Daniel James Brown
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Thanks for considering my book for your reading group. I think you'll find that--in addition to telling a gripping story--UNDER A FLAMING SKY raises some interesting questions about human nature, the nature of wildfires, how economic forces contribute to diasters, and a fascinating period in American history. Here are just a a few of the questions you might want to explore: First, some questions about the people discussed in the book:Do you have any family ties to the area, or to the immigrant generation? What were your own ancestors' experiences like, in Minnesota or elsewhere? How typical do you think the Hansens' experience was among Scandanavian and other immigrants of the late 19th century? Why do you think some people--like Blair and Root and Best--acted so heroically during the firestorm while others thought only of themselves? Why did some people remain so calm and focused in the face of danger while others panicked? How do you think you would have reacted if you had been in Hinckley that day? Who do you admire most in the story? Who, if anyone, do you blame for what happened at Hinckley? What about the firestorm itself?What surprised you the most about this fire? Could a firestorm like this happen in our forests today? Could an entire town be destroyed by fire today? What other wildfires are you aware of in American history, and how does the Hinckley firestorm compare to them? What does the firestorm tell us about late 19th century America?Do you think the firestorm was an accident? In what sense might it be considered a crime? What responsibility, if any, did the railroad companies and lumber companies bear for what happened? How does what happened at Hinckley relate to the economic realities of the day? Can you think of other 19th century disasters that have their roots in economic conditions? What, if anything, does the story of the Hinckley firestorm tell us about our own age?How was the Hinckley firestorm similar or dissimilar to modern disasters like hurricane Katrina, the Minneapolis bridge collapse, or the Utah coal mine disaster? What are the similarities and dissimilarities in the way people and the government responded to the Hinckley firestorm and the way people and the government responed to Katrina? To the Utah coal mine collapse? To 9/ What exactly can we take away from Hinckley in terms of lessons learned? |
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