THE LAKE ON FIRE is a character-driven tale of two cities, set in Chicago during its gilded age (against the backdrop of the resplendent Columbian Exposition of 1893), told from the divergent perspective of two young Jewish immigrants (Chaya and her strange, brilliant little brother Asher) who run away from their home on a failing Wisconsin farm, and arrive penniless and clueless in the seething, harsh tumult of Chicago in 1890. What they find is cigar manufacturing sweatshops, pickpockets, and the filth and stench of a big city, and that the "gilded age" for them can be as empty a façade as the beautiful Columbian Exposition. Brown's story is suspenseful, and her descriptions of both the sweatshops and the radiant fair, the lavish lives of the elite lived out next to the city's poor and unemployed, are exquisite and compassionate (among the historical flourishes in the novel are the appearance of Jane Addams (who plays an important role in their lives,) and Carter Harrison, Chicago's mayor during the Columbian Exposition.) THE LAKE ON FIRE is an epic narrative that brings alive late 19th century Chicago, a transporting drama of class and love about the lure and lore of the American dream, a tale that resonates eerily with today's current events and tumultuous social landscape. We love this book! • Celebrate the release of this great novel of Chicago with us on Wednesday, October 24th at 7PM when Rosellen Brown will appear at the shop in discussion with Gioia Diliberto. ✨🎡 • #unabridgedbookoftheweek #thelakeonfire #rosellenbrown (at Unabridged Bookstore) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpFBP3WHhKg/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1nlnl738elnwi