Good historical fiction has to bring to the page something that actually happened while also filling in the blanks and dealing with character development, tension, and even dialogue the same way novels do.
by Rachel Beanland The house is on firechronicles the burning of a theater and its tumultuous aftermath in Virginia in 1811, examining all of those factors while addressing the era’s rampant racism and misogyny in this process.
On the night after Christmas 1811, the Richmond Theater in Richmond, Virginia was packed. The Placide & Green Company, a touring group of more than 30 members, was performing a play and the town was eager to see it. The venue was packed and the play was in progress when a fire broke out backstage due to minor negligence and some equipment malfunctioned. The fire spread quickly. With more than 600 people in attendance, chaos ensued. People ran to doors, trampling others while others jumped from the third floor in a desperate attempt to secure themselves. The stairs collapsed and the theater was quickly engulfed in flames. Family and friends lost track of the people they were with in the mayhem and many died. Immediately after the horrific accident, several members of the Placide & Green Company decided to conceal their role in the accident and instead spread lies about rebellious slaves being responsible. about torches. A hunt for those responsible — and fortunately, finding the truth — followed.
The house is on fire is a mosaic historical novel told from the perspectives of four different people: Sally Henry Campbell, a newly widowed woman delighted to relive the good times she had with her husband and understanding how discourse has changed after the fire and why it is important to put the record straight; Cecily Patterson, a young slave who has endured years of abuse at the hands of her master’s son, panics at the possibility of being forced to accompany him when he marries, and decides to take advantage of the embarrassment. tangled to escape; Jack Gibson, a young theater artist who dreams of becoming an actor and one day working with the Placide & Green Company, who played a key role in the fire and wants the truth exposed; and Gilbert Hunt, a slave blacksmith — and a hero in a fire — and are saving money in hopes of one day buying his wife and later, if possible, freedom mine. Disaster and the days that followed brought them together in unexpected ways.
Beanland deftly arranges the four main perspectives alternately while increasing the tension of the story chapter by chapter. Amidst her lies, Sally’s anger at the injustices surrounding her, Cecily’s concealment and plans to escape to Philadelphia, Jack’s constant fear and guilt, and Gilbert’s strange location as an abused slave but also the town’s hero after catching the women jumping from the third floor. , it’s easy to forget that the events Beanland wrote about actually happened. Also, with loads of side characters and subplots, it’s hard to believe how much the author has accomplished with short chapters, lots of dialogue, and perfectly economical language.
Despite much research into this historical novel, the biggest challenge Beanland faced was navigating the era’s rampant racism and misogyny, and she got it right. excellently. Black characters are as rich and complex as they are supposed to be and their circumstances are brutally portrayed despite the fact that mental, physical, and sexual abuse of slaves is not uncommon. at that time. Additionally, she delves into the sexism of the times, with Sally not only asking questions like why women never make headlines as interviewees, but doing everything she can. able to bring to light the truth about the cowardice most men have ever displayed. the fire broke out, after an article claimed that the men were shouting for their wives and children but it was “the opposite”: “It was the women who were screaming, while the men shoved them — and in some cases, climb over them — to get to the door.”
The house is on fire extremely enjoyable and it handles sensitive topics very well. Sally, Cecily, Jack and Gilbert all have unique voices and their stories are treated with equal care and concern, which says a lot not only about Beanland’s research skills but also the empathy she has for the people she writes about. This novel is a slice of fictional history, but at a time when so many consider teaching history taboo, it is also a stark reminder of privilege, sexism, and segregation. Racism has existed in this country’s DNA since its inception, and that makes it necessary to read.
Gabino Iglesias is an author, book reviewer, and professor living in Austin, Texas. Find him on Twitter at @Gabino_Iglesias.
