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
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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