Veil of Fire: A Novel

Veil of Fire is a compelling book from start to finish. I picked it up thinking it would be an interesting historical fiction, primarily about a factual fire in the Midwest. However, from the very first chapter I became engrossed in this captivating novel that introduced me to the depths of tragedy and despair as the fire ravaged, and the anticipation of hope and redemption as the people in Hinckley rebuilt their town and their lives. Schalesky does an excellent job unfolding the plot of the story and developing her characters. Truth and freedom are wrestled with in new ways as the characters struggle with their own depravity, and the crushing depravity of others. I was pleasantly surprised in the end at the reality of the characters humanity and my own, as the issues in this novel easily translate into struggles of truth, hope, freedom, and faith in my own life, in the face of terrible loss. Yet, it would be an oversight to end my comments here. Veil of Fire is a suspenseful thriller as the reader tries to discover the identity of the hermit in the hills. One of the driving forces of the novel, unveiling the hermit's identity was the primary reason why I could not put this book down. I have already recommended this book to my husband and my friends; a great read for everyone!

This book satisfies on every level. Drama, action, passion, internal conflict and of course MYSTERY. The mystery caused me to stay up 2 nights in a row...completely neglecting all of my household responsibility. It was wonderful! Marlo succeeds in making each character very real. My emotions were very much on the surface from the moment I picked up this book. She had me at page one. I rarely get a chance to indulge in fictional works. This was time well spent. I HIGHLY RECCOMEND.

I had heard that Marlo Schalesky's writing was a cut above the rest, and this novel drew a line under that phrase and placed an exclamation point at the end. In BOLD font.

What a spellbinding book! I was hooked right away and read right through to the end, breathless, savoring the excitement with each page. A VEIL OF FIRE has it all: great story, heartfelt, tender moments, real characters, the thrill of the chase, quiet beauty, and truth. I loved that it was based on a real event in history. Marlo's fine writing and historical accuracy made this a memorable read. Looking forward to my next Marlo novel! Well done.

In 1894 a fire broke out in the town of Hinckley, Minnesota. Four hours later 400 square miles were torched. Four hundred eighteen lives were lost. Out of the ashes the townspeople rebuilt and rose again like the Phoenix of mythology. And a myth began to grow among the survivors. There was one in the hills watching, observing. Friend or foe? No one knew. To this day no one knows who the hermit in the hills around Hinckley was. Speculations abound still.

I met Marlo Schalesky through Shoutlife. Intrigued by the blurb for Veil of Fire, I went to her website and discovered I could read chapter one. I did. And I rushed right out to find the book so I could finish the story.

I must say I'm not a fan of historical fiction. I find it difficult to relate to stories that delve into settings, customs and such that I'm unfamiliar with. However, this story caught my attention because it seemed to have a little mystery and suspense to it. This story, though set in a historical time period and speculating on what might have been so and what was, reads more like a suspense novel than anything else. I went into it expecting chapter one to be about the fire and the remaining pages to be about the aftermath. I got more than I bargained for. The first four chapters cover the fire and the townsfolk attempting to escape. Some succeed, others fail. This section was some of the most intense reading I've done in a long time. I could smell the smoke and hear the flames. The fear of the characters was palpable. I experienced it all with them. This is the mark of a great writer.

The remaining story takes you on several paths. That of a little girl orphaned by the fire. A woman grief-stricken over the loss of her own daughter. A businessman who essentially owns the town. His no account son. A farmer whose only tangible of his lost wife is his infant daughter.

And the hermit in the hills. We see inside the mind and heart of this character. Learn their struggles, meditate on their questions, consider possible answers along with them. All the while having no idea who this person is until the last possible moment. Marlo tosses out so many possibilities to reader as to the identity of this person. I personally was so torn by the possibilities that I could not make up my mind. And yet, it stared me in the face the whole time. Like any good story should.

This was my first historical read. If there are others like it out there, I can assure you I'll be reading more.

In 1894, the town of Hinckley, Minnesota was forever changed by a rampaging fire that struck without warning. Marlo Schalesky weaves a compelling and moving story around that tragic historical event, with tenderness and lyrical artistry.

Josef, Ellie, Lars and Arla's lives take a twist they never thought possible when the Hinckley conflagration consumes buildings, stock and people indiscriminately. Fear, pain, hope and love all rise up from the ashes as they wonder how to move on. God's faithfulness and protection is called into question by some, while others cling to their faith in the face of such tragedy.

As the community attempts to restore their lives, another is hoping a dark and sinister secret has been laid to rest underneath the blackened landscape.

The impact of Veil of Fire is lasting and heartfelt. That the fire actually took place, killing 418 people in four hours, contributes to the book's punch but no less is Marlo's beautiful abilities as a wordsmith. She has crafted a tale that engages the heart with her appealing and compelling characters and activates the mind with a mystery that remains satisfyingly unresolved until the final chapter. I was so impressed with this novel that I have nominated it for my book club to read later this year!

On Sept. 1, 1894, a firestorm raced across east-central Minnesota, consuming everything in its path. In four hours, the flames killed hundreds of people, and wiped six towns off the map. Hinckley was one of those towns and this novel is the story of its people.

Nora is a seamstress, trying to hem a dress in daylight that seems to grow dimmer as the minutes pass. It isn't until the family horse begins to scream that she and her daughter, Ellie, run outside. What they see is a firestorm consuming the countryside and the small town of Hinckley. Their only escape route is the set of railroad tracks that runs east of their farm, tracks that the Number Four train is currently on. The train signals escape, but will Meri be fast enough to outrun the flames?

Farmer Josef Strom flees with his wife and infant daughter. As the flames close in, they race to the safety of the town's gravel pit. But disaster rolls out of the flames and Josef is forced to make a decision not conceived of in his worse nightmares.

But for some, the fire is a stroke of good fortune. Lars Jenson can't believe his luck. He's managed to identify two bodies as his wife and daughter. The fire consumed them and the secrets they held over him. Now he is free to live his life as he sees fit-a wealthy businessman and pillar of the community.

But not all of the survivors return to the town. One stays hidden in the hills, disfigured by the burns that killed so many others. This lonely soul longs for community, but stays hidden out of fear. Rumors begin to circulate through town about the ghost living in the hills. The words filter back, piling pain upon pain.

As the survivors struggle to rebuild, they find they can't move forward until the ghosts of their respective pasts are put to rest. Raw emotion threatens to consume the town, just like the maelstrom of September.

Intrigued by both the cover and the concept, I admit I was still somewhat cautious about this book because I'd never heard of the author. That is until about page 3 when I found myself completely engulfed by her account of the firestorm. Marlo Schalesky opens this novel with a bang: a blaze of descriptive images which make you feel as if you are right there in Hinkley, Minnesota, choking from the smoke and flames.

This is one of those rare stories which has you caring for the characters on a very personal level. After the fire, you'll feel as though you have a vested interest in watching how they rebuild both the town and their lives. The dialogue of the hermit in particular is prosaic and melancholy and you will be flipping pages madly to discover the ghost's identity. Overall, the novel addresses the theme of past mistakes and the search for redemption. I don't hesitate in saying this is one of the best books I've read this year, and the only other current author who has had me as consumed with the lives of his characters has been Khaled Hosseini.

Outstanding novel- I feel like I've discovered a gem of a writer who's work transcends the Christian Fiction label.

I love Christian novels, but I think that this one was truly the most exciting I have ever read. Ms Schalesky's setting is a real life prairie fire that hit a small town in the mid west.The first chapter of the book has a mother frantically riding her horse after the train that is disparately trying to out run the fire. She has her young daughter with her. When she catches up to the train, it seems that only her child can be saved. Before the fire there was a group of young women who were friends. They all seemed to have died in the fire or did they?

This was a wonderful book, kept me guessing till the end. It was part real, but part fictional with the characters. It came from a story of the fire of Hinckley.

September 1, 1894 started out as any other day in Hinckley, MN--except it seemed abnormally hot for a Minnesota September, and it was hard to breathe. Ellie Jean's mother is finishing up a dress she's making as a gift, when they happened to look outside and see a wild fire racing out of control toward them. They grab the horse and attempt to outrun the fire, hoping to catch the train. But the train is leaving the burning station when they arrive. Someone reaches from the train and grabs Ellie Jean, but her mother is consumed by the fire.

Josef, his wife, Maggie, and their newborn baby are trying to flee the fire by foot. A burning wagon hits Maggie. Josef tries to save her, but she urges him to take the baby and run...he makes it as far as the gravel pit, and covers himself and the baby in mud...

The fire burns 400 square miles and killed 418 people in just four hours. One hundred people were saved by hiding in the gravel pit. Another handful escaped by the train. But many were killed. After the fire, the survivors started to rebuild. But some ghost--or monster--is living in the hills behind the town. Haunting them. Who or what is this ghost?

VEIL OF FIRE is the first book I've read by Marlo Schalesky, but it certainly won't be the last. This book is based on a real story, the real fire of 1894, and a real "ghost of Hinckley" although nobody for sure knows who the real "ghost" was. The characters in this story are realistically developed, and tug on your heart strings. Written in multiple points of view, one knows what all the main characters are going through.

One should never judge a book by it's cover, and that point was driven home with VEIL OF FIRE. Judging by the cover, I didn't expect it to be very interesting. However, once I picked up the book and started reading it I had to keep reading. The plot--based on real life--was enough of a draw for me, but the characters, the story telling, and the faith message all kept me reading. I tried to figure out who the ghost might be, but the mystery there is so well done that I had trouble guessing. Bravo, Marlo Schalesky. Historical fans will not want to miss VEIL OF FIRE. My copy will be going on my keeper shelf. This is easily one of the best books of 2007. $13.99. 320 pages.