I just finished The Lake on Fire by Rosellen Brown last night, so am still mulling over this richly rendered novel of 1875 Chicago. The World's Fair is transforming the city's landscape with its huge Ferris wheel, but beneath the gleaming white facades is naught but flimsy lath and cardboard. A metaphor for the city itself, in which the very rich enjoy luxuries while thousands starve in the streets. Chaya and her odd, genius brother flee to the city but find it difficult to do more than survive, he as a child pickpocket, she at two jobs, rolling cigars. Like Cinderella, a wealthy man might rescue her from her drudgery, but she can barely stand the inequity of leaving everyone else behind. A novel written by a poet, who clearly loves language. ( )

This story takes place in 1892-1894 or so in Chicago. The Columbian Exposition is an important event in it, and Jane Addams' Hull House plays an important role as well. The story follows a teen-aged secular Jewish girl and her prodigy younger brother who flee a failing farm in Wisconsin to try for a better fortune in Chicago. Their adventures lead us to understand in detail the contrast between the lives of people who work in sweat shops or sell their labor as builders and the lives of the factory owners and other wealthy people. A very good read and one of the clearest descriptions of class differences I have read. Quite relevant for our current "New Gilded Age." ( )

First of, I do not know why Rosellen Brown is not more well known. To me, she is in line with writers like Margaret Atwood and Toni Morrison - a new novel from her is a major cause of celebration. nothing against Sarabande but this should have come out on a major house imprint and with some publicity muscle behind it. It hurts my heart a little.

That said, this is a beautifully written novel about a Jewish family who immigrate to a farming cooperative in Wisconsin and the son and daughter who break away and move to Chicago in the mid 1890s. It is well researched and emotionally resonant. As with all of her novels, there are some scenes that I will never forget.
I know comparisons are odious but I can't help but think of another big Chicago novel that came out this year with the FULL power of a publicity machine behind it. Frankly, this is a better and more well constructed novel and one that should have been up for all the major awards. I have nothing against The Great Believers which was very well intended and thoughtful and frankly, a bit of a miss.
Long live Rosellen Brown. ( )

I found this to be a wonderful book! I'd highly recommend it! I've recently read a lot of highly rated books which didn't live up to their promise. This book should really have a larger audience. Rosellen Brown is a talented writer. Her writing is very descriptive and moving. I really related to the main characters, Chaya, and her younger brother, Asher. It was very interesting to read the historic details in the novel. Chaya and Asher stay for a bit in Hull House as guests of Jane Addams. The details about the Columbian Exposition were also interesting. I really connected with the conflicts in the story. Chaya struggled with the dichotomy of the lives of the wealthy vs. the poor workers. I understood her struggles trying to find the happy medium in this world. Asher was also a very compelling character. Brown did an especially good job of capturing his genius. My only complaint is with the ending. I couldn't discern if at the end Chaya DOES hear from Asher or if that letter was just a wishful example of correspondence. A firmer ending would have been more satisfying. Still a worthwhile read! ( )