🔥🌫️📚 Veiled in Smoke 📚🌫️🔥 (Windy City Saga #1) (2020) - Book Review
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MY REVIEW
Paperback:
416 pages
Publisher:
Bethany House (February 4, 2020)
Language:
English
ISBN-10:
0764233300
ISBN-13:
978-00764233302
Click Picture for Purchase Link
“Meg and
Sylvie Townsend manage the family bookshop and care for their father, Stephen,
a veteran still suffering in mind and spirit from his time as a POW during the
Civil War. But when the Great Fire sweeps through Chicago's business district,
they lose much more than just their store.
The sisters become separated from their father and make a harrowing escape from the flames with the help of Chicago Tribune reporter Nate Pierce. Once the smoke clears away, they reunite with Stephen, only to learn soon after that their family friend was murdered on the night of the fire. Even more shocking, Stephen is charged with the crime and committed to the Cook County Insane Asylum.
Though homeless and suddenly unemployed, Meg must not only gather the pieces of her shattered life, but prove her father's innocence before the asylum truly drives him mad.”
The sisters become separated from their father and make a harrowing escape from the flames with the help of Chicago Tribune reporter Nate Pierce. Once the smoke clears away, they reunite with Stephen, only to learn soon after that their family friend was murdered on the night of the fire. Even more shocking, Stephen is charged with the crime and committed to the Cook County Insane Asylum.
Though homeless and suddenly unemployed, Meg must not only gather the pieces of her shattered life, but prove her father's innocence before the asylum truly drives him mad.”
Thank you in advance to the publisher, Bethany
House Fiction, and JustRead Publicity tours for providing a complimentary
advance review copy. A positive review was not required. All words and thoughts
are my own.
The Great Chicago Fire of October 1871 was a
conflagration fire that burned for two days (8-10), killing 300 people and
leaving 100,000 homeless. The rumor of it being caused by Mrs. Oleary and/or
her cow are just that – rumors. She was cleared in the 1871 investigation.
Even after a reporter admitted that he made it
up, the rumors persisted. In 1997, Chicago officially exonerated Oleary and the
cow. While it started in the Oleary barn, the official cause was never established.
As someone whose family is primarily from
Illinois, this is an important part of the state’s history.
It is against the backdrop of the fire that
Jocelyn Green sets the first book in the Windy City Saga, “Veiled in Smoke”.
Green sets up the story in a few quick chapters
(namely 1-3) – Meg and Sylvie are sisters whose father Stephen served in the
Civil War. He came home a changed man, and as such has what we’d call in
today’s time PTSD. In the novel it was referred to as “Soldier’s Heart”. The author
depicts the sad and torturous ravages of war and that of a prisoner of war
(POW).
After chapter 4 (when the fire starts), this
novel has a lot going on in it – the fire, Stephen’s mental issues, a romance,
a murder, and a mystery. In addition Chicago and the Townsend sisters are
trying to reconstruct their lives (professionally and emotionally) among the
ruins.
When Stephen is accused of murder, he is hauled
off to the asylum. The sisters have to fight to get him back before he truly
goes mad.
The cover drew me in – haunting, mesmerizing.
It was as if you could hear the voices of those lost in fire. The woman on the
cover (I’m assuming it is Meg) seems to be looking for answers, for hope, for something.
She is lost, but hopeful. Scared but determined. This is a gripping story of
tragedies within tragedies, but still has the hope and promise for a better
outcome.
The characters – Stephen, Meg, Sylvie, and Nate
are realistically crafted for the story as well as the time. I truly enjoyed
them; and some of the supporting characters as well.
My heart broke for Stephen; and even his daughters
as he battled his mental demons. The painful depiction of the ravages of the
Civil War and the treatment as a POW is gut-wrenching and heart-breaking. She
also brushes the brutal and questionable practices of the early asylums. Stephen
is torn between trying to get better and wanting the emotional pain to cease.
Green subtlety, but respectfully, tackles the
stigma of mental illness along with the impact on those around the person. She
gives equal representation to what Stephen is going through, yet what his
daughters are battling as well.
After the fire, they are not only rebuilding a
city – but their lives. Among the ruins lie hope, solace, and change – along with
determination. Meg is determined to find out who killed Hiram as she knows her father
didn’t.
The mystery of the murder and behind is such a
carefully crafted story, and the surprises that Green throws in definitely will
have readers paying attention.
Green doesn’t spend any length of time on
either subject though – nor does she rush things.
The fire, the murder, the rebuilding, the
mystery – the author does a wonderful job at weaving fiction and the real
history together. She does it so well, you would honestly believe that this
story was part of that time. And, it is a perfect fit. The story’s progression
is so natural that despite this being 416 pages, it doesn’t seem like it.
She keeps the reader interested and engaged,
along with keeping the story going. I didn’t find any part boring. In fact, I
enjoyed this as I read it and didn’t want to put it down. I’m eagerly awaiting
the second novel in this series.
The author has a WONDERFUL selection of notes at the end of this book,
and even using a search engine (my preference is Google), it was easy to
research the Great Chicago Fire.
This novel not only shows the resiliency of the
Townsend Family, but the entire city/community of Chicago. Even more so, this
novel also shows the kindness of other communities that stepped in to help with
money, clothing donations, and building materials.
Despite being from a Christian publisher
(Bethany House); this book isn’t a preachy or overly religious themed book. God
is mentioned throughout, more so after the fire, but he isn’t central to the
theme. There are minor prayers as well as church attendance.
It is a clean book free from profane language
and sexual situations. Those who enjoy Christian reads are sure to enjoy this
book.
Interesting Facts:
At the same time as the Chicago Fire was going
there were other fires on October 8, 1871:
* Peshtigo Fire (killed 1200)
* The Great Michigan Fire (Port Huron, Holland,
Manistee, Alpena)
No official cause has been found for those
fires either.
RATING:
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐–
Goodreads
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐–
Bookbub
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐–
Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jocelyn Green is the award-winning and
bestselling author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including The
Mark of the King, A Refuge
Assured, Between Two Shores. Her
books have garnered starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers
Weekly, and have been honored with the Christy Award and the Golden Scroll.
Jocelyn lives with her family in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Visit her at www.jocelyngreen.com.
She can be found on the following social media
accounts:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jocelyngreen77
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