THE GREAT FIRE, By Jim Murphy

Murphy, Jim.  THE GREAT FIRE.  New York: Scholastic Inc., 1995.  ISBN 0439203074

In 1871, the city of Chicago was almost completely destroyed by a massive fire that ripped through the town, burning down houses, farms and businesses over the span of two days.  When flames broke out at a small barn on the edge of the city, harsh winds, dry land and a town made almost entirely out of wood combined into the perfect storm of destruction.  THE GREAT FIRE chronicles the events of this historic disaster, told from the stories of actual survivors who braved the flames of chaos on that fateful, windy October night in Chicago.

Jim Murphy’s enthralling account of the Great Chicago Fire details the events surrounding the disaster with great detail and emotion.  Readers will soon become wrapped up in the stories of several survivors of the tragedy, whose writings Murphy uses to account for different perspectives in his tale.  Catherine and Patrick O’Leary, whose barn was the origination of the fire, portray the poor immigrants who were largely blamed for not only the fire itself, but also the chaos of panic and crime that swept the city during the days after the disaster.  James Hildreth, who tried desperately to recruit help in strategically stopping the fire from spreading, and Joseph Chamberlin, a reporter who followed the fire as it spread across the river, showcase those individuals who did their best to remain calm and help others during the fire.  However, perhaps most memorable of all stories Murphy includes are those of twelve-year-old Claire Innes, who is separated from her family while fleeing the flames, and Julia Lemos, the single mother who frantically moves her entire family to safety during the blaze.  Murphy’s research into personal accounts of that fateful night help make the events of the Chicago Fire real and relatable for readers.  Children will imagine wandering the smoldering city, alone and lost with Claire, while adults will wonder how quickly they would have reacted to the distant glowing flames.

Murphy’s informational book is well organized and detailed, including several double-page maps that illustrate how quickly the fire spread and destroyed vast parts of the city as the days passed.  He builds suspense as he provides information, remaining objective and factual as he details the aftermath of the blaze and the deep division of the city’s socioeconomic groups.  Murphy includes a wide variety of drawings and photographs illustrating the fire, many of which were from the Chicago newspapers in the days and weeks following the catastrophe.  Young readers will be astounded to see how quickly the city was destroyed as 100,000 people were left homeless by the fire's end.  The book’s design is simple and straightforward, with pictures in monotone browns and lengthy text on most pages.  Murphy’s extensive bibliography, which cites direct quotes and statistics throughout the text, solidifies the book’s accuracy.  He has also included a lengthy index, allowing for readers to skip directly to the topics in which they are most interested, and a table of contents that outlines the chronological chapters of the book.  THE GREAT FIRE is as riveting as it is informational, promising to not only teach readers about this disastrous day in Chicago, but to also capture their attention with its suspenseful and emotional accounts of the personal ways the event impacted the entire city. 

THE GREAT FIRE is a 1995 Newbery Honor Book and one of many historical nonfiction works by author Jim Murphy.  The book also boasts the 1996 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award and is a SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Best Book, a BOOKLIST Editors Choice, and an ALA Notable Book.  HORN BOOK’s starred review praises, “The energy and depth of the presentation make this thought-provoking history lesson absorbing and riveting reading.”  PUBLISHERS WEEKLY calls the book “engrossing” and KIRKUS REVIEWS praises it as “a veritable cinematic account.”  Those interested in famous disasters or personal accounts of historical events will enjoy Murphy’s detailed telling of THE GREAT FIRE.

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For more by Jim Murphy, readers can check out:

INSIDE THE ALAMO, By Jim Murphy, ISBN 0385325745

ACROSS AMERICA ON AN EMIGRANT TRAIN, By Jim Murphy, ISBN 0395764831

BLIZZARD!: THE STORM THAT CHANGED AMERICA, By Jim Murphy, ISBN 0590673106

For a more recent comparison of a natural fire disaster, young readers can try:

FIRE IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA: BILLION-DOLLAR BLAZE (AMERICAN DISASTERS), By Carmen Bredeson, ISBN 0766012204

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Sources:

http://www.jimmurphybooks.com/greatfire.htm