Birdie grow up in the hard, cold rural Lutheran world of strict parents, strict milking times, and strict morals. Marriage is preordained, the groom practically predestined. Though it’s 1958, southern Minnesota did not see changing roles for women on the horizon. Caught in a time bubble between a world war and the ferment of the 1960’s, Emmy doesn’t see that she has any say in her life, any choices at all. Only when Emmy’s fiancé shows his true colors and forces himself on her does she find the courage to act—falling instead for a forbidden Catholic boy, a boy whose family seems warm and encouraging after the sere Nelson farm life. Not only moving to town and breaking free from her engagement but getting a job on the local newspaper begins to open Emmy’s eyes. She discovers that the KKK is not only active in the Midwest but that her family is involved, and her sense of the firm rules she grew up under—and their effect—changes completely.
Amy Scheibe's A Fireproof Home for the Bride has the charm of detail that will drop readers into its time and place: the home economics class lecture on cuts of meat, the group date to the diner, the small-town movie theater popcorn for a penny. It also has a love story—the wrong love giving way to the right—and most of all the pull of a great main character whose self-discovery sweeps the plot forward.
--My thoughts. I know people don't want to read about these issues, because they are upsetting, but it did happen. And so I loved it. Every.single.second. So hard to read about but Scheible did an excellent job in my opinion carving out characters and really making them into something you loved or hated, either way I wanted to toss the book across the room sometimes because I was just so angry or upset.
I love how Emmy ends up working in the newsroom and I think one of my favorite lines were, "I can't and I won't." -- This is a wonderful book and I hope you decide to read it as well!
Amy Scheibe's A Fireproof Home for the Bride has the charm of detail that will drop readers into its time and place: the home economics class lecture on cuts of meat, the group date to the diner, the small-town movie theater popcorn for a penny. It also has a love story—the wrong love giving way to the right—and most of all the pull of a great main character whose self-discovery sweeps the plot forward.
--My thoughts. I know people don't want to read about these issues, because they are upsetting, but it did happen. And so I loved it. Every.single.second. So hard to read about but Scheible did an excellent job in my opinion carving out characters and really making them into something you loved or hated, either way I wanted to toss the book across the room sometimes because I was just so angry or upset.
I love how Emmy ends up working in the newsroom and I think one of my favorite lines were, "I can't and I won't." -- This is a wonderful book and I hope you decide to read it as well!
July 7, 2015
Eighteen year-old Emmaline (Emmy) Nelson was good company these last few days. Oh, how she struggles and suffers. Born into a strict Lutheran farming family in Minnesota sugar beet country, Emmy is slated to marry an older man named Ambrose her family has more or less selected for her. One night she manages to go out to a movie with a school friend (her first such outing) and not only does she sample booze, she meets a dreamy Irish Catholic boy, Bobby. Yet she continues to sleepwalk through her designated life, accepting an engagement ring from Ambrose.
I don't want to reveal what Ambrose does that finally wakes her up, but let me just say Emmy cuts loose. She ends up living with a great aunt her family has never told her about. Around this time in the novel, family secrets including ties to the Ku Klux Klan, begin to be revealed. Emmy begins working the switchboard for the local newspaper. She longs to become a cub reporter. Her romantic connection with Bobby continues and heads towards marriage. But Emmy feels she has more growing up to do. Indeed she does....
For about the first 2/3 of this novel, I felt like my rating of it was headed towards 5 stars. I did not want to go anywhere without this book in hand! Then I began to feel a little bogged down by the way the plot turned more towards Emmy's quest to get to the bottom of not only her family's racial hatred, but also the town's history involving the same, including two suspicious fires related to anti-Semitism. I believe these plot elements are worthwhile, well developed and researched. Have I said that the time frame is 1958? That means the Red Scare was well afoot, and it is brought to life here, but I am always more interested in the personal than the political and so I felt some disengagement with it all, no matter that Emmy and a reporter friend are fighting the good fight. Yet I am very glad to have read A Fireproof Home for the Bride and would recommend it to friends.
I don't want to reveal what Ambrose does that finally wakes her up, but let me just say Emmy cuts loose. She ends up living with a great aunt her family has never told her about. Around this time in the novel, family secrets including ties to the Ku Klux Klan, begin to be revealed. Emmy begins working the switchboard for the local newspaper. She longs to become a cub reporter. Her romantic connection with Bobby continues and heads towards marriage. But Emmy feels she has more growing up to do. Indeed she does....
For about the first 2/3 of this novel, I felt like my rating of it was headed towards 5 stars. I did not want to go anywhere without this book in hand! Then I began to feel a little bogged down by the way the plot turned more towards Emmy's quest to get to the bottom of not only her family's racial hatred, but also the town's history involving the same, including two suspicious fires related to anti-Semitism. I believe these plot elements are worthwhile, well developed and researched. Have I said that the time frame is 1958? That means the Red Scare was well afoot, and it is brought to life here, but I am always more interested in the personal than the political and so I felt some disengagement with it all, no matter that Emmy and a reporter friend are fighting the good fight. Yet I am very glad to have read A Fireproof Home for the Bride and would recommend it to friends.
May 11, 2015
The story takes place during 1958 and covers an era that many feel were the happy days in American culture and history. The author reveals the horrible racist secrets of a family in middle America as well as the sexism that existed during that time period. The book's main character, Emmy, is an 18-year old who rebels against her family. She doesn't take the prescribed path that her parents had for her which was to marry the man they chose for her. She was determined to be independent and follow what she wanted in life. She was a person who had the inner strength, conviction, and determination to break away and confront the dark side of the secrets in her family and in the town in which she lived. She eventually became a reporter for the local newspaper and revealed the horrible facts of the racism in Fargo Moorhead. Emmy was a strong and determined individual who had incredible conviction during a time when gender roles were strictly defined and racism was the norm. I loved this wonderful book and highly recommend it.
March 14, 2015
I usually skip the topographical details in novels. You know the sort of thing: "Jill came out of her house. The town lay before her. To the north, the mountains rose majestically. while the valley swept away to the west in undulating waves that ended in a thin ribbon of silver that was the Platte River." I am hopelessly lost. But in Fireproof Home, there is a charming map that helped orient me in the two towns where the action is set. And this novel is all about place and time. The heroine, growing up in a closed religious farming community in the late 1950s, must find a way out and into a place where her voice can be heard. She struggles with generations of lies and silence, with a dark patriarchy that oppresses both women and any outliers - Mexican migrant workers, Catholics, southern blacks. Who knew the KKK was active so far north? I certainly didn't. At times horrifying, but ultimately satisfying, the story of Emmy's coming of age swept me along and gave me a new perspective on an era and locale about which I knew little.
October 28, 2015
Emmy Nelson grew up in small-town Minnesota on a farm in the 1950's. Her life is simple and she works hard and knows what's expected of her. From the age of 12 her family planned for her to marry Ambrose, the older son of a wealthy neighbor. But a chance encounter with Bobby has Emmy reconsidering her plans with Ambrose and when Ambrose shows his true colors to Emmy she breaks all ties with her family and strikes out on her own. Soon Emmy and Bobby are dating and she has an exciting job at a local newspaper. When racial tensions start to rise in her community, Emmy realizes they might be tied to her own family history. Emmy has the face the reality of her family history and decide what course she wants for her own life. This is a classic coming-of-age story with a very relatable and likable heroine in Emmy. The end of the book is pretty dramatic and I didn't see it coming, but in hindsight you can see that the story line is slowly gathering speed toward this crazy end. A quick read that would make a great pick for a book club!
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