* An American’s Library Association’s “Editor’s Choice” for 2006.
* A Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writer’s” Selection for 2006 (and a finalist for the Discover Award).
Several years ago, I set out to learn more about what exactly happened in Hinckley Minnesota on the first day of September, 1894–the hot, dusty day that my grandfather’s world exploded in flames and my great-grandfather died. As I dug through musty old newspapers, tattered books, and faded letters, I discovered an extraordinary tale about an almost unbelievable event, and I’ve recorded that tale in my first book, Under a Flaming Sky.
In addition to telling an inspiring survival story, the book traces the social, economic, and environmental causes of the disaster, and my hope is that you will be not only moved but also informed by this compelling but often overlooked slice of American history.
Reviews
“Riveting, moving, white-knuckle reading to rank with classic accounts of the ‘perfect storm,’ Krakatoa, and other storied calamities.”
—Booklist Magazine, April 26, 2006 (A starred review)
“A wide range of characters evoke the reader’s pity and respect in these well-researched and highly readable pages….this deft slice of regional history will attract disaster and weather buffs as well as fans of Norman Maclean’s standout book, Young Men and Fire.”
—Publisher’s Weekly
“… a thrilling re-creation of one of the great natural disasters in American history…”
—The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, June 30, 2006
“The story of the crematory fires has been told before, of course, but never so masterfully.”
—Minnesota Monthly, September 25, 2006
“…emotionally searing…you’ll burn up the pages getting to the end.”
—Superior Daily Telegraph, August 5, 2006
“…a compelling read…capturing the stories of heroism and loss with imagination and attention-grabbing skill.”
—The Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“It’s a churning, burning cauldron of horror—the true story of a Minnesota lumber town destroyed by wildfire in the late summer of 1894. The lasting image is of a packed passenger train, desperately slashing through searing sheets of flame, the engineer’s hands welded to the wheel.”
—Foreword Magazine