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Inside the Cover Book Review Review by Heather Hunt
Veil of Fire By Marlo Schalesky River Oak 2007 ISBN 978-1-5891-9077-1
Veil of Fire by Marlo Schalesky is a fictionalized account of the devastating 1894 Minnesota fire that burned 400 square miles and killed 413 people in four hours. It takes place in the real town of Hinckley and uses the real legend of the hermit in the hills that appeared as the town began to rebuild. Since the identity of this mysterious figure was never established, the legends continue to this day. Schalesky does a wonderful job incorporating this history into the fictional lives of her characters, including how survivors escaped the fire whether in trains, potato patches, mud holes, or water barrels. She relates such details as the sawdust in the river that made even that body of water a death trap for fleeing townspeople. This is a great way to learn about a major historical event, so I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys American history. But Schalesky does so much more with her characters by using both the fire and the hermit in the hills to explore truth in the face of the lies we live. Veil of Fire is the perfect title for the themes Schalesky unveils regarding the purging fires of truth and hidden sin. She accomplishes this universal and mighty theme in the particular lives of several Hinckley townspeople and the hermit in the hills himself or herself. (No spoilers here!)
I read this book in two days-- and it would have been one if life had not interfered! Schalesky begins her book with a traditional sewing in the front room scene that evokes the slower, small town life of 19th century America. So for the first few pages, readers may be expecting a historical genre novel. But then the fire hits, and the story takes off at a blistering speed. Now it becomes a suspense novel. Who is the hermit in the hills? Will frightened townspeople kill what they do not know? Can the hermit survive a lifetime alone?
Schalesky keeps characters and readers guessing until the last few pages. And along the way the truth is revealed to various characters whose own lives are changed by honest appraisals and refusals to live lives veiled behind lies. Veil of Fire is a gripping yarn that explores universal themes through historical events and engaging characters at a page-turning pace.
Heather Hunt is a business editor in Connecticut. For fun she reads, writes, tries to figure out "Lost," laughs at the antics in "The (American) Office," and enjoys tennis and cycling. Her "Joan of Arcadia" spec script was a Finalist at Writesafe.com. Check out her blog at www.viewfromstonewater.blogspot.com. |
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