When the Sky Burned - (Day to Remember) by Liz Tolsma (Paperback)

This is book six in the A Day To Remember series and each book is a standalone of a disaster that occurred and changed history and many lives. This one takes place on October 8, 1871 when fire swept through the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin. I can’t imagine the fear these people felt but this book gives a voice and brings to life their stories. Although we have heard of the great Chicago fire on this same day this was so much more devastating and destructive. It’s a riveting story that had me on the edge of my seat as the descriptive written word had me feeling such compassion for the ones that survived as they dealt with all they lost that day. It was nice to see a character with a disability learn to cope and flourish in the midst of loss and finding hope in the storms of life. There wasn’t anything I didn’t love about this book as history unfolds and you escape into the characters lives and situations. You will find faith, hope, love, and family as well as identifiable characters woven in with history. I hated for it to end. I recommended putting this on the top of your TBR pile. I received a complimentary copy from CelebrateLit/Barbour Publishing. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.

I had heard of the great Chicago Fire in my history class but I’d never heard of the little town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin. Their town was completely destroyed by fire. Liz Tolsma did a great job of telling the story of this little town and how it affected all there. Characters were fictionalized but brought to life among the pages. I grew to care about their situations and the overall outcome. I was also appalled by the selfishness of one particular character among all the tragedy. I wanted to know the overall outcome so it was a quick read for me. This was a wonderful installment in the A Day to Remember series. Highly recommend. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit but was not required to write a review.

Why would God allow such misery to befall us? Where was He on that terrible night? It had been a very dry year and fires frequently lit up the sky in the area around Peshtigo, Wisconsin - something Mariah, an artist, found absolutely fascinating to paint. The skies had so much color, it was almost easy to produce the most beautiful paintings. Her fiancé, Hollis Stanford, railroad tycoon, promised to bring them to an art gallery in Chicago. An anonymous note indicated that he was not all he seemed. There was money missing from the railroad books. What could that possibly mean? October 8, 1871 was the day the wind changed and a horrible conflagration sounding like a runaway train raced through town, burning everything in its way. Surviving only due to a good friend, Jay Franklin, Mariah comes out completely changed. Would she ever be able to paint again? This Day to Remember takes the reader right into what it might have been like - certainly not something any of us would want to experience. An early copy was received through Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. These impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.

We have all heard of the Great Chicago Fire, a conflagration that began on October 8, 1871, but few of us are likely to be familiar with the fire that consumed the village of Peshtigo in northeastern Wisconsin on that same day. Approximately three hundred people died in the Great Chicago Fire. Between twelve hundred and twenty-five hundred were killed in the Peshtigo fire. Exact numbers were impossible to ascertain as the extremely hot fires reduced many bodies to ash. The fire in Peshtigo, Wisconsin is the focus of the latest addition to Barbour Publishing's A Day to Remember series. It is written by Liz Tolsma. While the main characters are fictional, the details of the disaster are well-researched and accurately yet sensitively described. Mariah Randolph suffers great loss during the fire, loss beyond material possessions, and even beyond loss of loved ones. The story becomes one of reconciling faith and the hope and joy found in choosing to see God's blessings even in times of hardship. Seeds of this story were planted in the author's heart and mind years ago. Now, readers will be blessed with the fully mature product of those seeds. When the Sky Burned is a story whose encouragement will linger on for some time. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this novel from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

When the Sky Burned is a solid sixth addition to Barbour’s moving A Day to Remember series. The historical event depicted in this fictional narrative is a vicious fire that destroyed the town of Peshtigo, an “off-the-beaten track lumbering town in the northeast corner of Wisconsin”, on October 8, 1871. The intriguing plot kept me captivated from beginning to end. As always, Ms. Tolsma excels in meticulous research and seamless integration of real-life people into the fictional story. I was already emotionally invested in the characters before the devastating disaster hit which intensified the effect of the horrific event. With a bit of mystery, emotional familial and romantic relationships, and an encouraging dose of spiritual truths, this is a heart-tugging, inspiring read. I highly recommend this book and the series. I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley with no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.