Under a Flaming Sky

Daniel James Brown's grandfather was witness to the Hinckley, Minnesota, firestorm of September 1, 1894. His grandfather's story is personal to the author, but he treats all the stories of life and death that day with equal care. Narrator Mark Bramhall starts with a gentle account of everyday life in the town, even as hints of what's to come creep into his voice. The reportage of the inferno is woven from the stories of individuals, such as passengers leaving a flaming train and a father drenching his kids in life-saving water. Quietly but unnervingly interspersed is the author's reportage on the various types of fire deaths and psychological aspects of being caught in a fire. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine