Product Description

In 1894, the worst firestorm in Minnesota history descended on the town of Hinckley, consuming 400 square miles and killing 418 people in just four hours.

Heat, flame, and darkness swept through the town, devouring lives, and consuming all hope. In the aftermath of the fire, the town of Hinckley 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 the fire lay bare. A rumor spreads of a mysterious figure that haunts the hills; monster, a ghost, or a memory?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #430799 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

About the Author

Marlo Schalesky became interested in stories handed down through her husband's family about the great Minnesota firestorm of 1894. Schalesky is the author of three historical fiction novels, Cry Freedom, Freedom's Shadow, Only the Wind Remembers, and one non-fiction title--Empty Womb, Aching Heart. She and her family live in California.

Customer Reviews

Veil of Fire ~ Reviewed


I didn't realize until I'd reached the end of this captivating novel that it was based on a real historical event--one of the worst fires in history. A blaze that destroyed six towns including Hinckley and killed 418 people in four hours in Minnesota of 1894.

In Veil of Fire, residents of Hinckley struggle with grief over their losses and wavering faith in the God who allowed such disaster, while trying to put their lives and their town back together.

Meanwhile, rumors spread that a ghost, or maybe a monster, is lurking in the surrounding hills. Things have gone missing--a cart, a pie, some beans--and a veiled figure in black has been spotted in the shadows. People are angry and afraid.

The author pulls you in, first by making you care about her very believable characters--a widower left alone with his baby girl, a mother with many regrets and the man who loves her despite her short-comings, a villain we despise yet understand. Then she keeps you reading, leaving you with one cliffhanger after another. I read this book quickly, always having to know what happened next, and in the end I was satisfied.

Veil of Fire is about finding the truth. It's about being real, and giving and receiving undeserved love and forgiveness. This book will be enjoyed by fans of historical, romantic, and suspense fiction.

Reviewed By Janet Rubin

An excellent read
This book satisfies on every level. Drama, action, passion, internal conflict and of course MYSTERY. The mystery caused me to stay up 2 nights in a row...completely neglecting all of my household responsibility. It was wonderful! Marlo succeeds in making each character very real. My emotions were very much on the surface from the moment I picked up this book. She had me at page one. I rarely get a chance to indulge in fictional works. This was time well spent. I HIGHLY RECCOMEND.

An Amazing Read
Marlo Schalesky is a consummate storyteller who has woven a tale of suspense, love, and healing in Veil of Fire. In 1894, the small town of Hinckley, Minnesota faced a fire that destroyed the community. As the few survivors begin to piece their lives back together, fear reigns and the citizens persecute the unknown--a being they believe is a ghost. Only a young orphan is willing to question who or what this being might be. Her discovery shatters the secrets one citizen thought had gone up in smoke. Schalesky has done a masterful job of maintaining the suspense until the moment the secret is revealed--a skill that eludes some of the best authors. I loved this book.