First published 2016
Janet Pascal tackles one of America's most enduring urban legends in this exploration of the Great Chicago Fire. The book opens by questioning whether Mrs. O'Leary's cow actually kicked over that infamous lantern on October 8, 1871. Pascal reveals how a severe drought had left Chicago's south side vulnerable to flames. She traces how a series of catastrophic failures turned a neighborhood blaze into citywide destruction. Fire crews rushed to the wrong address first. Powerful winds carried the fire across the Chicago River not once but twice. The city's waterworks fell to the flames, leaving firefighters helpless. For two full days the inferno raged until rain finally arrived to douse the destruction. Pascal weaves together the immediate drama of the disaster with the broader story of how Americans have fought fires throughout history. The book offers young readers both the thrilling details of a legendary catastrophe and the tools to distinguish historical fact from popular folklore.
Genres: history, 20th-century, non-fiction, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism
Setting: Chicago
Period: 1871
112 pages · Paperback · Penguin Workshop