1871: Rivers on Fire commemorates the sesquicentennial of the deadliest fire in the recorded history of the world -- on the same night as one of the most infamous destructions of a city by means of fire. The book is part historical novel, and part a love story with interweavings of triumph, treachery, and heartbreak. It addresses our nation's long-held sense of exceptionalism, our treatment of minority groups, and issues related...