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rachel beanland in conversation with meredith henne baker: the house is on fire

  • bbgb 3003 West Cary Street Richmond, VA, 23221 United States (map)

join us in the shop for a conversation with rachel beanland and meredith henne baker (author of the richmond theater fire) about rachel’s highly-anticipated historical fiction novel: the house is on fire. the event will consist of an author talk, q&a, and book signing.

this event is free to attend, however, to help our staff prepare, we appreciate if interested attendees rsvp’d using the button below.

and of course, to support our wonderful speakers, we encourage purchasing their books if you are able. you may purchase signed and/or personalized books onsite at the event, or preorder them to pick up at the event or afterwards. we encourage arriving to the event early for best seating.

about the book:

the author of florence adler swims forever returns with a masterful work of historical fiction about an incendiary tragedy that shocked a young nation and tore apart a community in a single night—told from the perspectives of four people whose actions during the inferno changed the course of history.

based on the true story of richmond’s theater fire, the house is on fire offers proof that sometimes, in the midst of great tragedy, we are offered our most precious—and fleeting—chances at redemption.

about the speakers:

Rachel Beanland is the author of the forthcoming novel, The House Is On Fire, which will be published by Simon & Schuster in April 2023. Her debut novel, Florence Adler Swims Forever, was selected as a book club pick by Barnes & Noble, a featured debut by Amazon, an Indie Next pick by the American Booksellers Association, and one of the best books of 2020 by USA Today. It was also named a New York Times Editors’ Choice and was recognized with the 2020 National Jewish Book Award for Debut Fiction (Greenberg Prize). To date, it has been published or is forthcoming in nine countries.

Rachel’s writing has also appeared in Lit HubBusiness InsiderCreative Nonfiction, and Broad Street, among other places. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and earned her MFA in creative writing from Virginia Commonwealth University. Rachel lives in Richmond, Virginia with her family.

As a graduate student, Meredith Henne Baker studied American History and Museum Studies at the College of William and Mary, and it was there she uncovered the story of this pivotal Virginia event. She currently writes from Richmond, where she lives with her family. The Richmond Theater Fire, winner of the 2012 Jules and Frances F. Landry Award and the 2012 Phi Alpha Theta Best First Book Award, is her first book. She has been a featured speaker on Virginia history for events with the Historic Richmond Foundation, the Smithsonian, the Virginia Forum, Wilton House, the Library of Virginia, the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, and others and she is a 2021 Virginia Humanities Fellow with a research residency at the Library of Virginia. Hear her Banner Lecture at the VMHC here.

preorder signed and personalized books below!

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2023 yava award celebration