Susan May Warren

As a Minnesotan who frequently drives through Hinckley, MN, Marlo Schalesky’s book, Veil of Fire caught my eye. The Hinckley fire is one of those that is talked about with an aura of mystique. (Hinckley is also the exit off Hwy 35W North that hosts “Tobies” — the world greatest pastries!). I’ve always longed to read a story with Hinckley at the center. More than that, with the recent fires on the Gunflint Trail, near the town where we live, the Hinckley fire is one that hit close to home.

Here’s what Marlo had to say about her research for this story:

Can you explain the research process, since this is such a historical novel? The research for Veil of Fire was particularly fascinating not only because of its link to my personal family history, but also because of the incredible first-person accounts of the fire that were written by people who were actually there. These stories are compiled into a book written entirely by survivors who recount their personal experience of living through the firestorm that swept through their town. I read about a man whose hat lifted from his head and exploded above him as he ran through wind and fire. I read about another whose horse raced beside the Eastern Minnesota train as fire billowed around him. The horse swerved into the smoke, and the man was never seen again. I read about a boy racing down the tracks, falling, and surviving as the fire roared over him. I read about fire on the surface of the Grindstone River, darkness broken only by bursts of flame, the St. Paul and Duluth engine backing up to Skunk Lake through blinding heat and smoke. I read about a train trestle disintegrating into flame moments after a train passed, about Jane Tew praying on that train, and the brakemen who saved them all.
Those eyewitness accounts, as well as information gathered about the fire from other sources, created the realistic feel of the fire and its aftermath in Veil of Fire. Plus, you can be sure that if something seems almost beyond belief in Veil of Fire, it will be drawn from an actual account that came directly from the research, so amazing were the real stories of the fire on that day!
Today, a number of books about the fire, as well as artifacts, photos, and other articles can be seen at the Hinckley Fire Museum in Hinckley.

VEIL OF FIRE, an exciting new novel by Marlo Schalesky, has just been released. Here’s a blurb about it:

A Raging Firestorm . . .

A Light in the Hills . . .

And a Mystery Rises from the Ash.

In 1894, the worst firestorm in Minnesota history descends on the town of Hinckley. Heat, flame, and darkness sweep through the town, devouring lives, destroying hope. In the aftermath, the town rises from the ashes, its people determined to rebuild their lives.

But in the shadows, someone is watching. Someone is waiting. Someone who knows the secrets that can free them all. A rumor begins of a hermit in the hills – a person severely burned, disfigured beyond recognition. Doubts rise. Fear whispers. Is the hermit a monster or a memory? An enemy or a love once-lost?

Based on historical events, Veil of Fire beckons to a time when hope rose from the smoke of sacrifice, when trust hid behind a veil of fear, when dreams were robed in a mantle of fire . . .

Veil of Fire“>Buy it at Christianbook.com!

What Others are Saying about Veil of Fire:

Reading Veil of Fire is like feasting on a banquet of rich words and vivid images.

─Tricia Goyer, award-winning author of five novels, including A Valley of Betrayal