The Day the World Burned (The Pine County Chronicles)

From debut novelist Kristina Shuey comes an epic and haunting story, set in the late nineteenth-century, about two friends who are forever changed by the Great Hinckley Fire.

HINCKLEY, 1894. Anna Andersson, a spirited teenager, dreams of freedom and adventure outside of the rough and tumble logging town where she grew up. Karl Sundvquist, her neighbor and close friend, also hopes to leave town—but only if he secures a position as a “shanty boy” in a winter logging crew. As September approaches, Anna witnesses a scandalous kiss that threatens her sister’s reputation. She recruits Karl in a plan to safeguard her sister, but as they navigate societal norms and expectations, they notice a spark between them. Then the unthinkable happens. The Great Hinckley Fire roars in, incinerating everything they once knew. In a single day, the fire obliterates an area twice the size of Chicago, claiming over four hundred lives and leaving thousands homeless. Forced to fight for their lives, Karl and Anna must learn that survival isn’t just about life and death, but also the courage to face grief, loss, and the immense task of starting over.