The House is On Fire, Rachel Beanland, author; Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Andi Arndt, Michael Crouch, Ruffin Prentiss III and Rachel Beanland, narrators
This novel is about a true, tragic event that occurred in 1811, in Richmond, Virginia. When the only theater went up in flames, many people were killed, women especially, in much larger numbers. Few men made an effort to help them, rather they saved themselves. Why did the theater go up in flames? Who survived? What were the circumstances of the times that helped to make the original investigation go off the rails? How did women’s rights and race and religious issues have an effect on the outcome of the investigation? How was the outcome spun to satisfy the powers that be?
In the early part of the 19th century, slavery was still acceptable by many, racism was alive and well, women had no standing in the community without their husband’s consent, and the men were basically in charge of all affairs, financial and personal. Thus, the author has focused on the shortcomings of the country regarding these issues as she explores this incident. Of course, there are no living survivors, so she relies on the little documentation that exists to develop her story. She has done a fine job exposing the injustices toward slaves, women and even, in one slight referral, to Jewish people. The biases that existed then, are alive and well today, however, in bright color, regarding Jewish people, and sadly, a lot of the bias and hate is coming from the very same people who objected to their own incarceration as slaves. To me, they seem to have a bit of tunnel vision today, often exacerbated by some authors who insist on ignoring the racial bias from all sides.
Still, this book is not about that, it is about a tragedy that occurred because of incompetence, arrogance and ignorance. It is about an attempted cover-up and need to blame it on a vulnerable, innocent community of slaves. The author shows that criminal behavior perfectly. She also shows that there were men who knew what was right from wrong and eventually came around to seeing it, but also showed that the people in command were blind to that observation and only wanted to protect themselves. Greed and the need for personal reward rears its head often.
The book shines a light on the state of the country then, and the state of the country now, which is not that much better regarding the respect of the rights of others. It seems respecting our own personal need is taking precedent over right and wrong in almost every area of American life today, with unjust bullying of innocent people, white and black, men and women, politicians and ordinary citizens, supporting lies over truth and honor to accomplish the same political goals then as now; the goal still seems to be that of ultimate power over others to pursue personal agendas not necessarily good for the entire country, but rather for a segment of the population that possibly is not qualified to have it, but is in charge politically.
There are four characters featured in the book. Cecily is a slave of mixed race, the product of an owner and her own mother. Cecily is now being sexually abused by the owner’s son Elliott. She is hoping to be presumed dead in the devastating fire, facilitating her escape to freedom. Gilbert is her uncle. He is attempting to save his money to buy his own freedom. The night of the fire, he was an unsung hero because of his race. His boss resented his heroism since it took time away from his work. Gilbert is a principled man; his boss is not. Jack is a teenage actor who appears to be responsible for the fire and the deaths of so many, mostly women, since men had the advantage of better access to exits; he wants to do the right thing, but his boss wants him to lie and to protect the company and other actors from prosecution. Jack is principled, but his boss and fellow workers are not. When threatened, he acquiesces completely until he sees the unjust results of his actions. Sally is a widow from a privileged class who has lost the large respect of the community because there is no man in her life any longer. The influence and power she once had has been marginalized, but she uses her maiden name in some instances to afford her a well-deserved advantage. She rails against the injustices done to women. All four tell their stories in alternate voices to give a picture of the times with authenticity from both a black and white point of view, and a privileged and underprivileged point of view.
The fire exposes the horrible brutality of slavery and the people who supported it, the arrogance of some men when it came to their power over women, and a government and justice system completely blind to the issues at hand, that contrived to keep that very system in power. It makes one wonder about how so much has changed and so much has remained the same in the world we live in today.
People are still falsely accused and found guilty by corrupt juries and judges. Incompetence is not punished, but is rewarded today in the interest of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, a recipe for disaster, though viewed with a different lens in each circumstance from then to now and encouraged by the political power currently in place.
So, the book has profound ideas that must be considered thoroughly, but may be treated more lightly by book groups intent on their own political interests, instead. Who is guilty? Who is innocent? How do we determine that, with facts or personal need? If machinery is not repaired, who is at fault, the owner or the person using it? If you are afraid of being caught, is it moral to point fingers at those you deem to be “less than” yourself? When is it all right to lie to protect the guilty? Is it ever all right to distort the facts for one’s own benefit? These and other moral and ethical questions must be explored in all avenues of our life today. If we are to enter the future realistically and with moral courage, we must understand how we even got here to this state of willful blindness. ( )

I was captivated by The House Is On Fire by Rachel Beanland. Beanland tells a fictionalized version of the 1811 Richmond theater fire that killed over 70 people including the Governor and a former senator and devastated the community. She focuses her story on four people including the real life Gilbert Hunt, a slave who became a hero for saving many women as they leapt from a second story window. I was not familiar with the story. The book was recommended by a book club member and we will be discussing it on Tuesday. Beanland faces the racism and casual violence of slavery head on as she tells the story of a young slave using the fire to escape abuse and how easy it was to convince southerners that the fire was caused by slaves. ( )

A book about four people who survived a horrible fire in a theatre in the early 1800s. Interesting characters who all had different outcomes in the aftermath of the fire. I enjoyed the book and the narration of the four survivors. Interesting to know that it was based on a true story. ( )

4.5⭐️

On the night of December 26, 1811, the Charleston-based Placide & Green Company was performing two full-length productions at the Richmond Theater to a packed house (almost six hundred people). A fire broke out during the performance that led to the loss of over seventy lives, including the Governor. This novel is inspired by that tragedy.

The narrative follows the events of the night and its aftermath as is shared through multiple perspectives- those whose lives are irrevocably impacted by the tragic events of that fateful night - Jack Gibson, a young stagehand who is aware of what truly happened on that fateful evening; Sally Henry, a young widow who attended the production with her sister and brother -in-law, and who participates in the effort to care for those injured in the fire; Gilbert Hunt, a Black man hoping to purchase his freedom someday, who actively helped those trapped in the burning building and Cecily Patterson, a young black girl who was also in attendance that evening with her mistress and for whom the incident becomes a turning point in her life.

Thoroughly researched, exquisitely written, informative and absorbing, The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland is a compelling novel. The author not only tells the story of a shocking tragedy of that era but in doing so also gives us insight into what society and societal norms were like during that period – racial injustice, slavery and exploitation and the struggle to purchase one’s freedom, if at all; how lack of dedicated healthcare facilities was made up for by local residents who offered their homes to those who needed treatment for their injuries; how women’s voices and their lives were marginalized by men during that period; the politics of justice and inquiry and so much more.

The Author’s Note deserves a special mention here. The author discusses, in detail, her meticulous research into the incident and the real people on which her characters are based. She has maintained the real names of a few of the characters and also shares details of what became of these people post the events described in the book which I really feel adds to the depth of the story.

I paired my reading with the brilliant full-cast audio narration by Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Andi Arndt, Michael Crouch, Ruffin Prentiss III, and Rachel Beanland which made for an immersive experience.

Overall, I believe this is one the most fascinating works of historical fiction that I have read this year and would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre in general and/or those who are keen to read stories set in this particular time period.


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The day after Christmas in 1811 a play is performed in Richmond Virginia's new theater. Slaves, freemen and the wealthy white planters pack the playhouse for a night of entertainment. Tragedy strikes when a few careless mistakes cause a fire to breakout, killing many of the attendees. In particular, the wealthy white society women. The House is on Fire is told from multiple perspectives of those who were affected. Sally Henry Campbell, daughter of Pattrick Henry, is a grieving widow. Cecily Patterson is a slave, allowed to attend the performance with her young mistress. Jack works behind the scenes of the theater, dreaming of one day being on the stage. Gilbert is an enslaved blacksmith, hoping to one day earn enough money to free both himself and his wife. In the aftermath of the great fire, none of them will ever be the same.

This novel is based on a true historical event. The alternating points of view are engrossing and enables readers to see how this catastrophe touched the lives of so many people in Richmond at that time. The story moves at a brisk pace, and it is fascinating to see how the lives of the main characters entwine, despite most of them having nothing in common with the others. ( )