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  • The Great Fire by Jim Murphy book cover
  • The Great Fire by Jim Murphy book cover
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The Great Fire

by Jim Murphy

Chicago’s Great Fire and the city’s rebuilding

Critically Recognized
$15.65 USD
$26.09 USD $15.65 USD
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Awards & Recognition

  • Award recognition

    Newbery Honor Book

    Identified as a Newbery Honor Book.

  • Critical praise

    The Horn Book starred review

    Starred review praising the account as absorbing and riveting reading.

AlbakiReads Editorial

Chicago’s Great Fire and the city’s rebuilding

Jim Murphy’s account places the 1871 Chicago fire within the city’s history, combining survivors’ personal accounts with research on the disaster. The narrative traces the scale of the destruction and the challenge of rebuilding after much of Chicago was left in ruins. By pairing individual experiences with the wider history of the city, the book connects a major event in U.S. history to the people who lived through it and the work of restoring their community.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Children ages 9–12 interested in U.S. and local history.
  • Readers who want historical accounts that include survivors’ experiences.
  • Young readers exploring disasters and how communities rebuild.

Themes

The Great Fire of 1871Chicago historySurvivor accountsCommunity rebuilding

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Jim Murphy's Newbery Honor Book available for the first time in paperback.

 

The Great Fire of 1871 was one of most colossal disasters in American history. Overnight, the flourshing city of Chicago was transformed into a smoldering wasteland. The damage was so profound that few people believed the city could ever rise again.By weaving personal accounts of actual survivors together with the carefully researched history of Chicago and the disaster, Jim Murphy constructs a riveting narrative that recreates the event with drama and immediacy. And finally, he reveals how, even in a time of deepest dispair, the human spirit triumphed, as the people of Chicago found the courage and strength to build their city once again.
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Customer reviews

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AlbakiReads
Malaika Taylor

I highly recommend to for anyone looking for inner clarity

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Thomas DiMassa

Great service and fast service

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Ella

Great shopping experience! The book arrived quickly, was well packaged, and matched the description perfectly. I would definitely shop with you again

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Olivia

Smooth.