Rachel Beanland Acclaimed Author of Historical Fiction and National Jewish Book Award Winner

The House Is on Fire

The Richmond Theatre fire of 1811 was, at the time, the deadliest disaster in U.S. history, killing seventy-two. This historical novel examines the event and its aftermath through four figures: the stagehand who accidentally starts the fire; a well-to-do widow in a box seat; an enslaved young woman, attending with her mistress but confined to the colored gallery; and a blacksmith, also enslaved, who rushes to the scene and rescues patrons jumping from windows. The bad behavior of the powerful becomes a theme: the theatre company attempts to pin blame on a fabricated slave revolt, and men in the audience trample their wives in making their escape.”—The New Yorker

Beanland’s gripping fictional account delves into this tragedy [the Richmond Theater Fire], examining the aftermath, the stories that were told and the blame that was unfairly laid on people without the means to defend themselves.”—Washington Post

The House Is on Fire is wildly entertaining and it deals with touchy subjects very well. [The characters] all have unique voices, and their stories are treated with equal care and attention, which speaks volumes not only about Beanland’s research skills but also the empathy she has for the people she writes about. This novel is a fictionalized slice of history, but in a time when so many treat teaching history as a taboo, it is also a stark reminder of how privilege, sexism, and racism have been in this country’s DNA since its inception, and that makes it necessary reading.”—NPR

Beanland has created characters so vivid they leap off the page…. A great, gripping read… Using tight, visceral prose and compact scenes covering a few minutes’ worth of action at a time, Beanland creates a breathless, suspenseful pace….This is a page-turner that will leave the reader fired up and, hopefully, reflecting on whether the questions of injustice within have relevant parallels today.”—BookBrowse

The House Is on Fire is the very best that historical fiction has to offer: a riveting investigation of a dark period in our nation’s history and a champion of the voices most often silenced. Beanland has done great justice not only to the history of the Richmond Theater Fire, but to the real people who witnessed it, survived it and saved others from it. Tautly written and sensitively told, this is a masterwork from an author as compassionate as she is thorough.”—Bookreporter

A narrative brimming with immediacy and authenticity…. Beanland’s principled approach to history, her fine-tuned prose, her profound intellect and her benevolent humanity combine to shine in this absorbing novel, one that discerning readers will embrace.”—Richmond Post Dispatch

Seamlessly interweaving historical facts and her own narrative, Beanland follows these four characters through the fire, the immediate, chaotic aftermath, and the subsequent investigation. Fully realized characters and gripping prose makes for an excellent, riveting novel that is highly recommended.”—Booklist, starred review

“Powerful…. Beanland enlivens the smart and suspenseful narrative with fully developed protagonists that illuminate the community’s response to mass catastrophe. Readers will relish this.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Fans of historical fiction will find themselves enraptured by Beanland’s take on the true story of the Richmond theater fire in 1811. Told from the perspective of four people whose actions during the inferno changed the course of history, The House Is On Fire is an all-consuming exploration of redemption and perseverance in the face of tragedy.”—E News

Propulsive…full of historical detail and full-blooded characters”—Shelf Awareness

The House Is on Fire captures the disastrous night hour by hour, reminiscent of watching a true crime drama on TV. Most importantly, Beanland’s choice to explore the tragedy through four very differently privileged people allows the story to go beyond facts and into the moral fabric and social norms of the time. It is disturbing to be reminded of the vice grip of racism, class and sexism while a deadly fire rages on…. Fast-moving, character-driven and action-packed, The House Is on Fire is simply a thrill to read.”—Bookpage

Florence Adler Swims Forever

A perfect summer read.… In less than ten pages, I became a mere subject of the audience, allowing Beanland’s storytelling ability to overpower me, rather than taking the story in consciously and internally commenting…. What’s remarkable is not how quickly the book hooked me, but how it held my attention during and after reading. After spending a pleasant afternoon flying through the first 96 pages, I woke up at 3 a.m. thinking about the plot. I simply couldn’t put it out of my head. I finished in two days…. I felt awe.”—USA Today

Beanland’s novel draws the reader in. The situation she describes is poignant and the characters she develops win us over with their private grief. Beanland is particularly good at conjuring 1930s Atlantic City, with its small family-owned hotels yielding to larger, more commercial palaces. The historical moment is fraught as American Jews try to save relatives in an increasingly untenable Nazi Germany. We see cruel obstacles to immigration, and the growing chasm between European Jews and their increasingly prosperous American counterparts. This is a book about the American dream. The dream is not without costs, and the dreamers are not immune to tragedy.”—New York Times Book Review

Beanland deftly weaves various historical events and themes: the rise of the Nazi regime, family secrets, the struggle between classes, religious tensions, sexuality, and familial love. Yet it works, and this novel is as close to unputdownable as they come. Based on a true story—beautifully described in the Author’s Note—Florence Adler Swims Forever is a memorable debut.”—Amazon Book Review

Beanland beautifully handles the depiction of loss and rebuilding life without a loved one, describing moments that are by turns painful and moving. The thick emotional tension will please fans of character-driven historicals.”—Publishers Weekly

Readers of Emma Straub and Curtis Sittenfeld will devour this richly drawn debut family saga based on the story of an ancestor of the author’s.”—Library Journal