Beanland's sophomore novel (following Florence Adler Swims Forever) is based on the very real Richmond Theater fire that killed 72 people on December 26, 1811. Beanland tells the story through the eyes of four survivors, some of whom are more fictionalized than others: the teenage stagehand whose mistake causes a backdrop to ignite, a wealthy young widow who survives by jumping from a window, an enslaved blacksmith who helps many white women escape the blazing theater, and a young female slave who wonders if she might use the fire as an opportunity to escape. Whispersync narration available. I enjoyed listening to the full-cast narration of this steadily-paced, thoroughly researched historical tale.

I've had Beanland's historical debut novel waiting for me in Libro.fm since its 2020 release; I bumped it to the top of my queue after enjoying her April 2023 release The House Is on Fire. This book is NOT what I expected: it's no spoiler to say that on page 14 the vivacious 20-year-old swimmer Florence drowns on a training swim in the Atlantic Ocean, and the book is truly about her Jewish family's elaborate attempt to conceal the truth from Florence's hospitalized sister, who they fear will go into premature labor if she learns of the tragedy. Beanland explains in her author's note that much of the story is based on her own Jewish family's history in 1930s Atlantic City, and teases out what is fact and what is fiction for her readers. I loved this on audio, narrated by a full cast including Jesse Vilinsky and Gabra Zackman.