My rating: 4/5
A small town. A devastating fire. Numerous lives greatly impacted. This American historical catastrophe is the foundation for the adeptly written novel, When the Sky Burned: October 8, 1871, by Liz Tolsma. Encompassed with endearing characters, immersing plot, and combined with themes of hope, faith, and purpose, this story is an intriguing page-turning read.
Fans of historical literature will be delighted to read this novel, full of descriptive scenes. When the Sky Burned is set during the 1870’s in Peshtigo, Wisconsin; a small town known for its vast lumber, woodenware, and sawmills that attracted numerous lumberjacks. The vast amount of wood, along with a period of rain drought, made a dangerous combination, as the town was at risk of a serious firestorm.
This intriguing story included mentionable individuals such as primary characters Mariah Randolph and Jay Franklin. Friends since childhood, both Mariah and Jay endure the devastating tragedy in Peshtigo. Mariah is a talented painter, whose life is on the cusp of perfection. She is engaged and soon to marry Hollis Stanford, the son and heir to the wealthy owner of a renowned railroad company, who has promised her a life of fame from her artwork, and a lifestyle of leisure full of lavish gatherings and wealth. After the disastrous fire, she succumbs to an unfortunate injury that shifts her life and leaves her questioning all she coveted prior to the tragedy. Engulfed with feelings of despair and hopelessness, Mariah ponders God’s purpose in the turn of events and must resurrect newfound hope through her faith in the Lord.
Jay is a timid and kindhearted gentleman, with intellectual skills with numbers. As an employee of Mr. Stanford’s railroad company as the accountant of the Peshtigo location, Jay discovers discrepancies with the finances and discovers Hollis’ involvement with the missing funds. This knowledge places him at odds with Hollis that threatens the future of Mariah’s impending marriage as well as his life. The catastrophe finds Jay with increasing endearment toward Mariah and more reliant on his faith in God to direct his next paths in life.
Isaiah 55:9 (ESV): For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Although a historical fiction novel, there was great inclusion of Christian faith content in the story, which makes it identified as Christian fiction as well. I was thrilled to see the immense faith content in the plot, which included the main characters described as believers who were often depicted praying, dependent on their faith in God, and maturing in their relationship with the Lord. Aside from the novel highlighting the historical catastrophe, the storyline centered on God’s mercy and the significance of His plans in the life of the believer. God’s infinite wisdom is rightly portrayed as superior to the human’s scope of understanding, as the character’s lives evolve to greater purpose despite unfortunate events.
A well-written novel that is well paced with elements of inspiration, suspense, and romance, When the Sky Burned is an inspiring and hopeful story that I highly recommend to other readers.
With gratitude, I received a digital advanced reader copy of this novel from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley. The opinions in this review are unbiased and my own.
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