Jocelyn always amazes me with her attention to historical detail and her skill at dealing with the heavier, more tragic aspects of life in a way that makes the hope and light in her stories shine all the brighter.
I admit I don’t typically gravitate towards books set in 1800’s America. There are a lot of other eras of history that draw my interest more. However, if the plot is unique enough or the author is one I trust to deliver a compelling read, I will venture into the era. The latter scenario was the case with Veiled in Smoke by Jocelyn Green. I have fallen in love with her elegant, poetic writing and profound, emotional stories, so I knew this book, while not in one of my “comfort zone” eras of time, would be sure to deliver in a big way.
My initial assumption proved correct.
Before I continue with my thoughts on this book, check out the beautiful cover and official blurb below!
Meg and Sylvie Townsend manage the family bookshop and care for their father, Stephen, a veteran still suffering in mind and spirit from his time as a POW during the Civil War. But when the Great Fire sweeps through Chicago’s business district, they lose much more than just their store.
The sisters become separated from their father and make a harrowing escape from the flames with the help of Chicago Tribune reporter Nate Pierce. Once the smoke clears away, they reunite with Stephen, only to learn soon after that their family friend was murdered on the night of the fire. Even more shocking, Stephen is charged with the crime and committed to the Cook County Insane Asylum.
Though homeless and suddenly unemployed, Meg must not only gather the pieces of her shattered life, but prove her father’s innocence before the asylum truly drives him mad.
I will admit that this book started out a little slow for me. It really wasn’t that the story was too slow, because, looking back, it didn’t feel that way to me. I think it was more a matter of my own attention being too divided between the book and other things around me. Because when I made time to really read and focus on the book, I loved the story. By the time I got halfway through the book, I was much more invested in the story and remained eager to see what happened next.
Jocelyn brought the city of Chicago to vivid life, and I enjoyed soaking in every carefully researched and written detail. The chapters covering the Great Fire itself were terrifying and kept me hanging onto every word. I felt like I was being chased by the raging inferno alongside the characters, and I couldn’t put the book down until I knew everyone made it out safely. I had known the incident was a great tragedy, but “witnessing” it, and the aftermath of it, in this way made me realize just how awful the fire truly was. I pray I never have to experience such terror in real life!
While I guessed the villain early on, Jocelyn did manage to make me start to doubt my assumption, and even later, after I decided I was definitely right in my first instinct, she kept me guessing about many of the details of the mystery. There ended up being several twists that I didn’t see coming, which I loved.
Meg’s character arc–largely centered around the idea of coming through the flames transformed, forever altered and scarred, but made the better for it–was so beautiful and married perfectly with the physical transformation of Chicago. I loved seeing her discover who she’s supposed to be and watching her relationship with her sister and father grow and strengthen over the course of the book. Family is a major theme here, and it is beautifully presented.
Speaking of her family, her father, Stephen, totally grabbed me by the heart strings. I felt so terrible for him because of his poor treatment at the hands of the insane asylum. It made my heart ache for real life individuals that deal with PTSD today, and especially for those that dealt with it in the past when the condition was so misunderstood. But again, here in Stephen’s character arc, the theme of transformation and being made new was beautifully illustrated.
The other star of this book for me was Nate Pierce. He is a simple sort of hero, nothing flashy or particularly dashing, but he’s such a good person that you can’t help but love him. And the fact that he’s a studious type and wears glasses? Yeah, that endeared him to me even more! His romance with Meg is very subtle, but thoroughly sweet and heart-warming.
I was surprised by how much we got to know Sylvie in this book, as I expected it to focus solely on Meg’s POV and keep Sylvie as a true secondary character. However, because Sylvie’s POV was featured and she actually played a big role in the story, I am now even more eager to read Book 2, Shadows of the White City. I can’t wait to see how Sylvie grows as a character and finds herself in the way Meg was able to find herself in this book.
If you love fiction full of vivid historical detail with profound, thought-provoking themes, you can’t go wrong with Jocelyn’s latest offering. This is an excellent start to the Windy City Saga and I look forward to seeing the rest of the series unfold. 5/5 Stars!
